History Literature / RepublicLost

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters

* Utopia: In Book V, "Crypt's Model Anarchism", Xenon explains life in anarchist communes to Glaucon. The dialogue is presented in traditional utopian fashion and acts as a hopeful alternative to the authoritarian Republic.

''Republic Lost'' is a 2011 {{dystopia}}n novel by J. Paul Rinnan, set in a [[CrapsackWorld post-apocalyptic, nuclear-war-ravaged ]] North America. The center of civilization is The Republic, an authoritarian city-state based on the society described in {{Plato}}'s ''Literature/TheRepublic''. The Republic is ruled by a elite class of philosopher-kings and their super-computer, Kabiri-36, which manifests its personality in the form of the Greek Fates. The Republic is in an ongoing war with various anarchist movements, who live in communes outside its borders. The story centers on Glaucon, who is part of the guardians, the ruling class of philosopher-kings. He is forced to re-evaluate everything when he befriends some rebels operating within the Republic's borders. What ensues is a long, twisted story about friendship, betrayal, and violence, with a little bit of science fiction, {{mindrape}}, and psychological thriller thrown in.

''Republic Lost'' is a 2011 {{dystopia}}n novel by J. Paul Rinnan, set in a [[CrapsackWorld post-apocalyptic, nuclear-war-ravaged ]] North America. The center of civilization is The Republic, an authoritarian city-state based on the society described in {{Plato}}'s ''Literature/{{Republic}}''. The Republic is ruled by a elite class of philosopher-kings and their super-computer, Kabiri-36, which manifests its personality in the form of the Greek Fates. The Republic is in an ongoing war with various anarchist movements, who live in communes outside its borders. The story centers on Glaucon, who is part of the guardians, the ruling class of philosopher-kings. He is forced to re-evaluate everything when he befriends some rebels operating within the Republic's borders. What ensues is a long, twisted story about friendship, betrayal, and violence, with a little bit of science fiction, {{mindrape}}, and psychological thriller thrown in.

!!Tropes:

* NightmareFuel: Giant, homicidal, robotic dragonflies called Avis, people being burned alive in a Brazen Bull, not to mention plenty of mind-rape to go around.

* ThePowerOfTrust: Subverted hard...

* BlatantLies: The Republic runs on these, even going as far to re-write all great works of literature to be consistent with their message, making for some strange creations, like a conformist [[{{CatcherinTheRye}} Holden Caulfield]]. Ironically, [[spoiler:''Prodicus himself falls victim to this, as his personal quest for Henosis ends up being just a trick by the Fates trying to spend time with their creator'']]

* Satire: Plato believed art was imitation, and Republic Lost is a distorted image of our modern world. It critiques current trends in society like blind obedience to authority, media propaganda, militarism, sexism, and rule by an elite class of intellectuals. Examples include rifles that play music, the nihilistic materialism of Consumption Junction, altering stories to sanitize them of controversial content, "precise" face-chasing missiles that kill hundreds outside the Republic, and the media pundit Morpheus Alepou (Alepou is Greek for "fox").

->''"Break on through to the other side"-The Doors''

->''"We must tear down the world to rediscover the human spirit. We must cease being puppets of the Fates. Solidarity, more solidarity, forever solidarity."''

->''"Break on through to the other side-The Doors"''

* BookBurning: After guardians alter a book's plot for moral purposes, they burn all the hard copies they can find in purification fires so no one will ever know.

* Room101: The Republic burns people alive in a giant metal bull with a built in audio device that converts their screams to song. [[spoiler:''Glaucon and especially Sophie are driven by a fear of being immersed in the super computer and being made into a single mind together with Prodicus.'']]

* Satire: Plato believed art was imitation, and Republic Lost is a distorted image of our modern world. It critiques current trends in society like blind obedience to authority, media propaganda, militarism, sexism, and rule by an elite class of intellectuals. Examples include rifles that sing, the nihilistic materialism of Consumption Junction, altering stories to sanitize them of controversial content, "precise" face-chasing missiles that kill hundreds outside the Republic, and the media pundit Morpheus Alepou (Alepou is Greek for "fox")

* TheEmpire: The Republic embodies this trope.

* AntiHero: Glaucon is a pretty good example: troubled past, egotistical, cynical, depressed, power-hungry, mentally unstable. He's a real piece of work sometimes.

* AntiHero: Glaucon is a pretty good example: Troubled past, egotistical, cynical, depressed, power-hungry, mentally unstable. He's a real piece of work sometimes.

* AntiHero: Glaucon is a pretty good example.

* MindRape: and how. This society forces people into a mind control device (The Cogniscrambler). A popular punishment is the mindstocks, which shuts down body movement and the senses for sensory deprivation torture. [[spoiler:''And then there is the complete chaos after Glaucon is immersed'']]. In any part of the story involving these, confusion runs rampant.[[spoiler:''The story itself may be the product of a dream or a cogniscrambler illusion, as suggested by the ending'']].

* EnergyWeapon: The Republic uses several. The Neokalashnikov is a plasma rifle, designed to resemble the ancient Russian Kalashnikov. The Sonic Carbine fires a focused sound wave capable of injuring or liquefying opponents. Republican engineers constructed it to twang like a harp for aesthetic purposes. The Audiomembrane is a special force field which surrounds Heliopolis, protecting it from impure sounds from the outside world. Often, particles interact with it causing vivid rainbows.

* Cyberspace: When persons go into the cogniscrambler to interact with Kabiri-36, they undergo hallucinations and visions in cyberspace. [[spoiler:''At the end of the book, Glaucon travels through a digital world to the center of Kabiri's consciousness.'']]

* Sterility Plague: Fertility rates dropped in the Republic as a result of nuclear radiation. To increase reproduction, the guardians created the aphrodisiac pill "erosic". Over hundreds of years, the original purpose behind erosic was lost. Now, only guardians are allowed to use it, and it has become a ritualistic drug. Physical contact without the pill is a capital offense, preventing close romantic relationships from undermining loyalty to the State.
* ParentalSubstitute: Prodicus to Glaucon. Xenon to Sophie and Zemer.

* Room101: The Republic burns people alive in a giant metal bull with a built in audio device that converts their screams to song. [[spoiler:''Glaucon and especially Sophie are driven by a fear of being immersed in the super computer and being made into a single mind together with Prodicus.'']

* ThePowerOfFriendship: Sophie and Zemer through much of the book [[spoiler:''Sophie and Glaucon form a somewhat dysfunctional variant of this through much of the book, and may actually be an example of its deconstruction.'']

* ScrewDestiny: Many characters see visions of fire and a world ruled by Kabiri-36; they attempt to change the future. [[spoiler: Xenon attempts to avert this fate by creating the Continental Caucus. Sophie seeks to assassinate Glaucon. Rebels raid an armory and try to violently overthrow the Republic. Zemer uses the jinn to infiltrate Kabiri's mainframe by splitting his psyche and attaching a piece to Glaucon. This tactic is ultimately successful (though an alternate reading of the ending is possible).'']