“An armed society is a polite society”
“TANSTAAFL”
Robert Heinlein
Harrison Bergeron is the classic in this group of worthy literature. It is written in a way that it actually speaks to kids, even now.
That’s the test.
Absolute classic, and its succinct, which you have to be in a society with near zero attention span.
Nothing by NicknamedBob? Is outrage!
LOVE love love Harrison Bergeron. It seems so apt in this age of “privilege.”
If these others are on the same par as that one, I’m gonna have some reading to do. :)
If Hall of Fame means fame, “Harrison Bergeron” is the only one I ever see cited.
Heinlein doesn’t fit well with libertarianism after Ayn Rand.
Vonnegut said later that his satire was more against right-wing views of left-wing egalitarianism than about communism or socialism.
That could simply be the older Vonnegut covering himself from criticism from his left-wing peers, but it is possible.
Heinlein.
I nominate Joshua of the book of Joshua and the founder of the libertarian state of Israel. His founding words were thus:
Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
All libertarianism since then has been built on that statement.
Perhaps there is another who deserves mention and credit, to wit, John W Campbell Jr., the editor of Astounding SF -> Analog SF&F from 1937 to 1971, since he published 4 of these six nominees!
His editorials were required reading and led me to my libertarian views today. His influence on the “Golden Age” of Science Fiction is measured by the authors he helped. The paper he used may have been pulp, but the writing and editing shone like gold.
BFL
I need to read the ones I haven’t, Kipling in particular. Every FReeper should read and understand The Gods of the Copybook Headings, it has a thoroughly conservative message.