The Day Before the Revolution

Published in 1974 in Galaxy, this short story is a precursor to Ursula K. Le Guin'sThe Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia. Offering back story that further illuminates Le Guin's anarchist ideals, we learn more about Laia Asia Odo, tired revolutionary on the planet Urras. Our protagonist is old and widowed, concerned that her memory is failing. She goes out for a walk. Laia lives in a large commune and is invisible yet glorified by the young activists who live with and visit her. Gorgeously illustrated and lovingly bound, this classic of anarchist science fiction finally has the standalone treatment it deserves, a real collectors item.