In Lin Zixuan's mind, there was a small amount of information about Zamyatin.

The Soviet writer was compared to the British writer Orwell and Huxley, and the three of them wrote three novels known as the "dystopian trilogy".

They are Zamyatin's "Us", Huxley's "Brave New World" and Orwell's "1984".

"We" was published in English in the United States in 1924, "Brave New World" was published in 1932, and "1984" was published in 1949.

Zamyatin was born in 1884 and graduated from the shipbuilding department of the Petersburg Institute of Technology.

In 1914 he published the novel "A Small Castle in the Provinces", in which Gorky praised his writing talent, and he took an active part in the October Revolution in Russia, twice in prison and three in exile.

It can be said that he is the backbone of the revolution.

After the outbreak of the Russian Revolution, he rushed back to Russia, published several plays and novels, and became a leading figure in the literary scene of Petersburg.

However, after the founding of the Soviet Union, he was keenly aware of the shortcomings of the new system and wrote a series of critical articles, which were criticized by Soviet newspapers as a dangerous subversive element because of his criticism of the new regime's policies and satirizing the status quo.

He wrote the novel "We" in 1920, which was severely criticized by the authorities and banned from publication in the Soviet Union.

It was not until 1924 that the manuscript of "We" was taken out of the USSR and published in Western society.

Zamyatin said: "True literature can only be created by madmen, hermits, infidels, fantasists, rebels, skeptics, and not by shrewd, capable, loyal officials." ”

He went from being a staunch supporter of the revolution to being a subversive only because he saw the problem and told the truth.

What is the difference between an intellectual and a slave when he loses the ability to think for himself and only knows how to obey orders.

"Us" is a novel that blends science fiction and social satire. Wrote a story that takes place in the future.

In this futuristic world, the inhabitants have completely lost their individuality, so much so that they do not have their own names, but are named after numbers.

They live in transparent glass houses, making it easier for the guards to spy on them.

They all wore the same uniform costume and lived on synthetic food. The usual entertainment is to march in a row of four while the national anthem of the Great Unification is played on the loudspeakers.

Even the people of this world strictly follow the "Schedule of Schedules and Rules" issued by the Kingdom.

Nor can the people of the kingdom find a partner on their own, but are appointed by the relevant institutions of the kingdom under unified leadership.

The numbered men and women were given a pink ticket to match with which they were allowed to lower the curtain in the glass apartment for an hour.

The kingdom is ruled by an individual known as the "Blessed Lord," who is re-elected annually by all the people, always by unanimous vote.

This is the future world imagined by Zamyatin. A society with no privacy and freedom, and strict rules.

The protagonist is a mathematician and engineer who occasionally peeks at ancient forbidden books and discovers that people at that time were living in freedom, that is to say, in disorganization and barbarism.

His life was a regular until he met a beautiful woman who aroused the desire in his heart.

He thought he was sick and went to the doctor.

The doctor told him. Your situation is not good, it seems that you already have a soul.

The protagonist was taken aback. How could I suddenly have a soul, I never had it before.

The beautiful woman he knows is a member of an underground rebel group, and under her lure, the protagonist is confused and embarks on the road of overthrowing the kingdom and begins to rebel.

It's just that the rebellion can't go smoothly.

The authorities announced that they had discovered the cause of the recent unrest: someone was suffering from a disease of illusions.

The location of the nerve center responsible for the fantasy is determined. This disease can be cured with Aix-light therapy.

The protagonist undergoes surgery, returns to his original state, and betrays his comrades and lovers to the authorities.

Those who are unwilling to undergo surgery are sent into the machine of blessing the Lord, reduced to a wisp of smoke and a puddle of clear water, and vanished.

At the end, the protagonist strengthens his belief in the ideals of the kingdom: "A temporary high-voltage wall has been built on No. 40 side street. I hope the victory will be ours. I don't just hope. I am sure that the victory is ours. Because reason will prevail. ”

Strictly speaking, in Western society, this is an excellent science fiction novel.

However, there are many passages in the novel that reflect on the Russian Revolution, such as the dialogue between the protagonist and the heroine in the following paragraph.

"Do you realize that what you are alluding to is revolution?"

"Revolution, of course. Why not? ”

"Because there can be no revolution, our revolution is the last and will never come again, everyone knows that."

"Honey, you're a mathematician: tell me, what's the last number?"

"What do you mean, the last number?"

"Oh, let's talk about the biggest number!"

"But it's ridiculous. The numbers are infinite and there can be no last one. ”

"Then why do you talk about the final revolution?"

This may be the reason why the novel was banned from publication by the Soviet authorities.

Lin Zixuan has never watched "We" or "Brave New World" in later generations, and has only watched "1984".

This is because there is a reality show in the United States called Big Brother.

The program is about a group of strangers from all over the United States who live as "roommates" in a villa full of cameras and microphones, and begin a two-month life together.

Their every move in the room will be recorded, edited, and broadcast on television.

During this time, they need to compete for rights, vote to drive out the others in the room, and finally the one who stays gets a high prize.

The show's name comes from a quote from "1984": Big Brother is watching you.

It means being in a world where you are constantly being monitored, and there is no freedom or privacy.

Lin Zixuan watched the reality show and then went to watch the novel "1984", and the two are completely incomparable.

A reality show is just an ordinary entertainment show, with roommates betraying and attacking each other as a selling point, and laughing it off after watching it.

The novel "1984" describes the life of people in a totalitarian society, and after reading it, people feel chilled, what a terrifying world it is.

"1984" and "Us" have a certain origin, and Orwell was deeply influenced by Zamyatin.

For this reason, Lin Zixuan wanted to meet Zamyatin.

He inquired about it, and since 1920, Zamyatin had been under attack by the Soviet literary circles and was in a difficult situation.

Zamyatin's novels could not be published, his plays could not be staged in the theater, and he was forced to withdraw from the writers' association, and his life was in trouble.

It is no secret in Moscow that articles critical of Zamyatin often appeared in Soviet newspapers.

Jiang Jingguo dissuaded Lin Zixuan's idea.

Reaching out to Soviet writers in Moscow, who were defined as subversives, was not a good idea and could well cause unnecessary trouble.

Lin Zixuan thought about it and gave up, even if they met, they couldn't talk about anything, he didn't want to cause trouble.

He didn't want to get into trouble, and trouble still came to his door.

Lin Zixuan unexpectedly received a notice that the Soviet authorities invited him to the Kremlin. (To be continued.) )