Heliopolis. Glass Bees

Heliopolis 1949 — one of the key works of Jünger, which reflects his political views and the ideology of the conservative revolution. It is a talented and original novel that combines elements of dystopia and philosophical parable. Its plot foundation is simple: in a mysterious metropolis, which has become the new capital of humanity after yet another world war, a ruthless struggle is taking place between the military and political aristocracy. And the victim of this confrontation becomes the people, suffering from the despotism of power. Glass Bees 1957 — perhaps the most unusual novel by Jünger, written at the intersection of the genres of utopia and dystopia. A society of technological progress and the triumph of artificial intelligence, robots replacing humans in production, the development of virtual reality and comfortable existence. For this well-being, people have to pay with loneliness, and the loss of personal freedom and uncontrollability. Such is the world in which the protagonist of the novel lives — retired captain Richard, trying to secure a job at the factory producing intelligent Lilliputian robots for a certain Zapparoni — a sophisticated experimenter wanting to surpass the main creator — nature. Perhaps humanity has lost its way and the perfection of technology is only an apparent blessing?