3 Brutal Truths About Society Laid Out In Top Sci-Fi Novel 'Red Rising'
3 Brutal Truths About Society Laid Out In Top Sci-Fi Novel 'Red Rising'
(No spoilers contained within)
I finally got around to reading Red Rising by Pierce Brown after receiving many recommendations for it.
I had been promised a gripping sci-fi story and, after fighting past my near-dogmatic commitment to non-fiction books, Red Rising did not disappoint. The story arcs and twists wonderfully through love, loss, loyalty and power in its futuristic setting. I am the newest recruit in the speedily swelling army of fans.
What I didn’t expect was an acerbic set of lessons that should feel piercingly present for our society today.
The Stark Relevance Of The ‘Colors’
“Things are set in stone. Things are well-ordered. Reds at the bottom, everyone else standing on our backs. Now you’re looking at me and realizing that we don’t bloodydamn like it. Red is rising, Mickey.”
Pierce Brown, Red Rising
In the world of Red Rising society is divided into many colors, each with a specific role to play. The eponymous Reds are the manual laborers, Pinks are “bred and trained for physical acts of pleasure”, Greens do tech, Coppers write laws, Silvers run the businesses and the Golds are the designated rulers of humanity.
Each of the colors in the book could very easily be transferred to our current society as a representation of the role we fulfil. In Red Rising, your color is designated for life. While this isn’t necessarily true for us, movement between socioeconomic classes is a tough road with many barriers, seen and unseen. Scaling the class system remains an unrealized ambition (American dream?) for many who don’t have the necessary resources and support in their corners.
The ruling Gold class is a striking parallel to our concept of “The 1%”, so far removed from the experiences of those below and thus painfully lacking in anything resembling empathy. They revel in their superiority, which they fully believe to be merited.
The color separation in Red Rising society was powered by rebellion focused on disavowing the belief - which they call ‘The Noble Lie’ - that men are brothers and are created equal. I am sure that the choice of wording so close to The Declaration of Independence was no accident.
Advocates and social justice heroes throughout our history have often pointed to these same words in their fight for equity, something we are still a long way from achieving for minority groups. Are those in The 1% truly blind to their privileges to the point that they believe this principle to be in play? Or are they (consciously or otherwise) pushing their focus on it under the surface so that they can protect their power and absolve themselves from any guilt associated with it? Probably both in varying amounts.
Look a little closer are you’ll see the sharply defined strata all around you.
The Dangers Of Unchecked Authority
“You have to remember, people don’t like being told what to do. You can treat your friends like servants and they’ll love you, but tell them they’re servants and they’ll kill you.”
Pierce Brown, Red Rising
Absolute power corrupts absolutely, so said Lord Acton in the late 19th century. His position of support for the South in the US Civil War was based on the fear that a central federal government had the potential to become tyrannous.
Power is a central theme in Red Rising, both between and within colors. As well as firmly establishing the hierarchy across the spectrum, demarcation appears within colors themselves - even with fixed limits, power inexorably rears its head. Acceptance of world order is very much expected with frightening consequences awaiting those who push the limits.
At times, Red Rising seems almost like an homage to the much-loved classic The Lord of the Flies as it explores the different types of power structures, the ugly consequences when that power becomes totalitarian and the inexorable march towards an awful truth that power is something that human beings will fight and kill for.
Robert Mugabe was elected a hero and became a tyrant. Columbus arrived in the Western Hemisphere with good intentions then destroyed and enslaved the native population during his tenure as governor. Roman Emperor Augustus moved to turn his governing structure into something an autocracy as quickly as possible.
The checks and balances baked into the US system of government scarcely managed to withstand the assault on democracy the Donald Trump launched during his tenure in The Oval Office. He successfully stacked the highest judicial body in the land in his favor and inspired a small section of a totally disenfranchised electorate (many of whom would “identify as Red” in the Red Rising universe) to attempt an insurrection. Almost a third of Americans still believe the 2020 election result was fraudulent.
It’s concerning to think what a man so openly consumed by the thirst for power might do if given a chance to build on these foundations, or what he and those loyal to him might be willing to do to get it for him. Red is rising, Mickey.
Our Fading Drive Toward Self Discovery
“It is the hottest fire that forms the sternest steel.”
Pierce Brown, Red Rising
Darrow, the main protagonist in Red Rising, sets out on a journey of personal growth rooted in self-discovery. This is not an easy journey and it soon becomes apparent that significant sacrifices will be required along the way if he is to be successful.
The ‘Hero’s Journey’ structure is not a new concept - challenges and temptations lead to an abyss, leading to transformation and atonement. As humans, we all have the opportunity to be the hero in our own journey but two increasingly-prevalent mindsets stand in the way of us even starting it.
Firstly, the twin siren songs of toxic compassion and ruinous empathy. Life is hard and people find themselves in tough spots. These things may be the challenges or even the abyss of their hero’s journey. Being told “You are already amazing” or “You deserve this, it will come to you” will create temporary positive vibes, especially in the speaker of these platitudes (I’m convinced this is, at it’s psychological roots, a selfish act). However, it is ultimately unhelpful. At its best, this creates a gentler status quo. More often though, it throws a wrench in the works of the transformation that is necessary for atonement and triumphant return.
Secondly, we are changing into a society of instant gratification and becoming increasingly disconnected from the consistent hard work that is needed to be successful at something. We leave the hero’s work for the others and gaze enviously at the success they have, imagining them to have some fortunate blessing beyond the grit, focus and determination that got them there. Online, if attention is hijacked immediately we swipe on by. Our focus is consumed by hopes of shortcuts and get-rich-quick schemes. Trick shot specialists like Dude Perfect will toil for hours and days to get 10 seconds of incredible footage, further playing into the illusion that success can be a short-term game.
A quote from one of my favorite talking heads du jour, Alex Hormozi, on how to find your passion sums this up well: “Find something you love doing, work on it consistently, accept that you are going to suck at it for a long time and keep going when you are desperate to stop because it’s hard”.
Red Rising was my first foray into the world of fiction for years. I had become a little too caught up in my own journey, slogging through self-improvement books in the hopes of an improved life (perhaps with too much of an illusion of it being a quick fix as I describe above).
I’ve been reconnected with the power of fiction to both juxtapose or draw parallels with life to connect the dots of reality in different ways and create new thinking. I’m excited to start my path through the subsequent books in the series as part of getting more regular fiction in my reading diet.
In honor of the thinking he has inspired in me, I’ll leave the final poignant words to Red Rising’s author.
“What we must study is humanity. In order to rule, ours must the be the study of political, psychological, and behavioral science - how desperate human beings react to one another, how packs form, how armies function, how things fall apart and why. You could learn this nowhere else but here.”
Pierce Brown, Red Rising