First published 2010
In the gleaming laboratories and bureaucratic halls of 1950s Soviet Russia, brilliant economists and mathematicians believe they can crack the code of perfect economic planning. Led by visionaries like Leonid Kantorovich, they develop computational models promising to eliminate scarcity and outperform Western capitalism. But as their elegant mathematical theories slam into the messy reality of Soviet infrastructure, production quotas, and human complexity, their grand vision begins to fracture. Each breakthrough reveals another systemic problem; each solution generates unexpected complications. The planners push forward, believing that just one more calculation, one more algorithm, could transform their socialist dream into tangible abundance. Their quest becomes a high-stakes game of numerical chess, where the prize is nothing less than reimagining how human societies could function—and the consequences of failure mean continued deprivation for millions.
Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, political-science, economics, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: high-stakes, quest
Setting: Soviet Union
Period: 1953-1985
434 pages · Hardcover · Faber and Faber