From anti-utopia to classical utopia! Clifford Simak’s “City” is considered a classic of “soft” science fiction, although the book was originally written as a protest against the war. It is a collection of stories or even legends, the events of which cover several millennia of human history. Civilization is evolving, and gradually people are leaving the city, staying in their family estates. Eventually, intelligent Dogs and Ants evolve on the planet, and humans travel to Jupiter, leaving home for future civilizations. The whole collection is written with the comments of Dogs-scientists, who already even doubt the existence of people and consider them a kind of symbol or metaphor. They are told by the clever robot Jenkins, the eternal and unchanging helper of all civilizations.
In fact, “City” is a sad story, but the sadness here is light and peaceful. In the best traditions of utopias, Simak builds a world where everything is perfect. And although the city becomes empty, civilizations disappear, and the constant refrain throughout the book is the statement – it is better to lose this world than to fight again.
