ABSTRACT
Anarchism is an action-oriented ideology directed against all forms of domination. It is also the “most utopian of ideologies” (Williams 2007: 310), but does anarchism need literary utopias, fictional depictions of what anarchy would be like? First, in this chapter, a basic usefulness of knowing your goal is claimed. Then, utopia is defined as exactly this “knowing,” even if it is actually more of a “desiring.” The limitations of utopianism and especially literary utopias are considered, and the literary loopholes discovered by utopian authors since the 1970s are addressed, concluding that utopias can be part of an anarchist transition culture – maybe even a kind of subversive gateway drug. After a brief historical overview, this chapter closes with the introduction (i.e. reading recommendation) of four anarchist utopias.
