THE DICTATOR (1)
By:
October 6, 2026
Yefim Zozulya’s “The Dictator: The Story of Ak and Humanity” is a darkly humorous parody of Bolshevik utopian eugenics. This thinly veiled critique of the Soviet regime, which was first published in the only issue of magazine Zori (Зори, spring 1919), Kyiv, would inspire and influence Yevgeny Zamyatin’s much better-known anti-utopia We. Translated into English by the Russian-American anarchist and author Alexander Berkman. HiLoBooks is pleased to serialize this story for HILOBROW’s readers.
ALL INSTALLMENTS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5.
1. THE UNEXPECTED
It seemed a day like any other. The city looked the same as usual. Streets and houses had their ordinary appearance. The sky wore its customary blue. The pavements spread grey and indifferent, as always. Suddenly some men appeared carrying large buckets of paste. They began to put up posters on the walls, doing it quickly, with tears streaming into the buckets. The posters were terse and to the point:
CITIZENS! THE COUNCIL OF PUBLIC WELFARE has decided to reorganize life on the basis of justice and progress. For this purpose the COUNCIL will pass on the Right to Life of every inhabitant of our city. Those whose existence is found to be superfluous will cease to exist within 24 hours. Appeals against the decisions of the COUNCIL may be filed, in writing, within that time. All appeals will be decided by the COUNCIL before sunset of the same day.
REMARKS:
- Every inhabitant is to submit to the orders of the COUNCIL OF PUBLIC WELFARE unconditionally and absolutely. A Committee of the COUNCIL consisting of three members will visit every house. Their questions are to be answered truthfully. Everyone whose existence is found to be superfluous will be examined personally, and a record kept.
- This order goes into effect with its publication. No unnecessary human material will be tolerated. No sentimental considerations will be allowed to interfere with our plans for the public welfare. This applies to all the inhabitants of our city without exception, including men, women, children, rich and poor.
- Those who will lack the courage to terminate their existence, if ordered to do so by the COUNCIL OF PUBLIC WELFARE, will be aided by the COUNCIL. The sentences will be carried out by the friends and neighbours of the condemned, or by a special military detachment.
- No person may leave the city until the work of determining the Right to Life has been completed.
THE COUNCIL OF PUBLIC WELFARE
2. THE CITIZENS
“Have you read it?”
“Seen the posters?”
“Is it possible?”
“Read it?”
People began to collect at every street corner. Soon the crowds grew so large that traffic ground to a halt. Some persons suddenly grew so weak they had to lean against the walls for support. Many wept. Others fainted. By nightfall great numbers of the inhabitants were ill.
“Have you read it?”
“Terrible!”
“Outrageous!”
“It’s our own fault! We elected the Council! Why did we give them such power?”
“True! True!”
“It’s our own fault!”
“It was a terrible mistake! But who would have believed such a thing! We thought the Council would help bring better times. But — to resort to such methods!”
“Such good men in the Council, too!”
“Indeed, they are! And Ak has been elected President of the Council!”
“What! Really! Why, that’s great! Where did you hear it?”
“I’m just coming from the Council headquarters. It’s a fact: Ak has been elected all right.”
“What luck! Ak’s a fine man!”
“Yes, yes! He’s a just man!”
“Friends, Ak is the right man. I rejoice to hear that he has become President of the Council. He is a just and wise man.”
“True, true! His decisions will be just, I’m sure!”
“Citizens, we need not worry about it. I know Ak — he’s all right. We may depend on his good judgement and sense of justice. Only the evil and useless elements will be eliminated — you can absolutely rely on Ak for that!”
“Yes, I’m sure of it! Ak will never permit any injustice.”
“Tell me, dear friend, do you think they will pass favourably on my case? You know that I have always been a good citizen. You remember, of course, that I was in that shipwreck where twenty passengers jumped into one lifeboat. Don’t you? There were too many for that boat — it would have capsized — it meant the death of all of us. Well, five men had to be sacrificed — to save the other fifteen. I was the first to volunteer! I jumped overboard and — What’s the matter? Why do you smile so incredulously? Of course, I’m old and weak now, but at that time I was young and strong; yes, and brave, too! Indeed, I was! Why, don’t you remember that shipwreck? All the papers were full of it at the time! The other four men went down, but I was saved. Just luck! What d’you think, friend, will they let me live?”
“And me? How about me? Didn’t I give my whole fortune away to the poor? It’s a long time ago, but I have all the documents to prove it. Yes, sir, I have!”
“I don’t know. Who can tell? It all depends on the viewpoint of the Council!”
“Let me tell you something, my dear fellow citizens: a primitive helpfulness or usefulness to those around you is not enough to justify one’s right to life. Else every stupid servant girl could claim that right. That’s silly old nonsense! You are terribly old-fashioned, that’s what you fellows are! Really reactionaries!”
“Indeed? What, then, makes a human life valuable? Tell me that!”
“Yes, yes! Tell us!”
“Well — I don’t know, but—”
“You don’t know? Then what the hell are you talking about?”
“Pardon me, but just let me explain—”
“Look! Look! Something has happened! Everyone’s running!”
“A riot! Save yourselves!”
“Help! Help!”
“A panic! Oh, my God!”
“Run, fellows! Run! Save yourselves!”
“Halt! Halt!”
“Stand still, men!”
“Order! Quiet! Don’t increase the panic!”
“Halt! Halt!”
RADIUM AGE PROTO-SF: “Radium Age” is Josh Glenn’s name for the nascent sf genre’s c. 1900–1935 era, a period which saw the discovery of radioactivity, i.e., the revelation that matter itself is constantly in movement — a fitting metaphor for the first decades of the 20th century, during which old scientific, religious, political, and social certainties were shattered. More info here.
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