Erewhon

Erewhon, published anonymously in 1872, is a satirical novel by Samuel Butler set in a fictional land whose societal norms invert those of Victorian England. In Erewhon, illness is punished as a crime, while criminal behavior is treated as a disease, and machines are feared as potential threats to humanity. The novel critiques organized religion, industrialization, and moral hypocrisy through ironic and imaginative world-building. Its philosophical depth and biting social commentary anticipate dystopian literature and reflect Butler’s sharp intellect and iconoclastic wit.