Erewhon: Or, Over the Range

Erewhon: Or, Over the Range by Samuel Butler is a satirical novel first published in 1872 that imagines an eccentric and philosophical society located in a remote land called Erewhon. The book follows an unnamed narrator, who, while traveling in the mountains of New Zealand, discovers this mysterious country, where everything he knows about civilization is turned upside down. At first, Erewhon seems to be a utopia, but as the narrator explores its strange customs, laws, and values, he begins to see that the society is, in fact, an absurd and exaggerated reflection of the world he left behind. The Erewhonians practice bizarre forms of justice, including punishing those who are ill as criminals, and they uphold a peculiar religion that venerates physical fitness above all else. Machines are feared to be on the brink of developing consciousness, and so they are strictly prohibited.