This curated selection of titles examines the concept of power and its role in shaping society. The texts in the Power Collection draw upon a wide range of literary traditions and genres to explore concepts related to power and its pursuit, such as equality and injustice, colonialism, authority, and conflict.
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1978
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Drama / Tragedy, Depression / Suicide, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1941
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, American Literature, History: World
The Last Tycoon is an unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that charts the rise of Monroe Stahr, a film producer in 1930s Hollywood. Its fragments were collected and edited by Fitzgerald’s friend Edmund Wilson and published posthumously in 1941, the year after Fitzgerald’s death. The book’s protagonist is widely considered to be modelled after the real-life film producer Irving Thalberg, whom Fitzgerald greatly admired. The story focuses on the inner workings of the film... Read The Last Tycoon Summary
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy
The Lathe of Heaven is a speculative science fiction-fantasy novel written by Ursala K. Le Guin. Originally published as two parts in the pulp science fiction magazine Amazing Stories in 1971, the novel centers around an ordinary man, George Orr, who lives in overpopulated, perpetually rain-soaked Portland, Oregon, in 2002. When authorities force George to accept psychiatric care for his substance use disorder, he falls under the care of Dr. William Haber, a dream-analysis specialist... Read The Lathe Of Heaven Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Sociology
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Libation Bearers is an ancient Greek tragedy by the Athenian playwright Aeschylus, first produced in 458 BCE at the City Dionysia in Athens. Libation Bearers is the second part of the Oresteia, a trilogy exploring the themes of justice, retribution, and the cyclical pattern of bloodshed within the family of the mythical king Agamemnon. Following the events of Agamemnon, the first tragedy of Aeschylus’s Oresteia, the play depicts the murder of Clytaemestra, the queen of... Read The Libation Bearers Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Language, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction
The Lies of Locke Lamora, written by Scott Lynch and published in 2006, is the first entry in the Gentleman Bastards series. These novels mix caper stories and fantasy stories and include adventure, violence, dark humor, and intimate friendships. The Lies of Locke Lamora is an international best seller and was nominated for multiple awards. The other entries in the series are Red Seas Under Red Skies, The Republic of Thieves, and The Thorn of... Read The Lies of Locke Lamora Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Play: Drama, Animals, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2009
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Economics, Society: Community
Tags Philosophy, Poverty, Social Justice, Business / Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Politics / Government
In 2009, Peter Singer, philosopher and ethicist at Princeton University, published The Life You Can Save, a short treatise on the obligations of affluent persons to alleviate the suffering of those experiencing extreme poverty on a global scale. By this time in his career, Singer had spent several decades on ethical questions related to global poverty. In 1972, he produced a seminal essay in the field, “Famine, Affluence, and Morality.” After a much more recent... Read The Life You Can Save Summary
Publication year 1953
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Identity: Gender
Tags Southern Gothic, Disability, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1939
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes (1939) is often considered a classic American 20th-century drama. Set in Alabama in 1900, the play explores themes of greed, passive violence, and female agency in the deep south, not yet 50 years removed from the end of the Civil War. The Little Foxes premiered at The National Theatre on Broadway in New York City in 1939 starring Tallulah Bankhead as Regina, before touring for two seasons across the United... Read The Little Foxes Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Publication year 1953
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
The Long Goodbye is a 1953 crime novel by Raymond Chandler. The sixth entry in the Philip Marlowe series, the novel chronicles a private detective’s investigation of a strange murder in Los Angeles in the 1950s. The Long Goodbye has been adapted for television, radio, and cinema, most notably in a critically acclaimed, though not necessarily faithful, 1973 film adaptation. This guide uses an eBook version of the 1992 Vintage Crime edition.Plot SummaryPhilip Marlowe is... Read The Long Goodbye Summary
Publication year 1979
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Class
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Survival Fiction, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Class, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure
Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars (2006) is a reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s Victorian fairy tale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel, Alice Through the Looking-Glass (1871). The Looking Glass Wars is the first book in the middle-grade fantasy trilogy of the same name, followed by Seeing Redd (2007) and ArchEnemy (2009).The novel uses several of Carroll’s iconic figures, including Alice, the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, and the White Rabbit. Beddor... Read The Looking Glass Wars Summary
Publication year 1948
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Satire, British Literature, Humor, Grief / Death, History: World, Classic Fiction
Published in 1948, The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy by English writer Evelyn Waugh is a short satirical novel that lampoons both the Los Angeles funeral industry and the Hollywood film business. British expatriates and Americans clash in this morbid but merry tale of smiling corpses and lavish pet funerals. Waugh wrote it after a trip to Hollywood during which he visited the Forest Lawn Cemetery. The book inspired the 1965 film The Loved One... Read The Loved One Summary
Publication year 1963
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Poverty, Finance / Money / Wealth