
A secluded island known only as Plutopia serves as a living laboratory for a stark social experiment. The community is split between 49,500 numbered laborers who spend twelve‑hour days in a single, towering complex and 500 privileged residents who live in opulent palaces. With “sublimated anarchy” as its motto, the settlement claims to have eliminated the need for government, courts, and police by engineering every aspect of daily life.
Through the narrator’s interview with a worker identified as No. 31497, the reader discovers a world where identity is reduced to a number, nutrition comes in the form of a three‑pill regimen, and families are prohibited. The elite indulge in elaborate feasts prepared by mystic chefs, while the masses are kept compliant by relentless routine and psychological conditioning. As the story unfolds, listeners are invited to question whether a perfectly ordered society can ever truly exist, and what price is paid for such an illusion of efficiency.
Language
en
Duration
~11 minutes (11K characters)
Release date
Dec 12, 2025
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1888–1951
Best remembered for the wildly popular Little Blue Books, he helped put literature, politics, and practical ideas into millions of readers' hands. His work mixed publishing ambition with a strong belief that inexpensive books could widen access to learning.
View all books
by E. (Emanuel) Haldeman-Julius, Marcet Haldeman-Julius

by Edith Wharton

by Hannah More

by Mary Hallock Foote

by Kathleen Thompson Norris

by Erckmann-Chatrian

by Jakob Wassermann