{"id":3384,"date":"2022-01-07T16:35:10","date_gmt":"2022-01-07T22:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lfs.org\/blog\/?p=3384"},"modified":"2025-06-19T20:32:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T01:32:35","slug":"self-reliance-and-libertarian-ideals-on-the-frontier-prometheus-winning-novelist-travis-corcoran-on-joss-whedons-serenity-the-2006-prometheus-special-award-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/self-reliance-and-libertarian-ideals-on-the-frontier-prometheus-winning-novelist-travis-corcoran-on-joss-whedons-serenity-the-2006-prometheus-special-award-winner\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-reliance and libertarian ideals on the frontier: Prometheus-winning novelist Travis Corcoran on Joss Whedon\u2019s Serenity, the 2006 Prometheus Special Award winner."},"content":{"rendered":"

To highlight the Prometheus Awards\u2019 history and make clear why each winner deserves recognition as a notable pro-freedom work, the Libertarian Futurist Society publishes an ongoing Appreciation series of all award-winners.
\n
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Here is the Appreciation by Prometheus-winning novelist Travis Corcoran<\/a> for writer-director Joss Whedon\u2019s film Serenity,<\/em>\u00a0which received a Prometheus Special Award in 2006.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

By Travis Corcoran<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Like almost every science fiction fan, and like almost every\u00a0libertarian, I was a fan of the TV series Firefly\u00a0<\/em>from the first\u00a0episode of it I saw.<\/p>\n

Firefly,\u00a0<\/em>and later Serenity,\u00a0<\/em>are about several things that are near\u00a0and dear to the hearts of liberty-lovers: the frontier,\u00a0voluntary – not coercive – exchange, an uneasy relationship with\u00a0authority, self-reliance, and the trade-offs that inevitably come from\u00a0uncompromising moral codes, nonconformism, and a healthy skepticism\u00a0for the default paths through life.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Genre fiction has the concept of the “Mary Sue” – a character who is\u00a0an author’s self-insert, who solves all the problems and wins the day.\u00a0Ideological fiction often falls prey to a related problem that I’ll\u00a0call the “Memetic Sue”: the world is a broken fallen place, but the\u00a0author’s pet ideology, by act three, saves the day, heals broken\u00a0hearts, and turns the gray skies blue.<\/p>\n

Whether we’re looking at\u00a0ecological science fiction, where the green rebels deliver a better\u00a0sustainable model that heals the planet, left-of-center\u00a0labor-oriented fiction where the worker’s co-op not only stands up to\u00a0Big Capital but inspires the proletariat, or any other variety of\u00a0ideological fiction, it’s common that the Memetic Sue saves the day.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Firefly\u00a0<\/em>and Serenity, <\/em>though, broke this pattern, and did something stunningly brave (in-so-far as we can talk about words on page being “brave”): it ran in the exact opposite direction.<\/p>\n

There’s no act\u00a0three where Mal and the Gang prove that The Alliance – and, in fact,\u00a0the very idea of government – is corrupt, and the grateful people of
\n“the Verse” rise up and demand smaller government.<\/p>\n

In fact, the\u00a0opposite is the case: the final battle has already been fought – and\u00a0been lost.\u00a0 The ideals that Mal and Zoe fought for have died.\u00a0 There\u00a0is no resistance that may yet win against the authoritarians, no ring\u00a0that can be dropped into lava, and no king under the mountain\u00a0(folklore motif index D-1960.2).\u00a0 Firefly,<\/em> then, is about what happens\u00a0after the battle has been lost, the standards thrown down and broken,\u00a0and the cause has died.<\/p>\n

When there is no Grand Cause, what is left?<\/p>\n

The smaller causes that make up the individual days of life.<\/p>\n

… and that’s exactly what Firefly<\/em> is about.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Firefly\u00a0<\/em>and Serenity <\/em>(which takes place after the events of the final TV episode)\u00a0are chock full of quotable dialogue, but one\u00a0line that sticks with me and many others comes from the episode “Train\u00a0Job”.\u00a0 Mal and his crew have signed on to steal some supplies from the\u00a0government, a victimless crime … but then they realize that there\u00a0are in fact victims, and they hand over their score, putting\u00a0themselves at considerable personal risk.<\/p>\n

When they do, the local sheriff says to Mal: “A man might not look too close at what that job is. But a man learns all the details of a situation, well, then he has a choice.”<\/p>\n

And Mal replies: “I don\u2019t believe he does.”<\/p>\n

Even though Mal’s dream of liberty-with-a-capital L, political\u00a0liberty, has died in the bloodbath of Serenity Valley, Mal is still\u00a0the man who wanted liberty in the first place.
\n\"\"<\/a>Why do libertarians want liberty?<\/p>\n

Some, certainly, live down to all\u00a0of the worst stereotypes: they’re hedonists and want liberty so that\u00a0they can sit around in geodesic domes and work the fewest hours\u00a0possible to buy food and marijuana.\u00a0 Most, though, want liberty to\u00a0give them more time and resources to live the good life — to provide\u00a0for their families, to create art, to plant gardens, to read books, to\u00a0back artists they enjoy, and to freely associate in communities of\u00a0their own choosing, whether those are churches, gun clubs, science\u00a0fiction conventions, or anything else.<\/p>\n

Libertarians, for the most part, don’t want Grand Politic Crusades — they engage in politics only reluctantly, and in self-defense, so that\u00a0they can have the freedom to live well.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Firefl<\/em>y makes this clear: Mal and the Browncoats last the\u00a0Grand\u00a0Political Crusade that circumstances forced them into, but the real\u00a0end goal – living well, providing, and associating in a community of\u00a0their own choosing – is still something that can be engaged in within the\u00a0margins left by an overweening and somewhat tyrannical government.<\/p>\n

Serenity\u00a0<\/em>revisits the topic, forcing Mal and his crew once again, and\u00a0reluctantly, into a battle they don’t want.<\/p>\n

I assert that it’s this — the focus on the end goal of liberty, and\u00a0the reluctance with which libertarians engage in defensive politics\u00a0and grand designs — not Joss Whedon’s witty banter, not Tim Minear’s\u00a0libertarian ethos, not the wonderful world building, not the\u00a0tremendous chemistry of Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Adam Baldwin,\u00a0Jewel Staite and all the rest – that make Firefly\u00a0<\/em>and Serenity\u00a0<\/em>something rare and great.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Joss Whedon at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con (Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Note: Joss Whedon (1964- \u00a0 ) is a prolific American film\/TV director, producer, screenwriter, composer and comic-book writer.<\/p>\n

\n

Whedon\u2019s short-lived space Western Firefly\u00a0<\/em>(2002) and sequel film Serenity <\/em>(2005)\u00a0have sparked graphic novels, books and other media as the Emmy-winning and Hugo-winning franchise has attained cult status.<\/p>\n

Whedon created five other TV series, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer\u00a0<\/em>(1997-2003), its spinoff Angel <\/em>(1999-2004), and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. <\/em>(2013-2020).<\/p>\n

Whedon co-wrote the Pixar animated film Toy Story\u00a0<\/em>(2005); co-wrote and produced the horror-comedy film The Cabin in the Woods\u00a0<\/em>(2011); wrote, directed and co-produced the Shakespeare film adaptation Much Ado About Nothing <\/em>(2012); wrote and directed the MCU blockbuster\u00a0The Avengers\u00a0<\/em>(2012) and its sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron\u00a0<\/em>(2015); and co-wrote (and directed reshoots for) the DC Extended Universe superhero film Justice League\u00a0<\/em>(2017).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Travis Corcoran wins his first Prometheus Award Photo: Courtesy of author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Note: Travis\u00a0Corcoran, a longtime Firefly<\/em> and Serenity<\/em> fan, \u00a0is the first author to win the Prometheus Award for Best Novel in two consecutive years \u2013 for The Powers of the Earth<\/em> (in 2018) and for its sequel Causes of Separation<\/em> (in 2019), both part of his ongoing Aristillus series set in the future on Earth and the Moon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

* Read the\u00a0introductory\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>essay <\/b>\u00a0about the LFS\u2019 40th\u00a0<\/sup>anniversary retrospective series of Appreciations of past Prometheus Awards winners, with an overview of the awards\u2019 four-decade history.<\/p>\n

* Other Prometheus winners:\u00a0<\/strong>For a full list of winners \u2013 for the annual Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) categories and occasional Special Awards \u2013 visit the recently updated and enhanced\u00a0Prometheus Awards page\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>on the LFS website.<\/p>\n

* Read\u00a0\u201cThe Libertarian History of Science Fiction,\u201d<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0an essay in the June 2020 issue of the international magazine\u00a0Quillette<\/em>\u00a0that favorably highlights the Prometheus Awards, the Libertarian Futurist Society and the significant element of libertarian sf\/fantasy in the modern genre.<\/p>\n

* Join us<\/strong>! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards,\u00a0join\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>the Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS), a non-profit all-volunteer association of freedom-loving sf\/fantasy fans. Libertarian futurists believe culture is as vital as politics (and often more fulfilling, positive and productive in the longer run) in sparking positive social change and spreading positive visions of the future and achieving universal individual rights and a better world (perhaps eventually, worlds) for all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To highlight the Prometheus Awards\u2019 history and make clear why each winner deserves recognition as a notable pro-freedom work, the Libertarian Futurist Society publishes an ongoing Appreciation series of all award-winners. Here is the Appreciation by Prometheus-winning novelist Travis Corcoran for writer-director Joss Whedon\u2019s film Serenity,\u00a0which received a Prometheus Special Award in 2006. By Travis … Continue reading Self-reliance and libertarian ideals on the frontier: Prometheus-winning novelist Travis Corcoran on Joss Whedon\u2019s Serenity, the 2006 Prometheus Special Award winner.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[43,41,8,1166,2664],"tags":[1165,1172,1366,1369,122,1163,26,11,1162,1167,1171,1169,1164,1173,1368,1371,1168,1170,1364,1161,1367,1365,943,135,1370,42],"class_list":["post-3384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appreciations","category-movies","category-review","category-special-awards","category-travis-corcoran","tag-train-job","tag-adam-baldwin","tag-browncoats","tag-buffy-the-vampire-slayer","tag-causes-of-separation","tag-defensive-politics","tag-film","tag-firefly","tag-frontier","tag-genre-fiction","tag-gina-torres","tag-grand-cause","tag-grand-political-crusades","tag-jewel-staite","tag-joss-whedon","tag-justice-league","tag-memetic-sue","tag-nathan-fillion","tag-proletariat","tag-serenity","tag-serenity-valley","tag-the-alliance","tag-the-avengers","tag-the-powers-of-the-earth","tag-toy-story","tag-travis-corcoran"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pe8nGl-SA","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3384"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5770,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3384\/revisions\/5770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}