Power

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.

Incantation

by Alice Hoffman

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Jewish Literature, Romance, World History, Religion & Spirituality

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Incarceron

by Catherine Fisher

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Social Class, Politics & Government, Justice, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Incarceration

Incarceron (2007) is a young adult dystopian science fiction novel by Catherine Fisher. One protagonist, Finn, is incarcerated in a high-tech, sentient prison, and the other, Claudia, is the Warden’s daughter. While Finn tries to escape Incarceron, Claudia rebels against the Realm’s restrictive laws, which outlaw modern technologies and knowledge. She also endeavors to free herself from an arranged marriage to a boy she hates. The novel explores the true meaning of freedom, the dangers... Read Incarceron Summary

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

by Harriet Jacobs

Publication year 1861

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Power & Greed

Tags Inspirational, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, US History, African American Literature, American Civil War, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography

The memoir Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861) is an account of the life of Harriet Ann Jacobs, who calls herself “Linda Brent” in the narrative. It is a key text in the slave narrative genre, which were first-person narratives written by formerly enslaved people that hoped to convert readers to the abolitionist cause. While most such narratives were written by men, such as The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah... Read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Summary

Inferno

by Dan Brown

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Globalization, Art, Literature, Science & Technology, Environment, Future, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Arts & Culture, Science & Nature, European History, Renaissance, Italian Literature, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

Inferno by Dan Brown is the fourth installment in Brown’s Robert Langdon series of mystery/thriller novels, following (in order) Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and The Lost Symbol, and preceding Origin. Each edition covers a self-contained story, so readers need not follow the series in order, and often includes themes centered on European and Christian history and cultural traditions. The title character, Robert Langdon, is the only recurring character. Inferno won the Goodreads... Read Inferno Summary

In My Craft or Sullen Art

by Dylan Thomas

Publication year 1934

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Love, Space, Fame, Literature, Power & Greed

In “In My Craft or Sullen Art” (1946), renowned Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) asks the age-old question: Why write poetry? In the poem, a poet sits alone at a writing desk bathed in moonlight. He is compelled by an energy he does not entirely understand to spend his night toiling over lines of poetry. The poem explores the creative process that links a lonely poet to the people he writes for—not guaranteed readers, but... Read In My Craft or Sullen Art Summary

In the Penal Colony

by Franz Kafka

Publication year 1919

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Justice

Tags Symbolic Narrative, Philosophy, German Literature, Horror & Suspense, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

“In the Penal Colony” is a short story by Franz Kafka that was written in the German language in 1914. It is an allegorical fantasy set in an unnamed, deserted colony. The story explores themes like the dynamics of Power and Control, the tension between Tradition and Conformity Versus Innovation and Progress, and the consequences of a Lack of Sense of Self and Belonging. The machine is a metaphor for the judicial system, which can... Read In the Penal Colony Summary

Into the Wild

by Erin Hunter

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Animals, Action & Adventure, Relationships, Leadership, Children`s Literature

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I, Pencil

by Leonard E. Read

Publication year 1958

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Community, Power & Greed

Tags Business & Economics, Philosophy, Politics & Government, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The essay “I, Pencil,” also known as “I, Pencil: My Family Tree as Told to Leonard E. Read,” was first published by the American businessman and libertarian advocate Leonard E. Read in 1958. The essay first appeared in The Freeman, a publication of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEE), a think-tank he co-founded in 1946. Read was a staunch critic of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” an ambitious series of government policies and... Read I, Pencil Summary

Iron Lake

by William Kent Krueger

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Death, Climate, Environment, Place, Family, Colonialism, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction

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Ironwood

by Michael Connelly

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Future, Climate, Environment, Plants, Place, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Horror & Suspense

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Island

by Aldous Huxley

Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Death, Colonialism, Community, Education, Politics & Government

Tags Science Fiction, Philosophy, Modern Classic Fiction, British Literature, Fantasy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

... Read Island Summary

Jade City

by Fonda Lee

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Objects & Materials, Siblings, Teamwork, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Gender & Feminism, Leadership, Trauma & Abuse, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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Jade War

by Fonda Lee

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Guilt, Revenge, Race, Family, Globalization, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure

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Jason's Gold

by Will Hobbs

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Indigenous Identity, Coming of Age, Environment, Power & Greed

Jason’s Gold by Will Hobbs is a work of young adult historical fiction first published in 1990. Set in 1897, the story follows protagonist Jason Hawthorn, age 15, as he journeys to the Klondike goldfields in a quest for wealth. Jason’s path follows the most common routes used during the gold rush, and he meets a variety of allies and foes, both fictitious and historical. The story explores themes regarding The Transformational Power of Adventure... Read Jason's Gold Summary

Jesus and John Wayne

by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Fear, Nostalgia, Masculinity, Race, Sexual Identity, Family, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

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July's People

by Nadine Gordimer

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Equality, Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Memory, Regret, Race, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Military & War, African Literature

July’s People, a 1981 dystopian novel by South African author Nadine Gordimer, imagines the aftermath of a bloody uprising that topples South Africa’s notorious, white-ruled apartheid regime. Her novel, which follows a white family’s desperate flight from Johannesburg, traces the complex interdependencies of white and Black South Africans, revealing the insidiousness of the regime’s racial disparities and mindsets, even among liberal, well-meaning white people. Through the lens of this hypothetical future, Gordimer’s novel explores racial... Read July's People Summary

Kaikeyi

by Vaishnavi Patel

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Nation, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags World History, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology, LGBTQ+, Indian Literature

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