Some Desperate Glory

Gaea Station is a fascist, militaristic enclave that highlights the psychological, emotional, and social harms of fascism in the real world. Fascism, first developed in Europe after World War I, is a far-right, authoritarian form of government characterized by extreme nationalism, militarism, and rigid social hierarchy. Elements of Gaean culture that mirror 20th-century fascism include its eugenicist breeding of individuals for military prowess, its violent subjugation of women for this purpose, and its emphasis on the supposed needs of the state over those of the individual. Despite its ideological emphasis on unity, fascism is fundamentally opposed to solidarity and empathy, and fascist systems use competition and hierarchy to break down bonds between individuals and destroy community, eradicating cultural diversity and destroying familial loyalty. On Gaea Station, dictator Jole pits everyone against each other in a competition for his favor, making himself the sole arbiter of social worth.

Jole uses training scores to create hierarchies and make it difficult for people on Gaea to emotionally connect with one another. Val notes, “It benefited him to have people frightened and set against each other, and it benefited him that no one could really be friends […] As long as you could feel superior to someone, you never thought about how bad things were” (279).