The Iron Heel
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Overview
In The Iron Heel, Jack London presented the world with what is argued by many to be the first modern dystopian novel. Set 700 years in the future in a tyrannical American oligarchy, The Iron Heel emphasizes cultural and societal changes while detailing very little technological development. This novel is a unique and interesting development in London’s writings, as he uses a protagonist who moves the plot forward in the first person, a relatively rare narrative strategy at the time, as well as several other experimental narrative and structural choices. The Iron Heel is also arguably the novel that most clearly demonstrates London’s socialist views. London’s work had a strong influence on future dystopian fiction, such as George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.