If history is any guide, the books that the ideological arsonists disappear first are likely to be the very books needed to spark a renaissance later.
Most of the commenters are thinking of fairly modern dystopias, but that’s clearly not where Kirn is going. 1984 wouldn’t spark a renaissance.
Purpose-based thinkers from Aristotle to Kepler were wiped out by the chaos-generators from Robespierre to Darwin to Bohr to Fauci. [I realize that I’m being unfair to Darwin himself, who didn’t want to aid chaos; but his name is the icon of the chaotizers.]
Science as fascination and entertainment was another common factor of the purpose era, wiped out by the Robespierre/Fauci revolution of science as murderous tyrannical command.
Aristotle and Kepler are starting to renaisse now, even inside academia. The chaotizers have run to the end of their rusty barbed-wire chain, and it’s starting to fray.
= = = = =
Unconventional advice: If you think your artwork or sciencework or literary product deserves a renaissance, DON’T COPYRIGHT IT.
Copyright won’t protect you from the censors, and in fact copyright makes a work easier to destroy. Copyright will protect your work from preservation. Aristotle and Kepler and Bach were preserved BECAUSE they didn’t have copyrights.
Public domain obviously won’t turn your work into Aristotle or Bach, but it will give your work a better chance of being revalued and reappraised after the tyrannical storm is over, or after cultural fashion changes.
Polistra's Mill 