# Fiction for International Relations majors.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791 "2010-01-13T16:17:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/1 "2010-01-13T16:17:57Z")
I was an English undergrad, but I couldn’t tell you the last time I read a work of (intentional) fiction. I’m now an IR grad student, and I’m curious about books that would be good for someone who’s interested in themes about cultural relations/conflicts, identity, US foreign policy, etc. One note, is that the relation to IR doesn’t have to be immediately apparent. For instance, The Invisible Man is a great book about identity, though it takes place in the US, and doesn’t really (from what I remember) focus much on the wider world. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/2 "2010-01-13T18:02:09Z")
I seem to recall having Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” assigned in one of my IR classes in college, but that was a long time ago so I might be mistaken about which class it was. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/3 "2010-01-13T18:16:04Z")
How about Barbara Kingsolver? I’d say “cultural relations/conflicts, identity, US foreign policy, etc.” pretty much describes her work. _The Poisonwood Bible_ is about Africa and deals with international relations themes, and her new book, _The Lacuna_, deals with Mexico, the U.S. and the Soviet Union. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/4 "2010-01-13T18:33:48Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > I seem to recall having Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” assigned in one of my IR classes in college, but that was a long time ago so I might be mistaken about which class it was. I’ve actually read Things Fall Apart, but it was a long time ago, and I didn’t appreciate it. Perhaps I should give it another shot. > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > How about Barbara Kingsolver? I’d say “cultural relations/conflicts, identity, US foreign policy, etc.” pretty much describes her work. _The Poisonwood Bible_ is about Africa and deals with international relations themes, and her new book, _The Lacuna_, deals with Mexico, the U.S. and the Soviet Union. I have heard of the Poisonwood Bible, but I’ve never read either of those books. I’ll check it out. One more thing I should mention is that I’m also particularly interested in Asia and the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/5 "2010-01-13T18:39:24Z")
> [@gitfiddle](#): > > One more thing I should mention is that I’m also particularly interested in Asia and the Middle East. Another one I remember having assigned in my Middle Eastern Studies course was “Guests of the Sheik” by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea. Again, though, this was like 20 years ago (and written many years before that) so it’s quite likely not current enough for your needs, especially given everything that’s happened with Iraq since then. I do remember enjoying the book, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/6 "2010-01-13T18:47:19Z")
Have you read Klitgaard’s “Tropical Gangsters”? Not a novel, but it reads like one - about his work in economic development in Equatorial Guinea in the 1980s. Really a great beach read: [http://www.amazon.com/Tropical-Gangsters-Experience-Development-Decadence/dp/0465087604](http://www.amazon.com/Tropical-Gangsters-Experience-Development-Decadence/dp/0465087604) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/7 "2010-01-13T18:52:55Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > Another one I remember having assigned in my Middle Eastern Studies course was “Guests of the Sheik” by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea. Again, though, this was like 20 years ago (and written many years before that) so it’s quite likely not current enough for your needs, especially given everything that’s happened with Iraq since then. I do remember enjoying the book, though. Oops, disregard this one. I forgot you said fiction. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/8 "2010-01-13T19:23:41Z")
Shalimar the Clown ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/9 "2010-01-13T19:27:37Z")
Neither Asia nor the Middle East, but The [Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao](http://www.amazon.com/Brief-Wondrous-Life-Oscar-Wao/dp/1594483299/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263410787&sr=1-1), by Junot Diaz, is fucking brilliant. Not only is it an incredibly engaging read, but it taught me a ton about the Dominican Republic, and its relationship with the US. Won a Pulitzer, it did. ---
**Author:** ![valleyofthedolls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a4c791/32.png) [@valleyofthedolls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/valleyofthedolls)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/10 "2010-01-13T19:47:09Z")
The Quiet American by Graham Greene (Vietnam) Acts of Faith by Philip Caputo (Sudan) Disgrace by J.M Coetzee (South Africa) Snow by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey) The Kite Runner/Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) And upthread there’s a vote for Salman Rushdie’s Shalimar the Clown. I’d also add his Midnight’s Children. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/11 "2010-01-13T19:57:07Z")
> [@Lunar\_Saltlick](#): > > Shalimar the Clown This is a good pick, and I’ll add _Midnight’s Children_ as well. (Okay, _Midnight’s Children_ is one of my favorite books and I can squeeze it into pretty much any literary discussions.) This is an interesting thread. In theory, I enjoy reading novels too, but I am also a grad student (in international public policy, so pretty much the same thing as IR) and don’t really have the time. I may come back with more ideas later. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/12 "2010-01-13T19:57:38Z")
Does it have to be about real cultures? Most of CJ Cherryh’s science fiction novels deal with cultural conflicts, diplomacy, etc. I particularly recommend the Foreigner novels (starts with _Foreigner_) and the Chanur ones (begin with _The Pride of Chanur_.) ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/13 "2010-01-13T20:08:29Z")
Oh, okay: quite a bit of Naguib Mahfouz’s work, especially the first book of his Cairo Trilogy (_Palace Walk_) and _The Day the Leader was Killed_. Only read it if you like being depressed: _A Fine Balance_, by Rohinton Mistry. Another Rushdie novel, _Shame_, is about Pakistan and the Bhutto family (if they were magically realistic, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![valleyofthedolls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a4c791/32.png) [@valleyofthedolls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/valleyofthedolls)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/14 "2010-01-13T20:16:59Z")
A few more I should have mentioned. The Inheiritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (India) The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (India) The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (India) I just finished reading the White Tiger and it was terrific. War Trash by Ha Jin (China/Korea) In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic) The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende (Chile) Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (Japan) ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/15 "2010-01-13T20:37:34Z")
Kim Stanley Robinson’s _Years of Rice And Salt_ presents an alternate Earth in which The Black Death wiped out European civilization. We see generations of history, on a planet governed by Islamic, Buddhist, etc., principles. Thought provoking. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/16 "2010-01-13T21:20:50Z")
Something I’d recommend that would fit the bill would be **Divided Kingdom** by Rupert Thomson. It’s sort of sci-fi-ish, which I generally hate, but as far as identity and inter(really intra-)national relations, it’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fiction-for-international-relations-majors/524791/17 "2010-01-14T20:04:49Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Does it have to be about real cultures? No. Avatar is a recent example of sci-fi that has a number of IR themes. Though I’ve only seen one Star Trek movie and never seen the show once, I was struck by Spock’s identity, and how it follows with a lot of the non-fiction I’ve read on identity issues.