Arthur Koestler

Arthur Koestler (1905–1983) was a Hungarian-British author and journalist whose writing ranged from political fiction to histories of science and studies of human creativity.

Darkness at Noon: Arthur Koestler’s 1940 novel depicts a former revolutionary imprisoned and interrogated during a political purge. This novel made Koestler’s critique of Stalinist communism internationally influential.
The Thirteenth Tribe: Arthur Koestler’s 1976 book argues that Ashkenazi Jews descended chiefly from the medieval Khazar kingdom. This controversial work extended his nonfiction into Jewish history and identity.
George Orwell: George Orwell (1903–1950) was an English novelist and essayist whose works include Nineteen Eighty-Four and Homage to Catalonia. Orwell and Koestler both wrote influentially about political coercion and the betrayal of revolutionary ideals.
Stalinism: The authoritarian political system and doctrine associated with Joseph Stalin’s rule of the Soviet Union. Koestler’s fiction attacked the purges and coercive logic associated with Stalinist rule.
The Sleepwalkers: Arthur Koestler’s 1959 history traces changing ideas about the universe from ancient astronomy to Newton. It shows Koestler applying his literary interests to the history of scientific ideas.
Reflections on Hanging: Arthur Koestler’s 1956 essay collection argues against capital punishment. Koestler used polemical nonfiction to campaign against executions in Britain.
Michael Scammell: Michael Scammell is a British biographer and translator known for biographies of writers and political figures. Scammell’s biography is a major account of Koestler’s life and work.
Soviet Union: A socialist state that existed from 1922 to 1991, spanning much of northern Eurasia and governed from Moscow. Koestler’s early attraction to Soviet communism gave way to sustained criticism of its government.
Spanish Civil War: A conflict fought in Spain from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican government and Nationalist forces led by Francisco Franco. Koestler reported from Spain, was captured by Nationalist forces, and later drew on the experience in his writing.
Act of Creation: Arthur Koestler’s 1964 book presents bisociation as a shared structure underlying humor, scientific discovery, and artistic creation. It gathers Koestler’s theory of creativity into a major work of nonfiction.

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