What societal critic contributed to the anthology "Excursions"?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, and he disseminated his thoughts through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States.
Political fiction Political fiction employs narrative to comment on political events, systems and theories. Works of political fiction, such as political novels, often "directly criticize an existing society or present an alternative, even fantastic, reality". It overlaps with the social novel, proletarian novel and social science fiction. Highly influential earlier works include "Gulliver's Travels" (1726), "Candide" (1759), and "Uncle Tom's Cabin" (1852).