Jack London's Martin Eden

I assumed that London was a rightwinger as his books are about rugged individualists who succeed in a world where there is nothing but winning or losing in the neverending struggle to survive. Such books were popular. Turns out London kind of hated that stuff and was a socialist. Martin Eden is the ideal rugged individualist and London tries to make him out as mistaken in how he is living. He has him commit suicide eventually. People hated this book. London went back to his Klondike Man Against the Elements stuff afterwards and people went back to loving his books.

People do love the rugged individualist who overcomes all in a harsh world. To varying extents there's Ayn Rand, Jack London, Neitzsche, and I suppose Jack Vance too.

It's not how I want to write. Perhaps books that make fun of such people?

But what else is there? Dunno. People who work as a team who don't want to "win" at all cost. Star Trek comes to mind.

Also the blacksmith as opposed to the wordsmyth. (Martin Eden) I can definitely relate to that.