I read The Foundation Pit by Andrey Platonov

A grim novel of deprivation and absurdity to the extent that the afterword says that while some read it as allegorical or magical realism, it is probably also drawn significantly from the author's actual experiences. However, it's also a very heartfelt and philosophical work, written by someone trying to synthesize his earlier utopian beliefs (particularly drawn from the Russian Cosmists, so, catnip for me) with harsh reality. Workers from a variety of walks of life gather to dig the foundation pit for a hypothetical all-proletarian dwelling, headed by a suicidally depressed urbane architect. What level of suffering and sacrifice is acceptable to demand for the future of society and future generations? If you make this tradeoff, what kind of world are you condemning them to live in? Would they want that? How can you know what they'll want? Some of the characters are always thinking about this (to the point of slacking off), to others it only occurs to them in moments of uncertainty or horror, others seem to avoid thinking about it at all. A really interesting back and forth of the limits of scientific thought, rational planning, and what is unknowable or indeterminate.