NationStates Jolt Archive

Can someone give me a crystalline vision of a Dystopian future.

apparantly not

I could try, but I wouldn't be as good as George Orwell. Read 1984. That's it.

That would be a no..?

"Under the spreading chestnut tree,
I sold you
and you sold me."

"Under the spreading chestnut tree,
I sold you
and you sold me."

"Freedom is slavery,
War is peace,
Ignorance is strength"

Our ideas of a dystopia? If so, then for me, the Culture, Dominion (from Star Trek), Brave New World, and IngSoc combined as one.

If someone were to actually read Brave New World, it doesn't seem all that dystopian. Yes, love doesn't exist as it does now, and yes, parent-child relations do not exist, but society is happy, and that is the goal of the World Controllers. It seems more like an ignorant state of bliss rather than an unliveable world. I would definitely not have a problem with Brave New World's society.

Can someone give me a crystalline vision of a Dystopian future.
http://www.theafternow.com/

Listen to the first episode.

Just remembered something. Echoing a previous post made by someone, you ought to read 1984. It is the best of the dystopian classics.

But, imagine this for an idea of a dystopian world.

A boot stamping on a human face---forever.

If someone were to actually read Brave New World, it doesn't seem all that dystopian. Yes, love doesn't exist as it does now, and yes, parent-child relations do not exist, but society is happy, and that is the goal of the World Controllers. It seems more like an ignorant state of bliss rather than an unliveable world. I would definitely not have a problem with Brave New World's society.

I would love to argue this point, but unfortunately, I'm only on Chapter 14 of Brave New World myself, so it would probably spoil the ending. :)

Have fun reading it. Just heed my words.

If someone were to actually read Brave New World, it doesn't seem all that dystopian. Yes, love doesn't exist as it does now, and yes, parent-child relations do not exist, but society is happy, and that is the goal of the World Controllers. It seems more like an ignorant state of bliss rather than an unliveable world. I would definitely not have a problem with Brave New World's society.

Ah, but that is precisely why it is so bad. It satisfies simple pleasures well but it is ethically malnurishing, so to speak. We need freedom to experience life fully.

If someone were to actually read Brave New World, it doesn't seem all that dystopian. Yes, love doesn't exist as it does now, and yes, parent-child relations do not exist, but society is happy, and that is the goal of the World Controllers. It seems more like an ignorant state of bliss rather than an unliveable world. I would definitely not have a problem with Brave New World's society.

Indeed so. Brave New World is not strictly dystopian. Whilst it is not the kind of world I would like to live in, there's no senseless power-grabbing or anything, certainly no sadistic 'power for the sake of having power'. Hell, the rebellious elements of society aren't even killed, they're simply exiled (Where, as is suggested by Mond, they are probably happier because they are with other dissenting voices. Hell, they even tried letting people form a seperate culture and system of government to see if that would work better, but it didn't - though the flaws in the experiment are obvious, you can't fault them for trying.).

A dystopian future... hm. 'We' by Yevgeny Zamyatin. Better than 1984, much more oppressive than the positively benign Brave New World, and generally just awesome.

Hmm, Fahrenheit 451?

In an effort to create a utopian American society, everyone's actions caused them to be hated by the world. And you think the world hates America now? The world would love America if we switched 2005 America with the America in the book.

I could try, but I wouldn't be as good as George Orwell. Read 1984. That's it.

Orwell's supposed to have gotten his inspiration from a Russian writer named Zamyatin. I recommend his book 'We' (it's available in an English translation).

Edit: just read through the first couple of pages and saw someone had beaten me to it. It's good tho. Read it!

I enjoyed 'We' very much. But I didn't enjoy it as much as 1984. I did enjoy the final chapter; I could *feel* the destruction of his psyche.

I felt that 'We' lacked the psychological depth of '1984', and the mechanics of State. It was certainly interesting. I just feel '1984' was superior, even though '1984' was written by Orwell as he lay dying on a hospital bed.

Short, insignificant rant. It's hard to go into depth with dystopian novels without ruining the plot and core ideas. I just suggest everyone with an open mind read 'Brave New World', 'We', and '1984', and appreciate them for the masterpieces of literature they are.

Ever see the movie "GATTACA?" That movie has more "morals" than an entire book of Aesop's Fables, one of them being "one man's utopia is another man's dystopia." If you've never seen it, rent it. You'll be glad you did. :)

'GATTACA' was interesting. But it didn't portray a dystopian view like the three books I mentioned.

'GATTACA' was interesting. But it didn't portray a dystopian view like the three books I mentioned.
True, but for the "in-valids" it was a dystopia, yes? :)

Perfect dystopia:

Combine '1984' with 'Fahrenheit 451' with 'Brave New World' with 'We' with a short story I wrote, and you have...Dystopia!!! :cool:

I've always wanted to write a dystopian novel (well, not always, but ever since I read Brave New World about five or so years ago). None of the ideas I've had are developed enough for me to write them without being trite and flat, though.

Brave New World and Farenheit 451 are good examples to read, for sure. You could also give Animal Farm a try as well though that's direct parody of a real society. There was a juvenile novel I read and reread and reread in jr. high before I really entered into the world of dystopian novels called Invitation to the Game, though it's sort of half dystopian novel, half pioneer story. Not exactly sterling literary quality, but kinda fun if you want an example with a bunch of angsty unemployed teenagers.

I've always wanted to write a dystopian novel (well, not always, but ever since I read Brave New World about five or so years ago). None of the ideas I've had are developed enough for me to write them without being trite and flat, though.How interesting.

I wrote a short dystopian play that would also be good for a radio show—all dialogue. (Trialogue, actually...)

Ever see the movie "GATTACA?" That movie has more "morals" than an entire book of Aesop's Fables, one of them being "one man's utopia is another man's dystopia." If you've never seen it, rent it. You'll be glad you did. :)

GATTACA is my all-time favorite movie. Well, tied, at least. For some reason, I love the thing from start to finish.

Oh, and anyone remember Communist Mississipi?

Well, yeah...

Gotham from Batman is a pretty good example. The new movie better addressed the City's dystopia issue.

Short, insignificant rant. It's hard to go into depth with dystopian novels without ruining the plot and core ideas. I just suggest everyone with an open mind read 'Brave New World', 'We', and '1984', and appreciate them for the masterpieces of literature they are.

Heed this advice, people. Whatever your political dispositions.

"We" blew my mind when I first read it, after having already read Farenheit 451, Brave New World, and 1984. I'm tempted to add The Wanting Seed to the list of recommendations, although as I recall it deals more with the social collapse of a dystopian system, and the political recovery thereof.

Also, since movies have been brought in, what about Equilibrium? If one can get past the flashy fight scenes (which I also enjoyed), the dystopian philosophies behind the story struck me as hitting fairly close to home.

But then, I've been lamenting the apparent decline of reading for enjoyment amongst the coming generations, which makes me consider what these generations will think of the old works in general :p