1984?

I read 1984 and New World in the 60's
and thought they were ridiculous. New
World was almost unreadable and boring.
Things carried to the extreme are always
so silly. Like Trump. He won't be the worst,
he won't be the best. But at least he'll get
some things done. Like move the American
embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He's
announcing that tomorrow.

Quote: rxwine

I realize I get Brave New World mixed up with 1984. But like I said, it's been awhile since I read either.

I get them mixed up too but I never read animal farm because everyone else was reading it. Think I liked each, particularly the idea of soma.

I also read Uni by the guy who wrote No Way to treat a lady and Pray for Rosemary's Baby, can't recall his name right now, liked that one too. And with GPS positioning and cell phone triangulation, use of water meters as evidence of washing away blood and use of Alexa data as a way of proving murder... Uni is more and more relevant to our life.

Quote: terapined

The movie is real good too

The movie was amazing. Unfortunately it never gained much of an audience.

Quote: rxwine

I realize I get Brave New World mixed up with 1984.

there are similarities. Not only do they both depict a totalitarian society, they both delve into and explain the means used.

The main differences, literately, are the absence of war, and a degree of toleration for dissent (as long as you do nothing about it) in Brave new World. The big difference is that Orwell had actual totalitarian societies to study, which Huxley did not.

Quote: rxwine

I realize I get Brave New World mixed up with 1984. But like I said, it's been awhile since I read either.

While not as famous as the other two, I think "The Trial" (original German title: Der Prozeß), a novel written by Franz Kafka from 1914 to 1915 and published in 1925, is an important part of the early works that make you afraid of the future.

Other dystopian novels that I have read that I could recommend

Animal Farm (1945) by George Orwell
That Hideous Strength (1945) by C.S. Lewis
Fahrenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury
The City and the Stars (1956) by Arthur C. Clarke
Minority Report (1956) by Philip K. Dick
Atlas Shrugged (1957) by Ayn Rand
A Canticle for Liebowitz (1959) by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
"Harrison Bergeron" (1961) by Kurt Vonnegut
A Clockwork Orange (1962) by Anthony Burgess
"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison (1967)
Logan's Run (1967) by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson

I've ben curious to read Logan's Run. I thought the 1970s movie was quite good (it helps that Michael York's in it), but it lacked a look at the background society the story is set in. Past the basics of "people get killed at age 30, and think they'll be reborn" little is shown.

Logan's Run has been in remake status now for over 20 years. The newest wrinkle is that the lead will now be female.

Quote: Pacomartin

Logan's Run has been in remake status now for over 20 years. The newest wrinkle is that the lead will now be female.

Going by the first movie, that would be a terrible idea. No doubt they'd have Logan in a relationship wit the other Sandman (Francis?) Ridiculous!

But they might give a better role to Logan's rebel companion, Jessica.

BTW, Paco, would you classify H.G. Welles' "The Time Machine" as a dystopian novel?

Quote: Nareed

I've ben curious to read Logan's Run. I thought the 1970s movie was quite good (it helps that Michael York's in it), but it lacked a look at the background society the story is set in. Past the basics of "people get killed at age 30, and think they'll be reborn" little is shown.

I liked Logan's Run. Although I think it is only movie script, not a book, I enjoyed "Brazil".

There are actually many dystopian future movies, but many of them are more keyed to interest people in action and violence.

Mel Gibson's original character Mad Max movie for instance. It's really just a typical Charles Bronson revenge fest than any deep comment about a future.

Brazil may be more keyed to oddball comedy of the absurd.