Dystopian Novels

Post Reply New Topic

Many people have pointed out that Britain’s New Labour government seem to be using George Orwell’s 1984 not as a warning, but as an instruction manual, and I agree.

But I came across a recent passage (by Neil Postman) comparing 1984 with Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World that suggests that in some ways modern society more closely resembles the society of Huxley’s novel.

What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions." In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_ ... ighty-Four

Now 1984 and Brave New World are two novels I very much intend to read soon.

Another one is Anthony Burgess’s Wanting Seed

Often repeated in the novel is the concept that history is cyclical. As Tristam explains in the first few chapters to his slumbering history class, there are three phases: Pelphase, Interphase, and Gusphase.

Pelphase is named after Pelagianism, the theology of Pelagius. The Pelphase is characterized by the belief that people are generally good. Crimes have slight punishment, and the government tries to improve the population. The government works through socialism. According to Tristam "A government functioning in its Pelagian phase commits itself to the belief that man is perfectible, that perfection can be achieved by his own efforts, and that the journey towards perfection is along a straight road." The novel begins - and ends - in Pelphase.

Interphase is the darkening of Pelphase into Gusphase - an "Intermediate" phase. As Tristram explains things, the government grows increasingly disappointed in its population's inability to be truly good, and thus police forces are strengthened and the state becomes Totalitarian. In many repects, Interphase is a finite version of George Orwell's 1984.

Gusphase is named after Augustinianism, the theology of St. Augustine of Hippo. In short, Gusphase involves the lifting of the Interphase. The leaders begin to realize how horrible they have become, and realize that they are being overly harsh. Therefore, the government relaxes its rules and creates havoc. Tristram describes the Gusphase: "The orthodox view presents man as a sinful creature from whom no good at all may be expected... It eventually appears that human social behaviour is rather better than any Augustinian pessimist has any right to expect, and so a sort of optimism begins to emerge. And so Pelagianism is reinstated."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wanting_Seed

Are there any other novels people can recommend, or any particular passages people think are particularly relevant to the present day?

The Wanting Seed is one of my favorite books. I love how the "enemy's" change and the governments use of propaganda to manipulate....so appropriate for describing US foriegn policy.

You might also enjoy reading...."Women on the Edge of Time"....I dont agree with all it's "Utopian ideals"but it does have an interesting perspective(a little preachy).