Dystopian futures have often been
depicted in science fiction. George
Orwell’s 1984, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, and the more recent Hunger Games trilogy from Suzanne
Collins are just a few well-known examples of a dystopian fiction. Dystopian novels and films have long been a
popular part of sci-fi. As humans, we
know that darkness looms within us, and human-built societal structures can
either bring out the best or the worst in us.
Anything we as humans build, after all, are reflections of ourselves. Those flawed systems benefit a select few at
the expense of others. Personal
liberties are curtailed in a myriad of ways, whether it be through a
restriction of speech, of personal belief, of political power, of personal
relationships, etc. In a dystopian
society, poverty is often a fact of life, as those in power keep a majority of
wealth for themselves.
Though I could perform an in-depth
analysis of each kind of dystopian society portrayed in fiction, I would
instead like to contemplate why people enjoy reading about them or seeing them
depicted in film. Often times we indulge
in fantasy to escape the real world, but dystopian fiction is hardly the type
of fiction that promotes escapism.
Perhaps reading about such a stark existence may help you to appreciate
the things you have, but there’s something more to our love of these bleak
scenarios.
Maybe we are intrigued by fictional
dystopian societies because our world has its own history of them, and that
kind of darkness that exists in our past intrigues us. Perhaps we simply like the see the hero or
heroine of the story stand up against incredible odds and triumph. Who doesn’t like to see an underdog succeed,
or at the very least, put up a brave fight until the bitter end? Perhaps it gives us hope to see that, no
matter how bad things get, the better nature of humanity still shines bright.
Which elements of various dystopian
futures do you see in today’s society?
Why do you think dystopian stories captivate readers? What would you count as a dystopian society, taking
into account that said society is creating a comfortable existence for some?
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| Image courtesy of shadow9020/ DeviantArt |
