1984

[kawakami Gensai]

So I've been reading 1984 in my world lit honors class, and I have noticed how dead on George Orwell has been about society. Especially now with the wars plaguing the Middle East. Anyone else agree?

[XxSephirothxX]

I think saying George Orwell was dead on would be criticizing society a bit too harshly. :p

[kawakami Gensai]

I think saying George Orwell was dead on would be criticizing society a bit too harshly. :p

well yes, but over all with the surveilance measures taken, it seems to be fairly close to it. Still people arent being "vaporized"

[Madame Adequate]

Brave New World is better, scarier, and much more plausable.

The original dyspotian totalitarian state fiction, We, is well worth reading as well.

[Odaisé Gaelach]

No, I think that we're still a fair bit away from 1984.

Fantastic novel though. Very dark and scary. :D

[Tavrobel]

I think saying George Orwell was dead on would be criticizing society a bit too harshly. :p

well yes, but over all with the surveilance measures taken, it seems to be fairly close to it. Still people arent being "vaporized"

Tell that to this guy. (http://forums.eyesonff.com/member.php?u=21541) But I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[I Took the Red Pill]

1984 is a good dystopian novel, but not the best. Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut is probably my favorite.

[XxSephirothxX]

Brave New World is better, scarier, and much more plausable.

The original dyspotian totalitarian state fiction, We, is well worth reading as well.

Brave New World is absolutely one of my favorite books. Cat's Cradle is very good, too, but I think 1984 is better as a dystopia. The conversation between John and Mustapha Mond is, I think, one of the best I've ever read.

[Madame Adequate]

Brave New World is better, scarier, and much more plausable.

The original dyspotian totalitarian state fiction, We, is well worth reading as well.

Brave New World is absolutely one of my favorite books. Cat's Cradle is very good, too, but I think 1984 is better as a dystopia. The conversation between John and Mustapha Mond is, I think, one of the best I've ever read.

That's true, the people IN Brave New World aren't actually that unhappy much of the time. So 1984 is probably better for outright suffering, yes.

And that conversation is <333

Edit: And I like Cat's Cradle as well, but is it really dystopian fiction? Seems more post-apocalyptic/drug trip to me.

[Rengori]

I just finished reading Animal Farm and started reading 1984 today.

I seriously doubt that there are police roaming around monitering your thoughts. I also doubt that Big Brother is watching.

[I Took the Red Pill]

And I like Cat's Cradle as well, but is it really dystopian fiction? Seems more post-apocalyptic/drug trip to me. Eh I guess you're right, I usually just clump them together into one big happy category.

I wouldn't say it's post-apocalyptic though considering the apocalypse is only a small portion of the book that occurs at the very end.

[Cz]

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a marvellous book, but its predictions are nowhere near accurate. That wasn't the idea, anyway. Orwell wasn't putting forward a theory of what the future would hold, he was providing a stern warning about the dangers of totalitarianism.

As for Brave New World, I don't consider it to be a better book than Nineteen Eighty-Four, but it's a fine novel. I'd hoped to write a comparison of the two for my A-Level coursework, but since the two were written a mere sixteen years apart, I was denied that pleasure.

[Quindiana Jones]

1984 is one of the greatest books ever. I guess I should add IMO...

[theundeadhero]

I enjoyed Brave New World more than 1984.

In 1984 I identified with him at first, then was truly enjoying the book up until just after the two became attached to each other. After that it lost what it had in my opinion. I can't remember their names :p

[Madame Adequate]

And I like Cat's Cradle as well, but is it really dystopian fiction? Seems more post-apocalyptic/drug trip to me. Eh I guess you're right, I usually just clump them together into one big happy category.

I wouldn't say it's post-apocalyptic though considering the apocalypse is only a small portion of the book that occurs at the very end.

True, but before that, I don't really think it fits into the dystopian genre either, except insofar as Vonnegut was a lunatic and thought the way things were is dystopian xD

[Dignified Pauper]

Brave New World is better, scarier, and much more plausable.

The original dyspotian totalitarian state fiction, We, is well worth reading as well.

Brave New World is absolutely one of my favorite books. Cat's Cradle is very good, too, but I think 1984 is better as a dystopia. The conversation between John and Mustapha Mond is, I think, one of the best I've ever read.

That's true, the people IN Brave New World aren't actually that unhappy much of the time. So 1984 is probably better for outright suffering, yes.

And that conversation is <333

Edit: And I like Cat's Cradle as well, but is it really dystopian fiction? Seems more post-apocalyptic/drug trip to me.


i think brave new world is made much more believable because the people are forced into happiness with their soma usage.

[kawakami Gensai]

Well I can see that it wasnt dead on, but I really mean that 1984's themes apply fairly well with what we see on the news. Of course you are all right in the fact that there is no "Big Brother" or thought police, however the privacy issues tie in well with the prevention of Terrorism. I could be totally off, but thats jsut this one's opinion.