Saturday, October 20, 2012

Relevancy of Science Fiction

Roxy Regional Theatre

It’s difficult for me to share a valid opinion on this topic due to the fact that I have only read very few science fiction novels. However, judging by the ones I have read, (Frankenstein, The Giver, 1984), I definitely disagree with the opinion of literary scholars. Science Fiction requires a special kind of brilliance. To write science fiction, the author needs the ability to understand what the major philosophical and moral issues we have; especially those issues that will affect us in the long run. This type of Knowledge is necessary in order to create a futuristic world that may very well stem from the world we currently live in.
Open Culture
                Many of the science fiction novels, for example, have symbolic ways of displaying how we use our emotions in life. At the beginning of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, we are introduced to the idea of being able to control our emotions. At the beginning the two main characters are shown taking certain medications based on the type of mood they’d like to be in. It also seems to be a more convenient approach to maintaining relationships. Although the relationships are falsified due to the fabricated emotions, it still appears to be functional. Another example of this is in the book The Giver. The reader is presented with another futuristic society that seems to be controlled by eliminating imperfections, including emotions. In The Giver, people are unable to recognize color, weather, and even emotion. When young boys and girls begin to hit puberty, they are sent to a lab where they are forced to take a medication that suppresses any hormonal behavior.
                I feel that science fiction is just as relevant to literature as any other genre, if not more relevant. Science fiction allows one to ponder the ways in which a futuristic society could crumble (or succeed) based on the way we live now. There are so many ways in which our consumer driven, emotionally unstable, and widely corrupt world could result in. In science fiction novels, the different outcomes of consumerism and corrupt power are depicted. Although many science fiction novels, as well as movies, could be greatly exaggerated, there are most definitely various truths to some of these matters; making science fiction something that is still incredibly important to become familiar with.

Science Fiction-1984


Science fiction is one of the most important forms of literature. It is an avenue for people to express their opinions philosophically and typically addresses social issues. Science fiction literature plays an important role in the classroom because it reveals the issues and concerns people faced during that period of time. These issues can be considered controversial and immoral to discuss publicly, therefore, this form of literature can be a pathway to enlighten the public and express personal opinions.

One example of science fiction addressing contentious topics is George Orwell’s novel “1984.” This novel, published in 1948, addresses the anxiety many felt at the possibility of being under totalitarian rule. He expresses his opinion that humanity is doomed if we allow any one person or party to be in complete control over our futures. People would basically lose all individuality and have no rights. The life we live, the jobs we do, and our every move would be watched and controlled by the elite. This would have devastating consequences for our future. Some believe when George Orwell wrote this novel, he was addressing the issue of the Soviet imperialistic approach to neighboring countries in Europe.  The novel was written around the end of World War II and many people felt anxious about their future.  People felt their freedoms were in danger and the possibility existed that government would intrude upon our lives. He wanted to demonstrate the inhumanity of imperialism.

Science Fiction is not deficient compared to other types of literary works, such as romance, horror or mystery, as it addresses social issues that many other genre also address.  It allows the author to express opinions that otherwise may be considered unethical or distasteful to discuss in public. Since literature is writings dealing with a particular subject, science fiction clearly belongs in the classroom. Educating students on social issues of a particular time in history is important so that we do not repeat negative history going forward.
From: The New Dork Review of Books
 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

1984 Dystopian Society

 The book 1984 by George Orwell follows the idea of a dystopian society. Main character, Winston Smith, is trapped in a world where the "party" whose leader, Big Brother, is always watching him and the low-ranking members of society. Big Brother watches the citizens of Oceana in London through large telescreens. The party, which reminds us of the political parties that has morphed into one, controls everything in Oceana, including the people's history, minds (thoughts) and even their language. No one is free. The party allows no one to rebel, even through their minds. This is a crime called "thoughtcrime" and the most illegal of all rebellious crimes to commit. Thoughtcrime comes from "Newspeak", the new language created by the party.
Winston tries to rebel against Big Brother and the party with their out-of-this-world controlling ways throughout the story. The party catches on to Winston's thoughtcrimes and rebelliousness, and punishes him with his biggest fears for his wrong-doings. In the end, Winston ends up giving into the party and becoming just like everyone else, broken spirited and worshipping Big Brother.
One of the most important part of a utopian society to me is freedom, in all forms. 1984 took the opposite approach of this "utopian" idea by even making society's rebellious thoughts into a crime. The book also goes hand in hand with the definition of a dystopian society as a futuristic look into mankind after something that has gone terribly wrong, apocalyptic or not. This world or city, Oceana, is made up to show what life could be like. No one is free and everything is controlled by this secretive higher power that no one truly knows who or what this higher power is, which is the scariest part. In this world, you can't trust anyone, not even yourself because how easy is it to control your own thoughts? Not very.

1984

1984 is extremely popular for creating one of the best dystopian society stories and achieves this well. It is popular because it makes us think that this can happen. A lot of people have second thoughts about what our government is actually up to. Is it a conspiracy? Since some may have these fearful thoughts in the back of their heads, this book brings up these fears and allows us to think about our own society.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Dystopia


Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, is a classic example of a utopian dystopia. While Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep fits into the category of a dystopia, there is still the idea of a perfection that goes completely wrong, exemplified in the androids. Brave New World, is a society showered in love, and to the outside eye is a perfect society, but the perfections come at a cost.
Taken from brainstorm-services.com
Everyone is born from a test tube and is conditioned to do everything in Brave New World, there is no real free choice. Societal rankings are set, and the best were designed to be the best, they are the smartest, the best looking, the most talented, and across the board better than all the other classes of people, yet they are not better than any other of the top class of people. This causes there to be no class warfare and no civil strife, everyone is perfectly fine with their standing in society, and unhappiness is impossible.
This mirrors to a degree the fears and ideas in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, where the androids can be seen as the perfect humans, that the regular people fear. While there is the group of ‘chickenheads’ that are deemed repulsive, much like the lower classes portrayed in Brave New World. Both novels touch on the idea of identity, where in Brave New World no one really has one, and in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep no one, not even internally can know for sure if they are man or machine.
Brave New World is a utopian dystopia, a world where there is no suffering and everyone is happy, but really it is a sad world. People have meaningless lives, and to the outside eye it would be impossible to see the difference between anyone in their own class of people. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a hardcore dystopia, it is clear that world is to shit, but it would be impossible to see the difference between androids and humans, which kills the concept of identity, for one can not even know if they are man or machine.  
           

Monday, October 15, 2012

Among the Hidden


Among the Hidden is a coming of age story written in a futuristic society in which families are only allowed to have two children. The novel is written from the perspective of Luke, a third child, as he slowly realizes exactly where he stand in society, and how he will never be able to live and grow like his brothers. As a child he lives sheltered by the forest, allowing him to play outside with his two brothers. That is until  contractors cut down the forest to build a suburb for the more affluent. These actions force Luke into the confines of his home. With the knew neighborhood comes a whole new group of people that Luke observes from his attic window. Through his observations he discovers another third child, Jen Talabot. The daughter of an extremely powerful double agent in the population police. Through his relationship with her Luke eyes are opened to revolutionary ideas. He learns that there is enough food, and that government officials live in splender and enjoy the coveted foods and pets that are band to the general public. His family struggles to keep food on the table and as a last resort at one point his father figures out a way to grow food in the basement during the winter months. The government find out about this through the equipment he ordered and stopped it.
Looking at the two different definitions of dystopia I would say that this story fits much better with the second definition: in trying to create a perfect utopian world something goes horribly wrong. In Among the Hidden, the government places a restriction on the number of children born to try and end world hunger, but through the novel several key things happen to prove that the government’s motives are not pure. The incident with the father growing food in the basement proved that the government was not truly worried about adequate food production, but about the ability to control the masses through control of food distribution. This novel serves as a warning against the collection of power in the hand of the few. It pleads for a more democratic and innovative society and calls on the principles of John Locke that as citizen, we have the duty to overthrow our government if it is unjust. This is only the first book in an extremely exciting and inspiration journey of a group of third children who set about to liberate themselves. As American our liberty is very important, evident as reflected in the arguments prominent in politics. This is one of the reasons this type of heroic and democratic novel is so popular. 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The Perfect Dystopia


"Some scholars define dystopian literature as a story or novel that takes a dim futuristic look at mankind living either after an apocalyptic event or on the verge of one. Others define dystopia in opposition to utopia, where in trying to create a perfect utopian world, something goes horribly wrong."
For me the latter definition of a dystopia is most fitting because the "dys" in the word "dystopia" implies an Anti-utopia. The first definition, for me, implies that the present day society is a utopia and that only in the future or post-apocalyptic event can there exist a dystopia.
The first example that comes to my mind when thinking of a dystopia is the movie the Truman Show where protagonist Truman Burbank is raised in a false world that is near perfect. What Truman doesn't know is that he is being filmed and his life is a reality TV show for the rest of the world. It is only when he falls in love with  the extra Sylvia who becomes part of the "Free Truman" campaign that his near-perfect worlds begins to fall apart and he slowly discovers the truth about his life, or the lack of truth.
I feel that this is a strong example of a dystopia because is represents a fake world that is supposed to be perfect for this one person, but even when it seems to be perfect it isn't since it is all a lie. Then, when it all falls apart it negatively affects everyone and shows its true face as a dystopia.

A chilling apocalypse in Alas,Babylon




Pat Frank’s classic novel, Alas, Babylon, the characters must live in a post-apocalyptic society after a cold war era attack. After a plane accidentally enters restricted airspace, the Soviet Union calls for a full nuclear attack of the United States and leaves almost no semblance of order. The main character Randy Bragg, a former U.S. Army officer living in central Florida, gets word from his brother who is an Intelligence officer for the Air Force saying that tensions are getting high and something might happen soon. Once everything does fall apart, Randy and his neighbors have no contact to anywhere outside of the neighborhood.  When Marshal Law is imposed by the acting president of what is left of the United States, Randy steps up and takes control of this society by protecting his people from “Highway Men,” making sure they have food, getting rid of the radiation.
                This novel was written when tensions were still high between the United States and the Soviet Union.  So many readers would  know that any wrong move could cause their demise. This novel fits with the definition because it is a society living in an apocalyptic world that cannot use any of today’s modern advancements though the people are so used to living that way. These stories hold popularity because though the situation has diffused with the Soviet Union, other countries are quickly learning how to make these weapons and we are scared that they will not be responsible with them.  In this world of nuclear technology, it is always a present danger that a wrong move could cause a country to launch their nuclear warheads at any time. 

Are We Becoming a Brave New World?




A classic dystopia is featured in the novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Set far in the future in A.F. 632, approximately seven centuries after the twentieth century. A.F. stands for After Ford, named for the great industrialist Henry Ford that the society idolized as if he was God, who invented mass production techniques for automobiles such as the assembly line. World Controllers ensure the stability of society through the creation of a caste system. Alphas and Betas are at the top, known to be the smartest and most attractive. They are usually scientists, politicians, and other top minds, while Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons are towards the bottom and represent the world's industrial working class. A drug called soma ensures that no one ever feels pain or remains unhappy, and members of every caste receive rations of the drug. Every human in this society is bread at birth, their life is pre determined based on the caste they are chosen to be a part of.  The main character is Bernard Marx, conveniently named after Karl Marx, a German philosopher and economist who played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist movement. He is a short, dark haired Alpha who is believed to have accidentally received a dose of alcohol as a fetus on the assembly line. His coworkers dislike him and he is not accepted because he does not look like a normal Alpha.  He resents this and therefore hates the “perfect” society in which he lives. Brave New World is a perfect example of a dystopia because all aspects are controlled greatly by a higher power. The lives of the citizens of this society are pre-determined and they must follow the strict rules of their cast.  This story is popular because even though it was written in 1931. It well predicts the future of the human race and there are many comparisons that can be made already of this story and the society we live in today.  Huxley has accurately predicted the future and he is warning us of what our society may become.