Most dystopic world in fiction?
- Thread starter Kyriakos
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Josu
Emperor
I am absolutelly in love with 1984. I have read it several times.
However I have read recently a book that I think it is worthy of mention. I think it only can be found in Spanish and in amazon kindle format.
It's name is Marca de Sangre (Blood mark) by Daniel Bilbao. It is the third book, of a trilogy, but it is the first chronologically.
The story itself is a black novel which is not the best, but it is OK.
The background is magnificent, some goverments started on 2020 outsourcing everything, health care, defense, education, musseums...
The great brands gained the control of all these areas and finally goverments outsources themselves, so the marks gained control over several countryes.
They had the control over what people should buy, what sports to see, what cultures to follow, which countries to defend etc.
It happens gradually, first in the USA, later in France..., they tryed to control the whole Iberian peninsula
Spain was in bankrupcy and it was ungovernable.
Spanish goverment was about concede its defense to a security/defense big brand, but there was no money, so it was going to be done in exchange of the control of all the cultural heritage.
The autonomic system was about to break, so Basque goverment decide to secede as they consider the situation as an attac to the self goverment. There is a battle in Bilbao, won by the basques, so the indepencence is accepted.
Spain brokes the treaty with the defense company and it becames a sort of confederation of city states
The new basque goverment is issolated by the big brands, they make a big effort in genetically modified products so that they can produce more in this small land. The years go on and Basque Country becames a world power in GM.
There is full employment so people arrives from the city states in order to find a job and have a better live.
Basque goverment is not able to handle this inmigration movement, so based on the genetic investigations they start to grant citizenship based on the basque race.
The new basque republic becames a racial republic, in which people who is not genetically basque has not almost rights.
Riots started and it was solved by an affiliation brigade and by forbiding weapons. So finally Basque country is in peace, but with a republic with first and second class citizens as result.
In this background the main character investigates his father's dead in Bilbao, which was declared formaly a suicide, but as I said I think that the main story is not improtant
However I have read recently a book that I think it is worthy of mention. I think it only can be found in Spanish and in amazon kindle format.
It's name is Marca de Sangre (Blood mark) by Daniel Bilbao. It is the third book, of a trilogy, but it is the first chronologically.
The story itself is a black novel which is not the best, but it is OK.
The background is magnificent, some goverments started on 2020 outsourcing everything, health care, defense, education, musseums...
The great brands gained the control of all these areas and finally goverments outsources themselves, so the marks gained control over several countryes.
They had the control over what people should buy, what sports to see, what cultures to follow, which countries to defend etc.
It happens gradually, first in the USA, later in France..., they tryed to control the whole Iberian peninsula
Spain was in bankrupcy and it was ungovernable.
Spanish goverment was about concede its defense to a security/defense big brand, but there was no money, so it was going to be done in exchange of the control of all the cultural heritage.
The autonomic system was about to break, so Basque goverment decide to secede as they consider the situation as an attac to the self goverment. There is a battle in Bilbao, won by the basques, so the indepencence is accepted.
Spain brokes the treaty with the defense company and it becames a sort of confederation of city states
The new basque goverment is issolated by the big brands, they make a big effort in genetically modified products so that they can produce more in this small land. The years go on and Basque Country becames a world power in GM.
There is full employment so people arrives from the city states in order to find a job and have a better live.
Basque goverment is not able to handle this inmigration movement, so based on the genetic investigations they start to grant citizenship based on the basque race.
The new basque republic becames a racial republic, in which people who is not genetically basque has not almost rights.
Riots started and it was solved by an affiliation brigade and by forbiding weapons. So finally Basque country is in peace, but with a republic with first and second class citizens as result.
In this background the main character investigates his father's dead in Bilbao, which was declared formaly a suicide, but as I said I think that the main story is not improtant
That's 1984. It gets my vote, and I've read a fair few -- 1984, Brave New World, Lord of the World, Iron Heel..
gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
Wheel of Time. It's a cyclical history in which the wheel will turn, and the Dragon Reborn will fight the Dark One and the Forbidden, and it'll repeat on and on for eons to go.
Because the Wheel will turn. And as years pass by, legends will turn into myths, and the myths into history.
Because the Wheel will turn. And as years pass by, legends will turn into myths, and the myths into history.
PhroX
Deity
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2009
- Messages
- 2,804
Yeah...it's all rather bleak isn't it. In the end, despite all the heroes did, sooner or later, the Dark one will be back again.
Worst dystopia I can think of is in Acts of Caine.
http://www.goodreads.com/series/53770-the-acts-of-caine
Soapy (Social Police) are very much the jackboot stamping on the face of humanity forever.
Caine: "Some say the plague almost ended civilization."
Dad: "Maybe it did."
I don't know. When the people arresting you are disguised as giant teddy bears, how bad could it be?
http://www.goodreads.com/series/53770-the-acts-of-caine
Soapy (Social Police) are very much the jackboot stamping on the face of humanity forever.
Caine: "Some say the plague almost ended civilization."
Dad: "Maybe it did."
I don't know. When the people arresting you are disguised as giant teddy bears, how bad could it be?
Borachio
Way past lunacy
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2012
- Messages
- 26,698
Riddley Walker is a pretty dystopic world.
A post apocalyptic world where peopleare quite severely mentally handicapped have severe learning difficulties (which always makes me smile - since I've had severe learning difficulties all my life) owing to nuclear fallout a couple of hundred years previously.
A post apocalyptic world where people
I'd go as far as saying the society in God Emperor of Dune could be considered dystopian, given that Leto II rules everyone and has most people conditioned to believe that he's not only the absolute ruler, but he's also omnipotent and omniscient. I honestly do not understand the people who consider him their favorite character, since I'd be going along with the rebels in trying to overthrow him. He created a horrifically stifling way of life for all those billions - if not trillions - of people, for 3000 years. He excuses it by citing the "Golden Path" but he only paved the way for the Honored Matres and the Bene Gesserit/Bene Tleilax tyranny in turn. Of course we don't know how it was all supposed to turn out since Frank Herbert died before he could finish writing the final novel, but the theme of "beware charismatic leaders" was very strong throughout the series.
Of course if you're referring to nuDune, there's no argument that it's a dystopia. However, most good dystopian science fiction merits discussion in classrooms. All nuDune merits is being thrown in a paper recycler and forgotten.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
I actually just bought the latest Dune novel. Mentats something. We'll see how it is.
Dune is indeed not a good example of a dystopia, I don't think anyway, but God Emperor of Dune seems to be, like you say. I don't like the Worm God character either, but he seems to have accepted his role as tyrant - and wants people to go after him to try to take him out. Honestly, he just seems bored more than anything. But the empire which he rules does seem rather dystopic, from what I remember. Then again, large parts of the Dune universe are hinted at or described to be rather dystopic as well, throught various novels. But in the original Dune novel the focus is on other subjects.
Dune is indeed not a good example of a dystopia, I don't think anyway, but God Emperor of Dune seems to be, like you say. I don't like the Worm God character either, but he seems to have accepted his role as tyrant - and wants people to go after him to try to take him out. Honestly, he just seems bored more than anything. But the empire which he rules does seem rather dystopic, from what I remember. Then again, large parts of the Dune universe are hinted at or described to be rather dystopic as well, throught various novels. But in the original Dune novel the focus is on other subjects.
Aleksey_aka_al
Smiley
Not the worst, and I like it: Syndicate Wars.
As for the worst... Lexx has some cruel despairing ultra-depressive dystopic motifs...
As for the worst... Lexx has some cruel despairing ultra-depressive dystopic motifs...
I'm in the same situation - bought it but haven't read it yet.
The only Dune books not written by Frank Herbert that I would recommend are the Dune Encyclopedia by Dr. Willis McNelly, National Lampoon's Doon, and Dreamer of Dune (Frank Herbert's biography, written by Brian Herbert).
I haven't read more than one or two other FH novels so can't comment on whether or not he ever wrote anything that really could be considered dystopian SF.
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
I think the absolute worst "world" is from "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream." There is no society, just one individual that is kept alive for the machine to torture.
I think the whole Dune world, with the drugs, augmentation and cloistured organizations, is pretty twisted.
J
I think the whole Dune world, with the drugs, augmentation and cloistured organizations, is pretty twisted.
J
Which version, Dune or nuDune?
onejayhawk
Afflicted with reason
Both. It seems one of the more dystopic worlds that is still functional. Many of the others would not function.
J
Borachio
Way past lunacy
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2012
- Messages
- 26,698
Link to video.
I've been watching a bit of this. It is a bit dark. I quite like it.
But isn't it "just" another attempt by the Japanese to come to terms with the legacy of WW2 militarism, as allegory? It looks very like it to me.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Which one was it? The house trilogy wasn't very good. Some of the rest range from "Meh" to "not bad" to "pretty good", IMO.
classical_hero
In whom I trust
Dark Angel, because it has Jessica Alba in it, not that she is dystopic, but i want to live in that world.
