A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος, alternatively, cacotopia,^[1] kakotopia, cackotopia, or anti-utopia) is the vision of a society that is the opposite of utopia. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the A dystopian society is a state in which the conditions of life are extremely bad, characterized by human misery, poverty, oppression, violence, disease, and/or pollution.

Some academic circles distinguish between anti-utopia and dystopia. As in George Orwell's 1984, a dystopia does not pretend to be utopian, while an anti-utopia appears to be utopian or was intended to be so, but a fatal flaw or other factor has destroyed or twisted the intended utopian world or concept. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer Nineteen Eighty-Four (also titled 1984) by George Orwell (the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair) is a 1949 English Novel ^[2]

Contents 1 Origin of the word 2 Common traits of a dystopian society 2.1 Counter-utopia 2.2 Society 2.2.1 Social Groups 2.2.2 Sexuality 2.2.3 Nature 2.3 Political 2.4 Economic 3 Characteristics of dystopian fiction 3.1 The back story 3.2 The Hero 3.3 The Conflict 3.4 Climax and dénouement 4 Destroying dystopia 5 Depictions of dystopias in various media 6 See also 7 References

Origin of the word

The first known use of the term dystopia appeared in a speech before the British Parliament by Greg Webber and John Stuart Mill^[3] in 1868. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 &ndash 8 May 1873 British Philosopher, political economist, civil servant and Member of Parliament, was an influential Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap In that speech, Mill said, "It is, perhaps, too complimentary to call them Utopians, they ought rather to be called dys-topians, or caco-topians. What is commonly called Utopian is something too good to be practicable; but what they appear to favor is too bad to be practicable. "^[4] His knowledge of Greek suggests that he was referring to a bad place, rather than simply the opposite of Utopia. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The Greek prefix "dys" ("δυσ-") signifies "ill", "bad" or "abnormal"; Greek "topos" ("τόπος") meaning "place"; and Greek "ou-" ("ου") meaning "not". Thus, Utopia means "nowhere", and is a pun on "Eutopia" meaning "happy place" - the prefix "eu" means "well," or "good. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the "

Common traits of a dystopian society

The only trait common to all dystopias is that they are negative and undesirable societies, but many commonalities are found across dystopian societies. In general, dystopias are seen as visions of "dangerous and alienating future societies," often criticizing current trends in culture. ^[5] It is a culture where the condition of life is "extremely bad," as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. ^[6]

Counter-utopia

Many dystopias, found in fictional and artistic works, can be described as a utopian society with at least one fatal flaw;^[7] whereas a utopian society is founded on the good life, a dystopian society’s dreams of improvement are overshadowed by stimulating fears of the “ugly consequences of present-day behavior”. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the Hamartia ( Ancient Greek:) is a term developed by Aristotle in his work Poetics. Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the ^[8]

Society

Most dystopias impose severe social restrictions on the characters' lives.

This can take the form of social stratification, where social class is strictly defined and enforced, and social mobility is non-existent (see caste system). In Sociology, social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of Social classes Castes and strata within a Society. Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions (or stratification) between individuals or groups in Societies or Cultures. See also Economic mobility Social mobility is the degree to which in a given society an individual's family's or group's social status Castes are Hereditary systems of occupation, Endogamy, social culture, Social class, and Political power. For example, the novel Brave New World's class system is prenatally designated in terms of Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons, who lack the very ability to advance. Brave New World is a 1932 Novel by Aldous Huxley. Set in the London of AD 2540 (632 A

Another, often related form of restriction lies in the requirement of strict conformity among citizens, with a general assumption that dissent and individuality are bad. In the novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, people are permitted to live out of public view for only an hour a day. We (Мы is a Dystopian novel by Yevgeny Zamyatin completed in 1921. Yevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin (Евге́ний Ива́нович Замя́тин) ( February 1, 1884 – March 10, 1937) was a Russian They are not only referred to by numbers instead of names, but are neither "citizens" nor "people", but "numbers. " In the lower castes, in Brave New World, single embryos are "bokanovskified", so that they produce between eight and ninety-six identical siblings, making the citizens as uniform as possible. Bokanovsky's Process is a fictional artificial biological process that is a key aspect of the world envisioned in Aldous Huxley 's novel Brave New World ^[9]

Some dystopian works emphasize the pressure to conform in terms of the requirement to not excel. In these works, the society is ruthlessly egalitarian, in which ability and accomplishment, or even competence, are suppressed or stigmatized as forms of inequality, as in Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron. Kurt Vonnegut Jr (November 11 1922 – April 11 2007 (ˈvɒnəgət was a prolific and genre-bending American Novelist known for works blending Satire, Black " Harrison Bergeron " is a Dystopian Science fiction Short story written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr Similarly, in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, the dystopia represses the intellectuals with particular force, because most people are willing to accept it, and the resistance to it consists mostly of intellectuals. Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery Fahrenheit 451 is a Dystopian Soft science fiction Novel authored by Ray Bradbury and first published in 1953 ^[10] Moreover in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged the protagonist Dagny Taggart struggles to keep Taggart Transcontinental thriving in a world that spurns innovation and excellence. Ayn Rand (ˈaɪn ˈrænd &ndash March 6 1982 born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum (Алиса Зиновьевна Розенбаум was a Russian born American Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the United States All of Dagny's opponents cite "equality of opportunity" and the "public good" as their justifications for opposing free market capitalism and competition.

Social Groups

In a typical dystopia, there is a total absence of any social group besides the state, as in We, or such social groups being subdivisions of the state, under government control, for example, the Junior Anti-Sex League in 1984. Nineteen Eighty-Four (also titled 1984) by George Orwell (the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair) is a 1949 English Novel

Among social groups, independent religions are notable by their absence. In Brave New World, the establishment of the state including lopping off the tops of all crosses (as symbols of Christianity) to make them "T"s, (as symbols of Henry Ford's Model T). The Ford Model T (colloquially known as the Tin Lizzie and also the Flivver) was an Automobile produced by Henry Ford 's Ford ^[11] The state may stage, instead, a personality cult, with quasi-religious rituals about a central figure, usually a head of state or an oligarchy of some sort, such as Big Brother in 1984, or The Benefactor of We. A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses Mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state Oligarchy' ( Greek, Oligarkhía) is a Form of government where Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment In explicitly theocratic dystopias, such as Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, the religion is the state, and is enforced with the same vigor as any secular dystopia's rule; it does not provide social bonds outside the state. Margaret Eleanor Atwood, CC (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian Writer. The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, first published by McClelland and Stewart in

Even more than religion, family is attacked by dystopian societies. In some societies, it has been completely eradicated, but clearly at great effort, and continuing efforts are deployed to keep it down, as in Brave New World, where children are reproduced artificially, where the concept of a "mother" or "father" is obscene. Brave New World is a 1932 Novel by Aldous Huxley. Set in the London of AD 2540 (632 A In others, the institution of the family exists but great efforts are deployed to keep it in service of the state, as in 1984, where children are organized to spy on their parents. In We, the escape of a pregnant woman from the United State is a revolt; the hostility of the state to motherhood is a particularly common trait. ^[12]

Sexuality

The dystopia often must contain human sexuality in order to prevent its disrupting society.

The disruption often springs from the social bonds that sexual activity foments rather than sexual activity itself, as when Ayn Rand's Anthem features a hero and heroine whose revolt stems from a wish to form a human connection and express personal love. Ayn Rand (ˈaɪn ˈrænd &ndash March 6 1982 born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum (Алиса Зиновьевна Розенбаум was a Russian born American Anthem is a Dystopian fiction Novella by Ayn Rand, first published in 1938 ^[13] Therefore, some dystopias are depicted as containing it through encouraging promiscuous sexuality and lack of ideals of romantic love, so that the characters do not impute importance to the activity. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE-ROMEOS*************** ^[14] In Brave New World, Lenina Crowne confesses to having sexual intercourse with only one man and is encouraged by her friend to be more promiscuous, and in We, "numbers" (people) are allowed sexual intercourse with any other number by registering for access. Brave New World is a 1932 Novel by Aldous Huxley. Set in the London of AD 2540 (632 A

Alternatively, antisexualism is also prevalent as a way of social control, depicted by the Junior Anti-Sex League in 1984 and in the film Demolition Man, where the state controls so heavily the lives of its citizens that sexual activity is often an act of rebellion. Antisexualism is a term that describes either the views of someone who is antagonistic towards sexuality or a movement against all forms of sexuality Demolition Man is a 1993 American Action film. It was directed by Marco Brambilla, written by Peter M ^[15] Similarly, in the PC game Half-life 2 the citizens of City 17, a police state controlled by an invading alien empire called the Combine, are incapable of reproducing due to a 'suppression field' active in the city which prevents the production of certain proteins essential for breeding; the justification for this restriction, according to Earth's Administrator, is that sexuality represents the darker animal instincts which humanity must escape from. Half-Life 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter computer game and the sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life The term police state describes a State in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social economic and political The Combine, also referred to as the Universal Union, is a fictional multidimensional empire which serves as the primary Antagonistic force in the ^[16]

Dystopias dominated by corporations often exploit sexuality for commercial benefit. ^[17]

Nature

The society frequently isolates the characters from all contact with the natural world. Dystopias are commonly urban,^[18] and generally avoid nature, as when walks are regarded as dangerously anti-social in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Antisocial personality disorder ( APD) is a Mental disorder.It is defined by the American Psychiatric Association 's Diagnostic and Statistical Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery Fahrenheit 451 is a Dystopian Soft science fiction Novel authored by Ray Bradbury and first published in 1953 In Brave New World, the lower classes of society are conditioned to be afraid of nature, but also to visit the countryside and consume transportation and games to stabilize society. Brave New World is a 1932 Novel by Aldous Huxley. Set in the London of AD 2540 (632 A

Political

Dystopian politics are often characterized as one or several types of governments and political systems. These systems include, but are not limited to, bureaucracy, socialism, communism, chaos, capitalism, fascism, totalitarianism, dictatorships and other forms of political, social and economical control. Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity usually in large organizations and government Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Chaos (derived from the Ancient Greek, Chaos) typically refers to Unpredictability, and is the antithesis of Cosmos. Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator. ^[19][20] These governments often assert great power over the citizens, dramatically depicted in 1984 as the authority to decree that Two + two = five. "2 + 2 = five" redirects here For information about the song by Radiohead see 2 + 2 = 5 (song The phrase "two plus two makes five" ^[15]

In When the Sleeper Wakes, H. G. Wells depicted the governing class as hedonistic and shallow. The Sleeper Awakes (1910 is a Dystopian Novel by H G Wells about a man who sleeps for two hundred and three years waking up in a completely Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 &ndash 13 August 1946 He was an outspoken socialist and a pacifist, his later works becoming increasingly political ^[21] George Orwell contrasted this to the world of Jack London's The Iron Heel, where the dystopian rulers are brutal and dedicated to the point of fanaticism, which he considered more plausible;^[15] this is, indeed, more typical of dystopias in general. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer Jack London (January 12 1876 &ndash November 22 1916 was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The The Iron Heel is a Dystopian Novel by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908

Utopian politics are often considered as idealistic in practice towards the society in which they are dictated and enacted. In Western civilization, Idealism is the philosophy which maintains that the Ultimate nature of reality is ideal or based upon ideas values essences The so-called ^[22] Dystopian politics, however, are considered flawed in some way or have negative connotations amongst the inhabitants of the dystopian “world”. Dystopian politics are portrayed as oppressive. Oppression is the act of using power to empower and/or privilege a group at the expense of disempowering marginalizing silencing and subordinating another group

Dystopias are often filled with pessimistic views of the ruling class or government that is brutal or uncaring ruling with an “iron hand” or “iron fist. Pessimism, from the Latin pessimus (worst is the decision to evaluate perceive and view life in a generally negative light ” These dystopian government establishments often have protagonists or groups that lead a “resistance” to enact change within their government. A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups dedicated to fighting an Invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign nation ^[23]

Examples of dystopian politics in literary fiction can be read in Parable of the Sower, 1984, and V for Vendetta. Literary fiction is a term that has come into common usage since around 1970 principally to distinguish serious fiction (that is work with claims to Literary merit Parable of the Sower is the first in a two-book series of science fiction novels written by Octavia E Nineteen Eighty-Four (also titled 1984) by George Orwell (the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair) is a 1949 English Novel V for Vendetta is a ten-issue Comic book Dystopian politics are portrayed in films such as Fahrenheit 451, Brazil and THX 1138. Fahrenheit 451 is a 1966 Film of a Dystopian future based on the novel of the same name by Ray Bradbury. Brazil is a 1985 Dystopian Black comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam. THX 1138 is a 1971 Science fiction film directed by George Lucas, from a screenplay by Lucas and Walter Murch.

In some dystopian societies, such as that of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange there is little government control and the people themselves cause chaos: in the videogame Bioshock, based on Objectivist principles, the antagonist Andrew Ryan built an underwater city where "the artist would not fear the censor. BioShock is a video game by 2K Boston/2K Australia —previously known as Irrational Games . . where the great would not be constrained by the small", ie. a capitalist utopia. Science, technology, and business were all essentially powered by competition. When Frank Fontaine, a mobster turned businessman, begins to overturn Ryan Industries' domination of the "free" market, however, Ryan panics and begins to use more heavy-handed methods of control, leading to civil war.

Economic

The economic structures of dystopian societies in literature and other media have many variations, as the economy often relates directly to the elements that the writer is depicting as the source of the oppression. However, there are several archetypes that such societies tend to follow. An archetype ( pronounced: /ˈɑːkɪtaɪp/ (Brit or /ˈɑrkɪtaɪp/ (Amer

A commonly occurring theme is that the state is in control of the economy, as shown in such works as Ayn Rand's Anthem and Henry Kuttner's short story The Iron Standard. Ayn Rand (ˈaɪn ˈrænd &ndash March 6 1982 born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum (Алиса Зиновьевна Розенбаум was a Russian born American Henry Kuttner ( April 7 1915 – February 4 1958) was a Science fiction author born in Los Angeles, California. Some dystopias, such as 1984, feature black markets with goods that are dangerous and difficult to obtain, or the characters may be totally at the mercy of the state-controlled economy. Such systems usually have a lack of efficiency, as seen in stories like Philip Jose Farmer's Riders of the Purple Wage, featuring a bloated welfare system in which total freedom from responsibility has encouraged an underclass prone to any form of antisocial behavior. Philip José Farmer (born January 26 1918) is an American Author, principally known for his Science fiction and fantasy Riders of the Purple Wage was a Science fiction Novella by Philip José Farmer. Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano depicts a dystopia in which the centrally controlled economic system has indeed made material abundance plentiful, but deprived the mass of humanity of meaningful labor; virtually all work is menial and unsatisfying, and even very few of the small group that achieves education is admitted to the elite and its work. Kurt Vonnegut Jr (November 11 1922 – April 11 2007 (ˈvɒnəgət was a prolific and genre-bending American Novelist known for works blending Satire, Black Player Piano, author Kurt Vonnegut's first Novel, was published in 1952. ^[24]

Even in dystopias where the economic system is not the source of the society's flaws, as in Brave New World, the state often controls the economy. In Brave New World, a character, reacting with horror to the suggestion of not being part of the social body, cites as a reason that everyone works for everyone else. ^[25]

Other works feature extensive privatization. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business In this context, big businesses often have far more control over the populace than any kind of government and thus act as governments themselves instead of businesses, as can be seen in the novel Jennifer Government. A populace is a group of people forming the total population of a certain place Jennifer Government is a novel written by Max Barry. Published in 2003, it is Barry's second novel following 1999 's Syrup This is common in the genre of cyberpunk, such Blade Runner and Snow Crash, which often features corrupt and all-powerful corporations, often a megacorporation. Cyberpunk is a Science fiction genre noted for its focus on " High tech and low life. The novel The Bladerunner (also published as The Blade Runner) is a 1974 Science fiction novel by Alan E Snow Crash is Neal Stephenson 's third Novel, published in 1992 " Megacorporation " is a term popularized by William Gibson derived from the combination of the prefix Mega- with the word Corporation.

Characteristics of dystopian fiction

As the overwhelming majority of dystopias are set in projected futures, dystopia is generally considered a subgenre of science fiction.

The back story

Because a fictional universe has to be constructed, a selectively-told back story of a war, revolution, uprising, critical overpopulation, or other disaster is often introduced early in the narrative. A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with unique background elements such as an imaginary history or geography and possibly fantasy or science In Narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story Overpopulation refers to a condition where an Organism 's numbers exceed the Carrying capacity of its Habitat. This results in a shift in emphasis of control, from previous systems of government to a government run by corporations, totalitarian dictatorships or bureaucracies.

Because dystopian literature typically depicts events that take place in the future, it often features technology more advanced than that of contemporary society. Usually, the advanced technology is controlled exclusively by the group in power, while the oppressed population is limited to technology comparable to or more primitive than what we have today.

In order to emphasize the degeneration of society, the standard of living among the lower and middle classes is generally poorer than in contemporary society (at least in United States or Europe). In 1984, the Inner Party, the upper class of society, also has a standard of living lower than the upper classes of today. Nineteen Eighty-Four (also titled 1984) by George Orwell (the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair) is a 1949 English Novel This is not always the case, however; in Brave New World and Equilibrium, people enjoy much higher material living standards in exchange for the loss of other qualities in their lives, such as independent thought and emotional depth. Brave New World is a 1932 Novel by Aldous Huxley. Set in the London of AD 2540 (632 A Equilibrium is a 2002 action and Science fiction film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer.

The Hero

Unlike utopian fiction, which often features an outsider to have the world shown him, dystopias seldom feature an outsider as the protagonist. While such a character would more clearly understand the nature of the society, based on comparison to his society, the knowledge of the outside culture subverts the power of the dystopia. When such outsiders are major characters—such as John the Savage in Brave New World—their societies are not such as can assist them against the dystopia.

The story usually centers on a protagonist who questions the society, often feeling intuitively that something is terribly wrong, such as Winston Smith in 1984, or V from Alan Moore's V for Vendetta. Winston Smith is a Fictional character and the Protagonist of George Orwell 's 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Nineteen Eighty-Four (also titled 1984) by George Orwell (the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair) is a 1949 English Novel V is a Fictional character from the Comic book series V for Vendetta, created by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Alan Moore (born November 18 1953 in Northampton) is an English Writer most famous for his influential work in Comics, including the acclaimed V for Vendetta is a ten-issue Comic book The hero comes to believe that escape or even overturning the social order is possible and decides to act at the risk of life and limb; in some utopias, this may appear as irrational even to him, but he still acts. ^[26] In Half-life 2, the player's character Gordon Freeman is assigned a messianic status by the oppressed citizens of City 17, and eventually fulfils their hopes by igniting an armed rebellion and deposing the city's Administration. Half-Life 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter computer game and the sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life Dr Gordon Freeman is the silent Protagonist of the ''Half-Life'' series of First-person shooter Video games developed by Valve Software Significantly, Freeman is involuntarily inserted into the dystopian society in secret and is hence nicknamed "the one free man" by the resistance movement, lacking the restrictions imposed by citizenship in City 17. This freedom, the result of his being an outsider, partly allows him to evade the surveillance of the Combine Overwatch, and so contributes to his success in the role of protagonist. ^[27]

Another popular archetype of hero in the more modern dystopian literature is the Vonnegut hero, a hero who is in high-standing within the social system, but sees how wrong everything is, and attempts to either change the system or bring it down, such as Paul Proteus of Kurt Vonnegut's novel Player Piano. Kurt Vonnegut Jr (November 11 1922 – April 11 2007 (ˈvɒnəgət was a prolific and genre-bending American Novelist known for works blending Satire, Black Kurt Vonnegut Jr (November 11 1922 – April 11 2007 (ˈvɒnəgət was a prolific and genre-bending American Novelist known for works blending Satire, Black Player Piano, author Kurt Vonnegut's first Novel, was published in 1952.

The Conflict

In many cases, the hero's conflict brings him to a representative of the dystopia who articulates its principles, from Mustapha Mond in Brave New World to O'Brien in 1984. ^[28]

There is usually a group of people somewhere in the society who are not under the complete control of the state, and in whom the hero of the novel usually puts his or her hope, although often he or she still fails to change anything. In Orwell's 1984 they are the "proles" (Latin for "offspring", from which "proletariat" is derived), in Huxley's Brave New World they are the people on the reservation, and in We by Zamyatin they are the people outside the walls of the One State. The proletariat (from Latin la ''proles'' "offspring" is a term used to identify a lower Social class; a member of such a class is proletarian We (Мы is a Dystopian novel by Yevgeny Zamyatin completed in 1921. Yevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin (Евге́ний Ива́нович Замя́тин) ( February 1, 1884 – March 10, 1937) was a Russian In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, they are the "book people" past the river and outside the city. Fahrenheit 451 is a Dystopian Soft science fiction Novel authored by Ray Bradbury and first published in 1953 Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery

Climax and dénouement

The hero's goal is either escape or destruction of the social order. In Literature, a dénouement ( IPA:/deˈnuːmɑ̃/ consists of a series of events that follow the climax of a drama or narrative and thus serves as the However, the story is often (but not always) unresolved. That is, the narrative may deal with individuals in a dystopian society who are unsatisfied, and may rebel, but ultimately fail to change anything. Sometimes they themselves end up changed to conform to the society's norms. This narrative arc to a sense of hopelessness can be found in such classic dystopian works as 1984. Nineteen Eighty-Four (also titled 1984) by George Orwell (the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair) is a 1949 English Novel It contrasts with much fiction of the future, in which a hero succeeds in resolving conflicts or otherwise changing things for the better. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and

Destroying dystopia

The destruction of dystopia is frequently a very different sort of work than one in which it is preserved. Indeed, the subversion of a dystopian society, with its potential for conflict and adventure, is a staple of science fiction stories. ^[29] Poul Anderson's short story "Sam Hall" depicts the subversion of a dystopia heavily dependent on surveillance. Poul William Anderson ( November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American Science fiction author who wrote during a Golden Robert A. Heinlein's "If This Goes On—" liberates the United States from a fundamentalist theocracy, where the underground rebellion is organized by the Freemasons. Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7 1907 – May 8 1988 was an American Novelist and Science fiction Writer. "If This Goes On—" is a Science fiction short novel by Robert A Cordwainer Smith's The Rediscovery of Man series depicts a society recovering from its dystopian period, beginning in "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" with the discovery that its utopia was impossible to maintain. Cordwainer Smith — pronounced CORDwainer — was the Pseudonym used by American Author Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger ( July The Rediscovery of Man The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith (ISBN 0-915368-56-0 is a 1993 book containing the complete collected short fiction of Science " The Dead Lady of Clown Town " is a Science fiction Short story by Cordwainer Smith, set in his Instrumentality of Mankind Future Although these and other societies are typical of dystopias in many ways, they all have not only flaws but exploitable flaws. The ability of the protagonists to subvert the society also subverts the monolithic power typical of a dystopia. In some cases the hero manages to overthrow the dystopia by motivating the (previously apathetic) populace. In the dystopian video game Half-Life 2 the downtrodden citizens of City 17 rally around the figure of Gordon Freeman and overthrow their Combine oppressors. Half-Life 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter computer game and the sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life Dr Gordon Freeman is the silent Protagonist of the ''Half-Life'' series of First-person shooter Video games developed by Valve Software The Combine, also referred to as the Universal Union, is a fictional multidimensional empire which serves as the primary Antagonistic force in the

If destruction of the dystopia is not possible, escape may be, if the dystopia does not control the world. In Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, the main character succeeds in fleeing and finding tramps who have dedicated themselves to memorizing books to preserve them. Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery Fahrenheit 451 is a Dystopian Soft science fiction Novel authored by Ray Bradbury and first published in 1953 In the book Logan's Run, the main characters make their way to an escape from the otherwise inevitable euthanasia on their 21st birthday (30th in the later film version). Logan's Run is a Novel by William F Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Because such dystopias must necessarily control less of the world than the protagonist can reach, and the protagonist can elude capture, this motif also subverts the dystopia's power. In Lois Lowry's The Giver the main character Jonas is able to run away from 'The Community' and escapes to 'Elsewhere' where people have memories. The Giver is a Novel written by Lois Lowry It is set in a future society which is at first presented as a Utopian society and gradually appears more

Sometimes, this escape leads to the inevitable: The protagonist making a mistake that usually brings about the end of a rebel society, usually living where people think is a legend. This concept is brought to life in Scott Westerfeld's novel Uglies. Uglies is a 2005 Science fiction Novel by Scott Westerfeld. Set in a Future Post-scarcity Dystopian The main character accidentally brings the government into the secret settlement of the Smoke. She then infiltrates the government to escape, but chooses to join the society for the greater good.

Depictions of dystopias in various media

Dystopias are a common theme in many kinds of fiction. The lists linked below contain extensive lists of works with dystopian themes.

• List of dystopian comics
• List of dystopian literature
• List of dystopian films
• List of dystopian music, TV programs, and games

See also

• Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
• Cyberpunk
• Ecotopian fiction
• Fable
• Social science fiction
• Soft science fiction
• Utopia
• Utopian and dystopian fiction
• Psi-Code and the Eutopia Project [6]

References

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction is a Reference work on Science fiction.

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