1984 & Animal Farm

[dbar247]

If you like reading books about a dystopian future, Earth Abides, by George R Stewart, is a really good read. It has won the award for best Sci Fi novel ever at least twice, beating both Orwell's and HG's sci-fi works, yet most people have never heard of it. Although it was written in 1949, it is not in the least dated.

I'm not even going to tell you what it's about - and I suggest you don't read about it online either. It would spoil the fun. As with 1984 and HGs stuff, whilst it is Sci Fi, it isn't about space travel, robots, aliens or anything at all like that

Unfortunately, George didn't write any more books, but Abides stands on it own, so it's not a problem

[dweeeb]

Thanks @@dbar247

Thinking about it, thats my favourite sort of genre, apocalyptic type... and I'm not even prepping .

Cheers for the recommendations guys

[capetonian]

My personal favourite Orwell novel is called 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying'

It's not a happy story, by any means, though it is brilliantly written.

If you've ever been skint in your life, then it will surely strike a chord.

[Comrade Stoker]

I'm a converted Orwellian, I must say these books opened my eyes! aren't we living in Oceania now, stuck in the heart of Air Strip 1 drungerling about like the ministry drones that are portrayed in this book, I don't have a council job but I've been to my local civic centre the only thing missing is the overalls.

Orwell provided some great explanations for things, Newspeak and Doublespeak to name a few, the reality is thats its closer to a Huxleyan paradigm we're in. I've only recently read Brave New World, I wish I had read it earlier.

[forest dog]

@@dweeeb Along the lines of 1984, I would highly recommend Blind Faith by Ben Elton.

The story takes place in London approximately 50 years after many parts of the Earth have been subjected to rising water due to global warming. The remaining population believes that "only perverts do things in private", and obsessively blogs and uploads their lives in a sort of voluntary panopticon society. A wholesale rejection of science (which is blamed for "The Second Flood") has taken place, and religious faith is compulsory under new "Wembley Laws" (statutes passed by mob assent).

[Superdedupity]

Three authors I'd recommend with the same beautiful, stylish, yet accessible writing, all with vastly different themes though; John McGahern, Graham Greene, Martha Gellhorn and Iain Banks.

Have you read The Old Man and the Sea?

[dweeeb]

Thanks everyone few more titles to add to the lit there! I'm going to be busy .

I've just got a lend of enemy of the state, Tommy Robinson story from the EDL (I'm not supporting the guy, I'm just curious how he went from respected solider to washed up racist douche) my father in law gave me it to skim over while I had nothing to read.. personally I think it will be all about T R trying to scrape back some credibility after being associated with the EDL for so long so not overly excited to read it. But to understand why people do anything we must understand thier thought processes. So thought it had to be worth a quick read if nothing else?

I like the sound of "blind faith" @@forest dog I'll take a look at that. With all these titles too look at I may just get myself a kindle . I'm holiday soon too so few for round the pool while I'm in between piss weak "all I can drink" all inclusive beers and after using my sunglasses to spy the totty pool side without the wife noticing .

Dweeeb

thanks again guys and keep searching for the truth.

[lazi]

If I only had 2 choices, I'd much much prefer to live in 'Brave New World' than '1984'. They even had a humane contingency plan for those that couldn't hack their system. Gotta love the line 'The savage was in his room reading Romeo and Juliet.'

[Biltong Bob]

Read Brave New World fella, can't recommend it highly enough.

There's a nod to it in the movie Demolition man too, with the female character being named Lenina Huxley.

[ratdog]

Thanks @@dbar247

Thinking about it, thats my favourite sort of genre, apocalyptic type... and I'm not even prepping .

Cheers for the recommendations guys

I am Legend is an amazing apocalyptic book, one of my top five

e2a, I think the only Orwell book I didn`t like was the one about India iirc

Edited May 14, 2016 by ratdog

[sam-i-am]

And after you've read Brave New World have a read of Island by Aldous Huxley, his final work and well worth a read. A long time since I read the 2 books in the op, most recent Orwell I've read is The Road to Wigan Pier, non fiction but very good.

[ratdog]

The Road to Wigan Pier, non fiction but very good.

I couldn`t finish that due to it`s bleakness

[sam-i-am]

I couldn`t finish that due to it`s bleakness

It's local history for me. The house he stayed in is in the same street as the magistrate's court I find myself in from time to time when the police steal my plants.

[ratdog]

It's local history for me. The house he stayed in is in the same street as the magistrate's court I find myself in from time to time when the police steal my plants.

Fair enough, but it is bloody bleak, I guess it wouldn`t be the book it is without. Same as the Ragged trousered Philanthropist, nearly finished it but it just wore me down

[Victor Kruger]

Animal Farm by George Orwell 1947 by far the best introduction to dystopian bar none imo, everything else below is for adults only whereas this novel is for everyone and is readily understood by even most children.

A few other dystopian reads so far not mentioned on this thread ive enjoyed over the years that stick out for me if anyone is interested..added a short plot synopsis of each taken from reviews and my own thoughts.

We - Yevgeny Zamyatin 1921 A novel with a fascinating background: If 1984 and brave new world are iconic then this is where they both were clearly inspired.Zamyatin experienced the Russian revolutions of 1905 and 1917 and in between worked for the Russian Navy on the Tyne shipyards in Newcastle during the First World War. Informed by these experiences, he wrote We, set in the future in an urban nation constructed of glass, with secret police and constant observation. People are numbered, not named and individuality is lost. Written in Russian way before Stalin was in power, it was eerily predictive of some elements of the eventual Communist way of life.Clearly 1984 and Orwell used a lot of the ideas as did Huxley for Brave new world ( its closer to BNW vision than 1984 imo)

The Chrysalids, John Wyndham 1955 ( other works day of the triffids ) Set a few thousand years in the future, The Chrysalids outlines a world which is dystopian due to its inability to tolerate any difference. Convinced that 'normality' is key to preserving their world, the inhabitants of Labrabor set out to kill, or banish, anyone that differs from them - including those who happen to have telepathic powers. With the rise of religious fundamentalism, this is another book which gave an eerie prediction of our real-life progress as a society.

Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury 1951 ( hugely underrated ) The ultimate dystopia for a writer, Bradbury described an American society where books are burned and intellectual thought is illegal. A free press and the dissemination of ideas is commonly viewed as a central tenet of democracy and intellectual progress - Farenheit 451 tackled head-on the nightmare world where this was not possible. Brilliantly, in a triumph of irony, when it was first released, the book itself was banned for 'questionable themes'.

The Drowned World 1962 By J Ballard ( global warming Dystopia ) Ballard paints a vivid picture of a world irreversibly changed by global warming; the cities of Europe and America lie submerged in tropical lagoons, while a biologist cataloguing flora and fauna is beset with strange dreams. A global scenario that might have seemed fanciful when the book was written back in 1962, now Ballard's predictions could well end up playing out in real life if the seas rise.

Oryx and Crake Margaret Atwood. 2003 An America with a divided society: a rich getting richer and a segregated oppressed poor, who are kept away from the rich. Corporations dominate and control the population, aided by gene manipulation. A complex and vivid plot, it hypothesises the consequences of prioritising short-term scientific progress over long-term responsibility.

Anthem Ayn Rand 1938: A frightening future in which individuals have no name, no independence, and no values. Equality 7-2521 lives in the dark ages of the future where all decisions are made by committee, all people live in collectives, and all traces of individualism have been wiped out. A great work later to manifest in her final novel.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 1957 In an environment of worsening economic conditions Rand champions capitalism and the pre-eminence of the individual and free marketers trying to operate in a state oppressed world with little free market and a demand on the "makers and shakers" to pay for the rest of humanities increasingly unserviceable and selfish demands.

The theme of Atlas Shrugged, according to Ayn Rand, “is the role of the mind in man’s existence.” It is the mind, the story shows, that is the root of all human knowledge and values — and its absence is the root of all evil.

Edited May 14, 2016 by Victor Kruger