Dystopian fiction

[Dog Pants]

I've bought quite a few books recently that are touted as influential dystopian fiction, so I thought I'd do little mini-reviews of them as I went along. I've already read 1984 and Brave New World, both of which I thought to be excellent.

So, I started with Farenheit 451.

I started off not liking this book. The language is quite flowery, all poetic metaphores, and I had a hard time taking it seriously. That might have been made more accute by the fact that I'd just read Stephen E Ambrose's D-Day. The setting feels like a future 50s Americana, or at least that's how I pictured it in my head. Sort of like Fallout's pre-war USA.

The story follows Guy Montag, a fireman - that is a man whose job it is to burn books. I had a little trouble with this concept too at first. It seemed a little pretencious, an author writing about how threatening books are to a bland and cattle like society, but a few explanations into why it happens made it feel a little more natural.

It's a short book, and despite its explanations did still have a flavour of pretenciousness throughout, but there's a few ideas in there that I like. The way the entire population is obsessed by TV, and how status is judged by how big your screens are. Kids hammer around the streets in cars, killing each other for fun while their parents sit in front of the TV. This is the bit I was interested in, the dystopian society, which is clean and wholesome in appearance, but empty and corrupt on the inside.

In all, I'm glad I've read it. It didn't set my world on fire (arf), but there's a few things in there that made me think.

Next up, Jennifer Government.

[Chickenz]

I've bought quite a few books recently that are touted as influential dystopian fiction, so I thought I'd do little mini-reviews of them as I went along. I've already read 1984 and Brave New World, both of which I thought to be excellent.

So, I started with Farenheit 451.

I started off not liking this book. The language is quite flowery, all poetic metaphores, and I had a hard time taking it seriously. That might have been made more accute by the fact that I'd just read Stephen E Ambrose's D-Day. The setting feels like a future 50s Americana, or at least that's how I pictured it in my head. Sort of like Fallout's pre-war USA.

The story follows Guy Montag, a fireman - that is a man whose job it is to burn books. I had a little trouble with this concept too at first. It seemed a little pretencious, an author writing about how threatening books are to a bland and cattle like society, but a few explanations into why it happens made it feel a little more natural.

It's a short book, and despite its explanations did still have a flavour of pretenciousness throughout, but there's a few ideas in there that I like. The way the entire population is obsessed by TV, and how status is judged by how big your screens are. Kids hammer around the streets in cars, killing each other for fun while their parents sit in front of the TV. This is the bit I was interested in, the dystopian society, which is clean and wholesome in appearance, but empty and corrupt on the inside.

In all, I'm glad I've read it. It didn't set my world on fire (arf), but there's a few things in there that made me think.

Next up, Jennifer Government.

I had to read that in school when I was 16. One of the best books I ever read whilst in school. Read the whole thing in a double period, shocked the teacher when he asked what we thought of the first few chapters and I told him the story was brilliant. Need to read it again.

p.s. You seen Equilibrium? There are a few similarities between the book and the film.

[Joose]

p.s. You seen Equilibrium? There are a few similarities between the book and the film.

A few?

Also, Jennifer Goverment is win. Wierd, but good. Well, I liked it, anyway.

[HereComesPete]

Surely equilibrium cites ray bradbury? That film could have been even better with moar shaun bean quoting poets.

I struggled with this book too, I've read far more insular and technical pieces as part of my degree more it was the offhand superiority that made me put the book down over and over. I forced myself into the first few chapters. But like chicken said, it's only short, a few hours reading at most, and by the time I'd finished I thought the book could have been a bit longer.

I'd also recommend these if your pile doesn't possess them -

'Ape and Essence' by Huxley is a less read but still rather good book.

The 'Battle Royale' book is quite good, but having watched the films first I applied faces to names and that always affects the read.

'Children of men', again saw the film then acquired the book, here the book is quite different so makes for a similar but different story, tis good.

Asimov's 'The end of Eternity' is a weird read, like most of his stuff, but it's really really good, different from his space opera stuff, it's dystopian time travel instead.

[Dog Pants]

I'd also read Slaughterhouse 5 recently. Very different from the usual 1984-esque future dystopia, this was more about a man's personal demons. Interesting book, if not quite my bag. I think I posted about it at the time.

I also have, in my upcoming marathon;

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep
The Road
Roadside Picnic


I'm rather enjoying Jennifer Government, only about 20 pages in. I'll wait to comment on it until I've read it all though.

[amblin]

.

[HereComesPete]

Hmm, roadside picnic, really need to read that. The book that stalker is (loosely) based upon no?

Also Starship troopers, that film cannot really be beaten for pure cheese whin! Think I'll get a copy of the book too, didn't know there was one, ta for the heads up amblin.

[spoodie]

FYI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopian_an ... an_fiction
There's more lists linked further down the page.

I went through a phase of reading books about dystopia and read the usual, most of which I've forgotten.

However V for Vendetta is one I've read recently and I loved it. It's not as easy to digest as the film and there's obviously more to it.

Roadside Picnic is also very interesting. It left me wanting to know more about The Zone.

[Dog Pants]

The wiki list is where I'd picked most of my selection from. I also fancied The Running Man, but I'm saving it for a later date.

[bomberesque]

hmmm

From that wiki list I'd definitely reccomend Snowcrash, although I don't think it's Dystopian as such. In fact many of the novels up there, while cautionary tales, fall short of describing a "society which defines itself through suffering", which is what I've heard dystopia described as. BB's description in 1984 of "a boot stamping on a face ... forever" is as good a one line example I have ever read.

If you want a severe mindfuck, try a book called Dhalgren (Amazon link)

Oh, and any of teh Ballard novels, the flood, the drought, Vermillian sands etc etc

Again, I'd not call them dystopian per se but they're as worthy of the title as some of the novels in that wiki list imo

Also, until Magaret Atwood apologises for claiming not to write SF and Kurt Vonig-whatever for saying he resents being categorised as an sf writer (which will be ytough as I think he died last year) I'm boycotting both of them

[buzzmong]

This listing has my attention, I'm in dire need of more books.

Also, I just read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the ending was a bit...pants.

[Dog Pants]

Kurt Vonig-whatever for saying he resents being categorised as an sf writer

Well I've only read Slaughterhouse 5, but I wouldn't consider that sci-fi. It is based in the premise of time travel (with a little bit of alien abduction for good measure), but I was of the opinion that it was all in his mind. Course that's what's great about Slaughterhouse 5 - it never says, and leaves it up to the reader to decide, whether the main character was really travelling through time or was simply delusional.

[Roman Totale]

Also, I just read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the ending was a bit...pants.

Lies!

I back up that suggestion for JG Ballard. Try 'High Rise' and 'Atrocity Exhibition'. Both very good. High Rise is much, much easier to read, but Atrocity Exhibition will fuck your mind completely - very strange, but also makes sense in a strange kind of way.

Don't know if it counts as dystopian, but 'Naked Lunch' by William S Burroughs is a modern classic. Can be a bit difficult to understand, but like Atrocity Exhibition it makes sense in a warped kind of way.

[Dog Pants]

Just finished Jennifer Government, and I thought it was great. Not particularly taxing - I think it could make a wonderful movie - but it roars along and has some rather nice characters. I particularly like the near-future corporate utopian setting, and the way most of the characters try and shaft each other all the way through the book.

Next up; Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

[FatherJack]

His other book, Syrup has some similarities, although it's set in the 80's, it has the same backdrop of corporate dealings and characters shafting each other.

[Dog Pants]

Sounds good, I might look it up.

[Dog Pants]

Finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep yesterday. I was expecting a novel of Bladerunner, and while there were obvious comparisons the book is very different. The book seems a lot more spiritual, with some odd semi-religous facets. The 'cinematic' detail of the story, the little bits of technology and suchlike that make up the background, seemed a little bit too weird and whacky to me, much like it did in Farenheit 451. In all I prefer the film, but that isn't surprising because the film is one of my favourites.

Next up, Roadside Picnic.

[HereComesPete]

I find myself regarding the book and film as totally separate entities. I just can't link them in my mind so I gave up trying and took each on their own merits. I too place the film very high in my favourite films list whereas the book doesn't place very highly in the corresponding book list. I do like the real goat pushed off a building - false toad in a rock thing though.

[Dog Pants]

I'm a bit fuzzy on the whole Mercer thing, it was one of the 'weird' bits I didn't much like. I also don't quite get why Rachel killed the goat. As an android I can't understand her motive.

[HereComesPete]

The idea of mercer is quite complicated. Afaik he's a new god and he's used as a life/death/rebirth god. The entering into a state of nirvana, or in this case reaching the mind of mercer is achieved by gripping the empathy box and joining with others so collective concious forms coherent images. I never really understood why any of this was included, but dick was a bit special like that. (twss)

I personally thought rachel offed the goat because deckard offed the replicants, an act by an android so advanced she WAS capable of petty and vindictive acts, but I was never sure.