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1984 : Science Fiction or Political Horror?

A

anu

Member
I have just finished reading 1984 by George Orwell. The book was written in 1949, predicting the future 35 years later, i.e. in 1984.

Orwell has created a negative utopia in his novel, where the Party keeps tab on people 24X7, strictly controls the media and society and nobody is allowed to think beyond the party lines.

The novel abounds in some scientific wonders such as monitoring system called Telescreens, Speakwrite instruments, and a totally new language called Newspeak which I found quite similar to today's SmS lingo.

Simultaneously, 1984 projects a horrible politico-social situation, where hate for enemies and love for Big Brother are the only possible emotions, no respite is available in the form of either family or books.

And, after reading this book, I think it is an ominous blend of Sci fi with Political Horror. What do you think?
 
anu said:
And, after reading this book, I think it is an ominous blend of Sci fi with Political Horror.
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I agree. If you didn't say this I was going to ask if it has to be one or the other. A dystopian classic. Have you read We or Brave New World? I liked both even better than 1984.
 
joderu95 said:
I agree. If you didn't say this I was going to ask if it has to be one or the other. A dystopian classic. Have you read We or Brave New World? I liked both even better than 1984.
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No, I have not read any of the two books you mentioned. Can you tell me the name of author and if possible, a little bit of the story/plot?:)
 
We - Yevgeny Zamyatin

Oppressive totalitarian government; propaganda; human labor almost robot-like in character; people assigned numbers for names; plotting of revolt and so on.

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

One world government; humans are no longer born traditionally but "decanted" and then raised by the state; universal pharmacological recreation; some sex (although it may be mostly implied). At times maybe closer to a utopian vision of the future than the other two.
 
Well, both books do seem somewhat similar to 1984, it is a pity I never heard of them before.
 
I never thought of 1984 as a sci-fi before. I find the description "Political Horror" quite accurate though.


I too recommend reading We, a great dystopian novel that is undeservingly less known .
 
The delicious irony of 1984, of course, is that it's a lot smarter than it looks (which, sadly, goes over a lot of people's heads - especially since it's the book most people lie about actually having read). Every time I see someone go "If we let the government do X, it'll be just like in 1984" I picture O'Brien nodding and smiling, saying "Thank you for taking part in today's Two Minutes Hate, citizen. Don't forget to fear each other." War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, and fear is love; The society in 1984 isn't built on love of Big Brother, but on fear of him - and so people who think they've understood the novel try to argue for a society based on fear of Big Brother. Woops?

You are watching Big Brother.

Also, fans of 1984, Brave New World and We should read Kallocain too.
 
George Orwell wrote "1984" under the guise of being science fiction. He had a very specific real world political point of view to express however. This view also shows up in "Animal Farm" for example. What he was really attempting to do was to warn the "real world" (that's you and me) what could be coming. His "science fiction" is not so far from what is really possible, or in his view, probable. George Orwell was not only a student of the future, but also a student of history. 1984 - That's the sign post up ahead. You are now entering the Twilight Zone.
 
It's funny that you haven't heard of "Brave New World". It is in fact so well-known, it has become an idiom. I think the use has faded a little, but some time back you actually got people saying "brave new world" all the time when the world produced another fitting booboo.
 
MadBen said:
It is in fact so well-known, it has become an idiom.
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It's so well-known because it's from Shakespeare. That's where Huxley got the title.

The Tempest said:
MIRANDA

O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't!

PROSPERO

'Tis new to thee.
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