Rated NC-18 presents Dystopia Season: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World

Notice: Much of the previous posts are currently being edited and refined for your viewing pleasure.

With that out of the way, on with the show.

Intro

Hey, how’s a going people, guess what? IT'S THE FINALE OF DYSTOPIA SEASON!! “But dude, it’s the beginning of October!” some of you may say, yeah well I bet you weren’t having your frail body, mind, and soul get butchered by the meat grinder known as university (and if you are I do apologize, but I digress). Anyway, if the “subtle” references in the previous posts and the bloody title hadn’t already tipped you off, the final post is going to be about the other novel that immortalized the dystopian novel into our collective minds: Brave New World. Aldous Huxley had taken inspiration from other speculative fiction that was circulating at the time, particularly those of H.G. Wells. But whereas those books are all “centuries from now, the world is going to be a paradise, scientific progress is going to bring us eternal prosperity and turn us into gods” and scat like that, Huxley looks at them and says “...or WILL IT???”.

Plot Summary

The year is 2540 A.D., and on the surface, it doesn’t seem so bad. Every country’s borders have been done away with in favour of a global World State, there’s next to no crime, there’s next to no disease, people can now own their own helicopters, everyone travels by rocket jet, the state loves its citizens and the citizens love the world that they’ve created; that is save one. That where we come across Bernard Marx. The type of story or character that is pretty much akin to Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. You know the one, the classic “abnormal guy who isn’t content with the norms that his/her society has established and wants something more and because of this he/she can’t walk around town without someone being given awkward, if not condescending looks from everyone.” But hey at least they don’t make a song about it (Disclaimer: Beauty and the Beast has some fan-fracking-tastic songs). Now his only hope for true love, I mean happiness, lies in a magical castle full of sentient house-hold items, I mean a reservation of Indians where life is completely unlike what’s seen in Bernard’s world. Will he succeed in his search? I let you find out for yourself.

Analysis of the Nightmare World

It’s hard to comment on Brave New World without highlighting one of the most important aspects that contrasts it from the other texts that have been covered in Dystopia Season. 1984 and other texts were all the blatant, in your face, “look at us crushing your free will” kind of dystopia, BNW is fundamentally different because it presents the illusion that IT ISN’T. To further elaborate, 1984 and It Can’t Happen Here, the antagonists were very flagrant when it came to the despotic control, but unlike them, the control exercised here is quite subtle, that is if you were to spell subtle like that. Now you may ask “well what makes their control subtle?”. What makes a dystopia like 1984’s stick out like a sore thumb was that the world deprived us of the things that give us pleasure, whereas BNW forcefully shoves it down your throat. 1984 can be described as “a boot stamping on a human face - forever”, it’s the same premise with BNW except you’re completely oblivious to you face getting stamped on or are enjoying it because the boot has been smothered in cocaine. It’s so over-saturated with pleasure giving vanities and recreations to the point where you look at all your rights and freedoms, toss them away, set fire to the dumpster you put them in, raise your hands in the air proclaiming to the heavens “WHO GIVES A CRAP ABOUT THEM!!!”. And believe me when I say it possibly makes it even more disturbing. If you want more discomposing details about this ghastly society, please keep reading; and if you don’t…well you know how to close out the tab on the browser. The mastery that the ‘World Controllers’ have is exerted on the populace even before their born. Humans are not ‘born’ in the traditional sense; instead, they are grown in large hatcheries which allows the Controllers to create people in their own perverted image. It also creates the side effect that they can’t help but childishly scoff and laugh at the idea of parenthood and family, and rest assured it’ll make you an utter laughingstock. This is manifested in the form of a 5-tier caste system with the levels being labeled with the first 5 letters of the Greek alphabet, with ‘Alphas’ at the top, and ‘Epsilons’ at the bottom, where each caste determines the quality of the person and the role they play. Now, this may be considered a bad decision as it may create envy and strife among the classes, but unfortunately, they’ve covered that too. Contention within the caste system doesn’t appear at all because everybody is conditioned since their very first years on the planet to accept and enjoy the place they landed in, so you can’t help but look at everybody else’s position and sigh with relief that you're not in their place. Honestly, they’re like your stubborn parents: “YOU ARE GONNA EAT YOUR KALE AND YOU'RE GONNA LIKE IT!”; “YOU’RE GONNA LIVE YOUR LIFE AS A HALF-WITTED FACTORY WORKER AND YOU’RE GONNA BE HAPPY ABOUT IT!”. You see where I’m going with this? Conditioning is primarily taught through hypnopaedia, or sleep-teaching; which is basically nothing more than waiting until the children doze off and when they do recite a bunch of catchy slogans hundreds of times over the intercom to the point where they start following whatever dogma that blares from the speaker. What slogans do you ask? Oh, just stuff like this:

- “When the individual feels, the community reels”

-”Everyone belongs to everyone else”

-”More stitches equals less riches”

-”A gramme [a drug called Soma] is better than a d**n”

Who’s writing all of this scat, Dr. Seuss’ evil twin? Speaking of drugs I think this is the best time to show you the vanities and indulgences that are forced down their throats. Of course, we have the aforementioned government sponsored narcotic Soma, the frenzied consumerism, and so on. But by far the most sickening is the mandated promiscuity. Keeping with the idea of extreme collectivism, long-term relationships and chastity are seen as out-of-line, as with that any intimacy that possesses even an iota of good taste. So citizens are encouraged to jump from one salacious degenerate to the next like the depraved, wanton animals that the World State wants them to be. This principle is so extensive that even young children are taught to revel such corrupt activities. LET THAT SINK IN PEOPLE: A SOCIETY THAT THINKS THAT THE IDEA OF PARENTHOOD AND FAMILY IS DISGRACEFUL, BUT LICENTIOUS ACTIVITIES AMONG MINORS IS PERFECTLY OKAY!!!! NOT REALLY WHAT YOU CALL A UTOPIA EH?!?!

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!! Religion has been completely abolished by the Controllers, but don’t worry they’ve got just the right replacement for you: a personality cult centered around (get a load of this) HENRY FRACKING FORD! I’m not kidding, they got everything: their own ‘religious’ iconography; deranged rituals; the use of terms such as “oh, for Ford's sake”; and as with every personality cult, Ford was a demigod that solved every problem in existence. Seriously, Adolf Hitler; Joseph Stalin; Mao Zedong; David Koresh; Jim Jones; and the GRAND COULEE DAM KIM DYNASTY IN NORTH KOREA ARE FRICKIN’ AMATEURS, COMPARED TO THIS!! But despite all of this, you can expect there’s going to be moments when horse dung hits the ceiling fan, when social stability becomes threatened because of disillusioned persons. One penalty that keeps the citizens in line is not brutal law enforcement, but instead, it’s isolation from the rest of the community. Being a society based upon hyper-collectivism, unorthodox behaviour is a sure fire way make yourself alone at the table so to speak (and to have the people sitting at all the other tables gossip about you with smug contempt). But in case there’s a whole mob who are fed up with how things are run, you can always count on a crack squad of gas mask wearing thugs, to settle things down with such brutal, savage weapons as, uh… aerosol cans filled with Soma, audio devices that politely tell people to calm down and get along with each other again, and anesthesia filled water pistols *breaks down into immature giggling*, I’m not kidding around when I say I can’t read about this and take it seriously, I just can’t. And if all else fails just exile them to the merciless, sadistic wasteland known as…

ICELAND *dun dun dunnnnn*

Is the nightmare a reality?

Out of all the visions of a world gone out-of-whack that have been presented on this blog, this one has got to be the one that we are the closest to. I’m not talking about some distant land on in the third world, I’m talking about our own western society. I’m mean come on, look at the world today and tell me it’s not full of frantic consumerism, drugs at every corner, celebrity idol worship, pervasive immorality, and every bloody thing in between! In fact, Huxley has even revisited the themes and principles in his text in his book Brave New World Revisited (this needless repetition is brought to by the Department of Redundancy Department!). In said book, he said that society was getting dangerously close to what he predicted, and for the record, that book came out in 1958! I’m pretty sure the state of the Western World today would have him rolling in his grave (and would have him in the Spirit World saying to every passerby “SEE!? I TOLD YOU!!!).

How does it fare as a novel

Minuses:

-Pacing could use some improvement; I mean the first several chapters are devoted to how new humans are grown and raised (hooray, I love exposition)

Pluses

-There’s a lot of rich detail about the culture and society

-The characters (and the story) go beyond the usual tropes and cliches to be found in the genre

-Well written and easy to follow

-Morals and principles that exposes other ways how tyrants and power-mongers can seize power

-The allusions to William Shakespeare are very cleverly used

-The debate between World Controller Mustapha Mond and John the Savage is the one of the most *lip smack* sublime things ever created

Verdict

An iambic pentameter out of five

And just like that Dystopia Season is at an end.

Wait a minute, this month is October, AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS…

...HORROR MONTH!!!

Rated NC-18 presents Dystopia Season: Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here

Introduction

Rated NC-18 (Nerdy Content from a 18-year-old): Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here

If you’re a fan of literature or popular culture in general, you start to notice a common element that is found in all mediums of entertainment: that certain works are a reflection on the circumstances of the epoch, and convey the author's perspectives on what was occurring in said epoch; and this all but evident in dystopian fiction. John Brunner’s The Sheep Look Up surfaced in the 70’s, a time when environmental issues were a hot topic and as a result presented of the world in which nature, and as a result civilization, is in a state of decay; Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale was published at a time when the zealous (and sometimes quite reactionary) Christian Right was gaining momentum. But alas, those are different posts for another month. Now, you see readers, there was this magical time called the 1930’s, and during said time, the far right (or false right as I like to call them) was trying (and succeeding) to become a thing. Now I say false right because reactionary ideologies and the political right (and radical ideologies and the political left) have to do with each other as much as liver cancer has to do with the actual liver. Actually, cancer is a perfect allegory for these kinds of extremist perspectives: they’re sickening and harmful perversions that need to be destroyed lest catastrophe fall. But personal beliefs aside, let’s get back on topic. The point is the false right was trying to win friends and influence people, and despite their differences, they had common elements to them. The ride on a wave of fanatical patriotism; claim to be saviours of the downtrodden and forgotten; and have a band of thugs that for some reason have to pathologically slap a colour in front of the word “shirts”. Elaboration you may ask? You’ve got Brown Shirts, Black Shirts, Silver Shirts, Khaki Shirts, Violet, Magenta, Lime Green, Turquoise, Cyan, Orange, Purple, Scarlet -- okay only the first four ever existed but it was such a fad at the time that the rest might’ve as well! On top of that, what 20th-century extremist movement would be complete without a seething hatred of Judaism. What more can I say, at the time they are to what Islam is today: the cool thing to be an utter jerk to (MAJOR DISCLAIMER: Anti-Semitism is the most uncool thing in existence; in fact so are all other forms of bigotry). But of course every political trend is going to have its fair share of critics; one of them was Sinclair Lewis. A famed social satirist who took jabs at the materialism and excesses of middle-class greed, saw the dangers to be found in these extremist movements, and that even a country like the United States with its principles both inspired and entrenched in liberalism, it was bound to be tainted by such detrimental dogma, as seen with populist figures such as Huey Long (or as I like to call him, Screw-you Long). And so was published one of his most famous works. 1984’s title was a simple date; Brave New World had a line from Shakespeare; Lewis’ novel had a cutting remark from at the time the typical American’s thoughts on if fascists could take over America, simply named: It Can’t Happen Here! But Lewis was determined to show the public that IT CAN HAPPEN HERE! (or there because well, I don’t live in the USA).

Plot Summary

The novel follows our main protagonist, Doremus Jessup; a elderly journalist, who takes on the role of ‘the senile geezer who always assumes that everything was better in his day and is resentful of the modern trends and the young people who relish them and won’t shut up about it”. Unfortunately, his quiet little life in the quaint town of Fort Beulah is about to be turned upside down by the squall that is brewing in American politics. Gaining momentum as the Democrat candidate for President is the reactionary populist Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip riding on a wave of discontent and anger with Congress (very fitting that he’s the Democratic candidate because he is a big jackass). Despite all of his nonsensical (if not depraved) ideas he manages wins the presidency, because why would you give a bleep about racial equality; women’s rights; or Constitutional freedoms? He’s gonna pay every family $5000 a year and annihilate every communist in existence (if by Communist you mean any person who disagrees with Buzz then yeah). And it doesn’t take long after his inauguration for every person with so much as a single brain cell (and a heart) that, when it comes the well-being of the country, Windrip is nothing short of an utter buzzkill (ha-ha, very funny). And now it’s the people who have any dignity left to resist him.

Analysis of the Nightmare World

If one were to analyze the bits and pieces of Windrip’s government or the Corpos, look no further than their very own 15 points of victory. It basically goes something like “every family gets $5000 a year; double the supply of money; more than double the size of the military; screw big business (actually they mean the companies that aren’t loyal to the state); screw the trade unions; screw the rights of women; screw the rights of African Americans: screw the Judaists; screw the non-Christians; screw the Commies and Anarchists (the one point I agree with, because the false-left is just as revolting as the false-right, but sorry for agreeing with them at all); screw checks and balances in the government; screw the Constitution; screw anyone who disagrees with us and anyone who does is an evil virus of Satan”. Because this surfaced at a time when Hitler was sending Germany into a downward spiral to the dark chasm of fascism you can expect to see a lot of similarities; state-run media; thinking every race either than Nordics are scum; concentration camps; Anti-Semitism; personality cults; a militia/police force of puritanical loyal followers; etc, etc, etc. All painted in red, white, and blue.

Is the Nightmare a Reality

Now, a lot of people has said this novel’s setting bears an uncanny resemblance to (America’s) current state of affairs, and with that we can’t help but address the elephant in the room... (get it? Elephant in the room, because the President is a Republican, heh heh heh hhhh, *ahem*)

...this guy…

         ...this FRICKIN’ GUY!

Yes, there are those that are saying that the rise of Buzz Windrip mirrors the rise of Donald Trump (or as I have christened him: Dumb-old Rump). I mean yeah, they’re similar in some respects: both have similar electoral bases; both have sucked up in a comparable fashion to said bases, and both have advocated for reactionary policies. But let’s make something clear. Take a good long look at the photograph above and seriously tell me that THIS GUY, THIS GUY is the next Benito Mussolini? pfft yeah, right. As much as I dislike this air-headed orange manatee of a President and the righty tighties who support him, I don’t believe all the hysteria and panic that’s being poured out by a biased media and envenomed lefty loosies. Is their rise similar? in many ways yes; is their government similar? No. And besides, there are many governments (and govt’s that have existed beforehand) around the world that do match Windrip’s Corpo govt.

How does it fare as a novel

So does it match the same kind of literary genius that was found in 1984? Unfortunately not. The plot is a bit of a soap opera; the characters aren’t that poignant or memorable; the dialogue is a bit hard to follow, and the dystopia created by the antagonists isn’t as threatening as 1984. Yet despite all of this, I still found it a decent novel. One of the biggest positives that this text has is the message and criticisms it sends across. The elements that I mentioned were all meant to show that it can happen here; and there; anywhere and everywhere, and that no matter how entrenched in liberalism a country may be; none are safe from whatever brand or variation of puritanical dogma is advertised by whatever type of despot or demagogue, whether they be false-right or false-left. And one of the messages that I find striking is when Doremus finds out who the real villain was during the ascension and reign of the Corpos:

“The tyranny of this dictatorship isn’t primarily the fault of Big Business, nor of the demagogues who do their dirty work. It’s the Fault of Doremus Jessup! Of all the conscientious, respectable, lazy-minded Doremus Jessups, who have let the demagogues wriggle in, without fierce enough protest.” teaching us that the demagogues aren’t the only guilty party, but those who say they oppose them but haven’t done anything to stop them. A lesson that we citizens whether we be Liberal, Conservative or Centrist, need to take heed of.

My Grade: B for Butchering extremist ideologies since 1935

Rated NC-18 presents Dystopia Season: George Orwell's 1984

Rated NC-18 (Nerdy Content from an 18-year old): George Orwell's 1984

Helllloooooo and welcome to a very special segment of Steeleopedia’s NC-18 series; a little something I like to call Dystopia Season. Through July, August, and early September I analyze and review three books of a particular category; in this case, dystopian fiction. And without further ado, on to the first “episode”.

Introduction

Our first subject is a novel that has not just made an impact on the genre but also has impacted the entirety of literature, and the very way we talk about society. You’ve probably seen it rocket back up to the top of the bestseller list after White House aide Kellyanne Conway’s little smart aleck remark about “alternative facts”. You’ve probably heard and used some of the diction that originated from it: “Thoughtcrime”; “The Thought Police”; “Newspeak”; “Doublethink”; “Big Brother”. A novel whose title is only a simple year: 1984. To say that 1984 is a good dystopia is an understatement. The impact it has had on modern culture is so great you can see the crater it’s made from the International Space Station (metaphorically, mind you). We owe this all to Eric Arthur Blair, better known to the populace as the communist rear-end kicker George Orwell, who just two years before writing this had also created the also famous Animal Farm, which was a scathing satirical allegory of the pig-headed nature of Communism (heh heh, get it [if you’re having trouble deciphering this joke, read a book, literally]). In the novel, he gives us a chilling insight into the nature of totalitarian anti-liberal societies and the diabolically genius ways they might subjugate its people. 1984 is a special case because it’s not the first dystopian novel, and it’s not even the first dystopian novel that mattered; its claim to fame is that it immortalized the dystopian novel. So what better way to kick off this little event than with a novel as revered and influential as this. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Plot Summary

The story takes place in the grim year of (if it hasn’t already been made painfully obvious enough) 1984. It is a world that is suffering from ceaseless bloodshed and turmoil. It is a world that, decades before, had endured the ravages of nuclear war, and out of the radioactive dust three powerful super-states emerged. Oceania, and the so imaginatively named Eurasia and Eastasia. The story takes place in Oceania in the region of Great Britain (or Airstrip One as it’s called) in what was once called London, which serves as Oceania’s only stronghold in Europe against Eurasia. Like every other region in Oceania, the citizens of this island is constantly under the iron fist of Big Brother and the ruling party: named IBM…

...wait that’s the wrong 1984, the one where a marathon runner throws a sledgehammer at a TV screen with a corporate executive’s face on it, let’s try that again. ...under the iron fist of Ingsoc. It a nightmare world filled with mass surveillance, frequent disappearances, a total lack of basic rights and freedoms, subpar living conditions, and lousy stimulants (because if some of you less sober viewers get any ideas about smoking or drinking your problems away, you’re gonna be quite disappointed). And it is through these means (and many others that I’ll get to later, though I doubt about the very latter) that Ingsoc that they are able to keep the populace in utter conformity… or do they. That’s where Winston Smith comes in. The novel chronicles his transition from being a reluctant supporter of Big Brother to a subversive rebel against him; all beginning when he dares *gasp* write in a diary! And later in the novel, it escalated even further when he meets Julia and *gasp* have a romantic relationship! Will they be able the persist in their seditious state of being? can they liberate others from the rule of Ingsoc? I’m gonna let you find out for yourself.

Analysis of the nightmare world

Now for dystopia season, in addition to running through 1984’s strengths and weaknesses, we’re also looking at the elements of what makes 1984’s dystopia, well, a dystopia. I and many others believe that dystopian fiction was never meant to be a prophecy, but a warning and that by going through the elements of these works and presenting them here that we’re able to be aware of and evade certain doom. Now, because it was partly a critique of the horrors that were seen in the Soviet Union, and Communism in general, you can expect to see a lot of similarities between them and Oceania: total state control on the economic and social activity; a burning hatred of those who disregard it; a justice system that’s anything but just; human rights violations; and the other traits that were mentioned in the plot summary, and those that haven’t been mentioned. However, if you think that Oceania is just like the USSR, it isn’t, it’s the Soviet Union ON SPEED; CRYSTAL METH; AND STEROIDS!!! First of all, the social hierarchy. As in every society, there is a high point; a middle; and a low point. The high point consists of the Inner Party, which is made up of the people who are the heart of Oceania’s govt and Big Brother, and just like many “high points” in society, they have an astronomical proportion of the wealth, power and, influence, despite that they only make up a small amount of the populace. The middle point consists of the zealous, educated members of the Outer Party: the people who have roles in the other branches of the govt and who implement the policies set but the other party. And finally the proles, who are basically the impoverished, illiterate, uneducated, gullible working class who don’t have any role in the Party whatsoever. However, much unlike modern day liberal society, Ingsoc desires this artificial inequality. It is through this inequality (and the many distractions, trivial entertainment, and other stuff that’s otherwise forbidden inside the Party) that Ingsoc is able to focus all of their strict policies and rigorous policing on the people in the Party itself. In fact you have more freedoms as a member of the proles than of the Outer Party. One line from the book says it all: “Proles and animals are free.” (unless you’re the animals in Animal Farm, in that case, consider yourself screwed). Ingsoc also keeps Oceania in a state of constant war with one of the other super-states (and is an ally with the other). In fact, the conflict can constantly switch on the snap of a finger and who the Party decides who is the enemy and who is the ally of Oceania can change on a whim. It may seem arbitrary but it serves them a purpose. It uses up all the surplus consumer goods and money in the economy that could be used to assist their own people, which solidifies the social divide, and keeps the population in a constant state of fear, hatred, and zealous patriotic fervor. And in case if you’re wondering . about life in the other aforementioned super-states, they’re just as bad as the other; in fact they’re almost identical in every way (including the fact that they’re hyper-communist) and that one of the only exceptions the name, as it’s called Neo-Bolshevism in Eurasia and the so charmingly named Obliteration of the Self in Eastasia. Yeah, the name sure fits! Because I’d prefer the obliteration of myself than join their little asylum worthy ideology! But wait, there’s more! 1984 also introduces Newspeak which is basically the Party’s little brand of English language. Unlike every other language, the diction of Newspeak actually shrinks with the passing of time as the govt eliminates a variety of verbs, nouns, adjectives and all sorts of words that are deemed “unnecessary”, or narrows them down (i.e. Ingsoc is a Newspeak word that means English Socialism). By doing this it narrows the range of thought and makes the very act of “thoughtcrime” (the act of thinking and speaking rebellious thoughts) impossible. But the most terrifying aspect of 1984 is the concept of doublethink. To put it bluntly, doublethink is the action of holding simultaneously two mutually exclusive, or contradictory beliefs, ideas, statements or whatever and believe in both of them at the same time. It gives them the boldness to say the 2+2=5, that the sky is red, the audacity to say that Eastasia was always an enemy of Eurasia even though a short while ago, IT WAS FLIPPIN’ EURASIA!, and the ability to look at a photograph of a group of people who were wiped out by the state and say that it DOESN’T EVEN EXIST!! Yeah, show a fanatical Party member something that goes against the principles of Ingsoc and they treat it, to quote John Oliver, “like a mean girl treats the high school debate team *imitating said mean girl* ’you’re nothing, Amberly. You don’t even exisssst!’” (and to quote him yet again “I’m not being paid to say that, I’m just a fan.”). The society of Oceania thrives off this concept, and examples of it are seen all across the board. One example is the Party’s slogan: “War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” and the four Ministries. Ministry of Plenty? causes food shortages and economic disparity; Ministry of Peace? they’re responsible for deciding who to attack next; Ministry of Truth? rewrites history and falsifies documents, and corrects even the tiniest errors and in the news because the Party is always right (sarcasm); and my favourite, the Ministry of Love. What do they do? FLIPPIN’ TORTURE. Oh, and speaking of the Ministry of Love, there’s something there that inspires, even more, dread than doublethink; it is only known as Room 101. Need evidence? this line pretty much explains it: “The thing that is in Room 101, is the worst thing in the world.”. What’s being said is that what lies within Room 101 is a person’s greatest dread, their darkest dear, their worst nightmare! The kind of stuff that has grown human beings weep like infants. The very thought of Room 101 is enough to keep a person in line and when a plucky prisoner is told that he’s next…

...I’ll let the book do the talking...

“Room 101" said the officer.

The man's face, already very pale, turned a color Winston would not have believed possible. It was definitely, unmistakably, a shade of green.

"Do anything to me!" he yelled. "You've been starving me for weeks. Finish it off and let me die. Shoot me. Hang me. Sentence me to twenty-five years. Is there somebody else you want me to give away? Just say who it is and I'll tell you anything you want. I don't care who it is or what you do to them. I've got a wife and three children. The biggest of them isn't six years old. You can take the whole lot of them and cut their throats in front of my eyes, and I'll stand by and watch it. But not room 101!"

"Room 101" said the officer.”

LOOK AT THIS! LOOK! AT! THIS!!!! The unfortunate soul gets so panicked that they are willing to allow ANYTHING to happen. Family? Friends? Screw them! Get me out of this hellhole!! And now because I’m that much of a dork, here’s my personal list of Things I would rather see happen or do than go to Room 101.

-Skin a seal pup alive

-Drown a baby hippo in sulfuric acid (just look up a photo of one and tell my I’m not the most repulsive human being alive)

-Go on a two-week vacation to New Jersey

-Cancel Stranger Things

-Assassinate Mark Hamill

-Ban every Steven Spielberg movie

-Listen to What does the Fox Say by Ylvis for twenty-four hours straight for seven days a week

-Tell an entire 1st-grade class straight to their happy, juvenile faces that Santa doesn’t exist.

-And last but not least... BECOME A VEGETARIAN! (yes I’m serious)

What’s just as freaky is that in the end, the person who was in Room 101 doesn’t just obey Big Brother, HE LOVES HIM WITH EVERY PART OF HIS BEING, WITHOUT ANY SECOND THOUGHT WHATSOEVER!

So now you can see why this place isn’t exactly the land of milk and honey.

With that out of the way, now for the juicy stuff.

Is the Nightmare a Reality?

Now some people would be pointing to a lot of things (much of it in the USA) to try to convince us that it is. Such as the USA PATRIOT Act and the NSA controversies; the long aforementioned “alternative facts” fact; how the US is constantly embroiled in foreign conflicts; and so on. However, there are things that greatly contrast America and Oceania. For starters that the activities done by the liberal democracy that is the United States are because of misguided thinking while the actions by the anti-liberal oligarchy of Oceania is done because of genuine malice. And while America has had it’s fair share of bad leaders, there is the checks and balances in place to frustrate potential abuses by a certain party; or heaven forbid vote them out through elections. And if you want a true modern day example, look no further than North Korea. A country run by a totalitarian regime with a leader that is worshipped like a god by his fanatical collection of zealots who live in their own distorted version of reality.

But with all of this mad rambling about current affairs and fictional states, I can’t miss this important question.

How does it fare as a novel

While 1984’s world isn’t what you call pleasant, reading it from the comfort of this reality is. The atmosphere of the world is one that actually legitimately sends chills down the spine (in quite a good way) which contributes nicely to the ghastly aura of the text. Also further enriching the text is characters which not just paper cutout stereotypes of the genre. Finally, what further enhances it is the insightful philosophies and perspectives that the author has to offer which doesn’t limit its scope to the novel’s setting. Here is a few example:

“Being in a minority, even in a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.”

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”

“Of pain you could wish only one thing: that it should stop. Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain. In the face of pain there are no heroes.”

“To die hating them, that was freedom.”

Looking at all of that and many other elements, It’s really not hard to see why 1984 has cemented itself into legend.

My grade: ’84/’84

Rated NC-18: Joe Haldeman's The Forever War

Rated NC-18 (Nerdy Content from an 18-year old): Joe Haldeman's The Forever War

Intro

The epoch is the mid-1960’s. The Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, the British were invading once again (with a lot less military), and US and USSR decided to take their petty quarrels outside the atmosphere. But alas all was not perfect in the world because, as if The Cold War hadn’t had enough men who sold their souls, hell decided to set up shop in a little corner of Southeast Asia called Vietnam. The legacy of this tragic event would impact those both at home and on the battlefield. The aforementioned legacy can also be felt through pop culture with goodies such as Apocalypse Now; Platoon; and Full Metal Jacket. However it’s not just film but also literature where this impact can be felt, and here is where we’re greeted with The Forever War, which merges the two most popular subjects of its day: space, and the Vietnam War. To which this text can be summed up as “APOCALYPSE NOW... INNNNN SPAAAAAACE”.

Summary

The story takes place from a First Person Perspective that chronicles the narrative of  William Mandela, who is drafted to do battle with an alien enemy light years away. Much of the elements of the Vietnam War are present here including young soldiers drafted at a young age; brutal training; a hawkish government that goes to war based on a misunderstanding; macabre imagery; not being able to distinguish civilian from soldier; over-the-top propaganda about the enemy; hostility being met at home as well as on the battlefield; pacifist movements; and so on.

Critique

At first, this may seem like a fairly typical war story, but it does distinguish itself from other forays into the topic. Besides the introduction of new elements such as hi-tech weaponry and interstellar travel, there also the concept of time dilation in which because of said interstellar travel time flows a lot differently. Centuries can go by on Earth while the soldiers in the conflict only age several years and it adds an interesting dynamic to the plot as it creates a far different world that the protagonist has to adapt to. It also cares to explore the effect of the war at home as well as on the front lines as there is plenty of struggles to be found long after his first engagement. Character relationships are complex enough that they’re not one-dimensional and cliche, but simple enough that they don’t interfere with the main story, and it does well in balancing both drama and action so that it’s not all big explosions, brutal combat, and testosterone pumped action (actually some of the troops are female so you can throw in a little estrogen as well). Another interesting element is that as mentioned before the story chronicles Mandela’s rise through the ranks instead of portraying him as just another grunt all the way through, which presents him with new challenges that keep the narrative fresh and entertaining. The only drawbacks are that the exposition can be confusing at times and that there could be just a little bit more action. But the biggest offender is false advertising because The Forever War doesn’t seem to understand the concept of “forever war”.  The synonyms for “forever” include “eternal”; “ever-lasting”; and “endless”. The text is only over 250 PAGES AND FOR THE RECORD, THE WAR DOESN’T LAST FOREVER!!! Mindless rant aside it should do little to detract from what is a thoughtful allegory on the barbarity of modern conflict.

My Grade ‘65/’73 (for those of you who aren't history nerds, ‘65 and ‘73 are the years when American troops landed in and left Vietnam)