1984 and Dystopia. In interesting quote to share.

[coloradodem2005]

1984, by George Orwell. Set in the "near future" of 1984 (the story was written in 1948), the story follows the attempts of Party member Winston Smith as he seeks some way to escape from an inescapable, corrupt oligarchy which controls its population with martial law. Some people like to tell themselves it's no longer significant, but they're kidding themselves; it's frightening how relevant this piece remains even in the 21st Century (qv "War on Terrorism").

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=22350

[lapfog_1]

1. Oh yes, very true.

Combine 1948 Orwell with 1960's John Brunner and the result is
2004 United States of America, complete with "Autoshout" TV
commercials and everything.

[coloradodem2005]

2. I haven't heard of the latter.

What is it about? John Brunner. What do you mean by "Autoshout" TV commercials.

[lapfog_1]

6. Almost every commercial that plays on TV

comes on at a louder volume than the program. So, if you have
your TV set adjusted for your normal hearing for the program
you want to watch, when the commercials come on, you can't help
but notice them due to the increased volume (it's somewhat subtle,
but definitely there). Brunner was predicting this "feature" in
the book "Shockwave Rider" (I think, I read all of his books 20
years ago, so I may be misremembering). In Brunner's future world
view, the Autoshout(tm) was a known thing... in our world, it's
just a feature of advertising.

------example------------
SUNDAY!, Sunday!, SUNDAY!!! DON'T MISS THIS WEEK AT AUTO WORLD!
(blah, blah, blah).

Brunner predicted the rise of the internet (which, while it
HAD been "invented" back in the sixties, was hardly talked about
even in SciFi circles), and hackers, and computer viruses (OK,
worms), identity theft, information warfare, asymmetric war,
the rise of corporate government, and lots of other stuff. Read
his books "Shockwave Rider", "Stand on Zanzibar" and "The
Sheep Look Up".

[coloradodem2005]

10. I know what you are talking about now.

So, it wasn't just me. I hate those things.

[coloradodem2005]

11. I know what you are talking about now.

So, it wasn't just me. I hate those things.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Another vote for an answer to the meanign of "autoshout"

[Nay]

3. Remember Brunner's book "The Sheep Look Up"? Great book

on ecological breakdown and fascism combined!

[lapfog_1]

7. YUP

My favorite was Shockwave Rider. The Sheep Look Up was maybe
number two. Brunner was the first SciFi author I read as
a kid that wasn't all about "adventures in space with Aliens"
and so on. Not at all like Heinlein or Asimov or Clark or even
"next generation" authors like Larry Niven or Robert Silverberg.
Unfortunately he died relatively young (61 years old) and, I
believe, quit writing years before he passed away.

[madrchsod]

4. have you ever thought of the

underlying sexual theme of this work? the last little bit of freedom left was interaction with another human on the sexual level..then they destroyed his and her`s sexual relation at the end. is this next level they will try?

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

5. There is sort of a gay reading to the book, too.

Not intended by Orwell, of course, who was a bit of a homophobe.

Yet, what Winston Smith is going through, or experiencing, sort of the "closet" and a "coming out to oneself", and also about keeping a secret in a repressive society, and being under surveillance all the time so as to ensure conformity.

I think thats what makes 1984 such a good book. There is the stratightforward dystopian political satire going on, but also it works on other levels, too, or can be read for general themes.

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. They've been trying to suppress sexuality,

except for those in charge for whom it's apparently okay to have as much extra-marital, even gay, sex as one wants (Gingrich, Limbdick, Swaggart, Coulter, Bakker, etc. etc. etc.), for decades. Even centuries, though I wouldn't make the surmise that it's been the same group who's been doing it for centuries (it's been Christians, yes, but not a continuous strain of the same branch of Christians).

Those who say they love freedom the most are the ones of whom we should be most afraid, because they're the ones who love freedom so much they are willing to give it up in order to "defend" it.