Generational Theory Forum: The Fourth Turning Forum: A message board discussing generations and the Strauss Howe generational theory
Utopian and dystopian fiction - Printable Version

+- Generational Theory Forum: The Fourth Turning Forum: A message board discussing generations and the Strauss Howe generational theory (http://generational-theory.com/forum)
+-- Forum: Fourth Turning Forums (http://generational-theory.com/forum/forum-1.html)
+--- Forum: Society and Culture (http://generational-theory.com/forum/forum-8.html)
+--- Thread: Utopian and dystopian fiction (/thread-5317.html)



Utopian and dystopian fiction - Bill the Piper - 01-01-2019

Is occurrence of these related to the generational cycle?

We see very few new utopian fiction, and a lot of dystopian fiction during both 3T and 4T in this cycle. But I'm not sure it was the same way in the previous one.


RE: Utopian and dystopian fiction - pbrower2a - 01-01-2019

(01-01-2019, 11:15 AM)Bill the Piper Wrote: Is occurrence of these related to the generational cycle?

We see very few new utopian fiction, and a lot of dystopian fiction during both 3T and 4T in this cycle. But I'm not sure it was the same way in the previous one.

Dystopian fiction often reflects a political agenda such as opposition to Communism, fascism, Apartheid, and Christian dominionism -- or dread of a technology (military weapons, computers, robots, space exploration). 

Nineteen Eighty-Four comes from a 1T, and it reflects Stalinist communism turning words into lies at worst and muck at best, but it also recollects the departed Third Reich as well. (Victor Klemperer related the Nazi abuse of language in LTI -- Lingua iertiii imperii  as a professor at the University of Technology of Dresden).

By the way -- Trump scares me for his use of Orwellian Newspeak.


RE: Utopian and dystopian fiction - Hintergrund - 02-06-2019

Obviously, it fits the mood.

But it also depends on who reads what. During the High, most people read upbeat literature - but the so-called cultural elite of the beatniks already had "Naked Lunch" or the pedocriminal Ginsberg.

Maybe some very smart people are reading books now which are more optimistic? If yes, I'd like to learn of them.