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A '''dystopian''' future is one where the social problems of today become greater in magnitude, producing a future that is filled with crime, war, and similar evils. A dystopian society may also be imagined as a society where a ruling elite controls the vast majority of wealth and political power while simultaneously disseminating propaganda to the masses to control the lower and middle classes. This ruling elite may be seen as propagating misinformation in order to socially control the citizens. This propaganda is usually revealed in such a manner that the elite are the caretakers and providers of the lower middle class. In many depictions of dystopian societies in fiction, the propaganda- which would be disseminated by an overwhelmingly powerful government (Big Brother) or a totalitarian cabal- would psychologically force the lower classes to believe that they are living in a utopia that represents the culmination and perfection of civilization, where in actuality, crime and bureaucratic corruption is widespread.
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A '''dystopian''' future is one where the social problems of today become greater in magnitude, producing a future that is filled with [[crime]], [[war]], and similar evils.  
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A dystopian society may also be imagined as a society where a ruling elite controls the vast majority of wealth and political power while simultaneously disseminating [[propaganda]] to the masses to control the lower and middle classes. This ruling elite may be seen as propagating misinformation in order to socially control the citizens. This propaganda is usually revealed in such a manner that the elite are the caretakers and providers of the lower middle class.  
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In many [[fiction]]al depictions of dystopian societies, the propaganda—which would be disseminated by an overwhelmingly powerful government (Big Brother) or a totalitarian cabal—would psychologically force the lower classes to believe that they are living in a utopia that represents the culmination and perfection of civilization, where in actuality, crime and bureaucratic corruption are widespread.  Typically, a dystopian [[novel]] is intended to comment on what the author perceives to be then current social trends by extrapolating those trends.  Sometimes, as with ''[[Animal Farm]],'' the dystopia is presented in the form of an [[allegory]] to get past the [[censor]]s and [[liberal media]]. In some stories, however, the dystopia is generally depicted rather openly as a dystopia, often with the ruling members making absolutely no secret of how they intended to butcher their own subjects simply for their own amusement and actively seek to make the bad events even worse, with motivations including nihilism and truly enjoying the carnage, with some even advocating for absolute lawlessness and anarchy even when in charge. Examples of this interpretation of dystopia include ''Final Fantasy VI'' with the main villain Kefka Palazzo, in particular during the game's second act, as well as the graphic novel ''Transmetropolitan'', where the main villain, The Smiler, proceeded upon becoming President to create damaging policies for America to have bits of it crumbling off, with his freely admitting during the election that he intended to destroy America upon getting elected.
  
 
==Dystopia in fiction==
 
==Dystopia in fiction==
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In the 20th and late 19th century, many well-known dystopian novels were written. Among these are:
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In the 20th and late 19th century, many well-known dystopian novels were written. This theme has continued into the 21st century as well. Among these are:
  
 
*''[[The Iron Heel]]''
 
*''[[The Iron Heel]]''
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*''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]''
 
*''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]''
 
*''[[Fahrenheit 451]]''
 
*''[[Fahrenheit 451]]''
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*''[[The Hunger Games]]''
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==Broad List of Survivalist-Dystopian-Survival-Apocalypse-SHTF-Zombie Books-Films-TV-Video Games-Comic Books==
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* ''The 100'' (TV series)
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* ''12 Monkeys'' (Film), 1995; (TV Series), 2015-Current
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* ''28 Days Later'', 2002
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* ''28 Weeks Later'', 2007
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* ''After War Gundam X'', 1996
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* ''[[Akira]]'' (Manga Series), 1982–1990, 1988 (Film)
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* ''Alas, Babylon'' by Pat Frank. A classic [[nuclear|nuke]] scenario. This book was a key influence in [[James Wesley Rawles]] writing and it was his inspiration to write “[[Patriots Novels Series|Patriots]]” in a similar style
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* ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]''
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* ''Back to the Future: Part II'', 1989
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* ''Batman: The Dark Knight Returns'', 1986 (Comic Book Miniseries)
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* ''[[Battlestar Galactica‎]]'', 1978-1979 (Original Series); 2003-2009 (Reimagined Series)
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* ''Blade Runner'', 1982
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* ''The Book of Eli'', 2010
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* ''Brave New World''
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* ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', 1997-2003 (TV Series)
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* ''Chrono Trigger'', Video Game (1995)
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* ''Civil War'' (2024)
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* ''[[A Clockwork Orange]]'', 1971
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* ''The Colony'' (TV series)
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* ''Cyberpunk 2077'' (2020) (Video Game)
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* ''Dark City'', 1998
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* ''Deliverance'', 1972
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* ''Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks'', 1993
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* ''Dredd'', 2012
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* ''Dr. Strangelove'' by Peter George and Stanley Kubrick (1964)
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* ''Earth Abides'' by George Stewart
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* ''Elysium'', 2013
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* ''Enemies Foreign and Domestic'' by Matthew Bracken
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* ''Escape from New York'', 1981
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* ''Escape from L.A.'', 1996
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* ''Fahrenheit 451''
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* ''Falling Skies''
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* ''Fallout'' (Video Game Series), 1997-2015
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* ''Firefly'' (TV series), 2002
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* ''The Flight of the Phoenix'', 1965 with [[James Stewart]]; 2004 (Remake)
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* ''Final Fantasy II'' (1988)
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* ''Final Fantasy VI'' (1994)
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* ''Final Fantasy VII'' (1997)
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* ''[[The Handmaid's Tale]]''
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* ''Highlander II: The Quickening'', 1991
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* ''[[The Hunger Games]]'', 2008
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* ''[[The Giver]]'', 1993 novel by Lois Lowry, 2014 film with Jeff Bridges
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* ''[[The Grey]]'', 2011, with [[Liam Neeson]]
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* ''[[I Am Legend]]'', 1954 by [[Richard Matheson]], 2007 film with [[Will Smith]]
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* ''[[Into the Wild]]'', 2007
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* ''[[Jericho (TV series)]]''
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* ''[[Jeremiah (TV series)]]''
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* ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' 1995
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* ''La Jetée'' (short film), 1962
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* ''[[The Last Man on Earth]]'', 1964 [[Italian]] film with [[Vincent Price]]
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* ''The Last of Us'' (Video Game), 2013
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* ''[[Left Behind]]'', 1995 to 2007 by [[Tim LaHaye]]
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* ''[[Life of Pi]]'', 2012
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* ''[[Lifeboat]]'', 1944
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* ''The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past'' (1991)
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* ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' (1998)
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* ''The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask'' (2000)
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* ''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'' (2003)
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* ''The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' (2017)
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* ''The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom'' (2023)
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* ''[[Lights Out]]'' by [[David Crawford]] (Post-[[EMP]] attack.)
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* ''Logan'' (film), 2017
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* ''[[Logan's Run]]''
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* ''[[Lucifer's Hammer]]'', 1977 by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
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* ''[[Mad Max]]'', 1979 [[Australia]]n film with [[Mel Gibson]], and its sequels:
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** ''[[Mad Max 2]]'', 1981 (Also called ''The Road Warrior'' for North American release)
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** ''[[Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]'', 1985
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** ''[[Max Max: Fury Road]]'', 2015 film with Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron
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* ''[[The Matrix]]'', 1999, 2003
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* ''[[Molon Labe!]]'' by [[Boston T. Party]]
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* ''[[Minority Report]]''
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* ''[[Night of the Living Dead]]'', 1968 by [[George A. Romero]]
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* ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'' ([[1984]])
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* ''[[One Second After]]'', 2009 by [[William R. Forstchen]]
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* ''[[Outbreak (film)]]'', 1995 with  [[Dustin Hoffman]], [[Morgan Freeman]], [[Kevin Spacey]], [[Donald Sutherland]]
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* ''[[Open Water]]'', 2003
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* [[Patriots Novels Series]] by [[James Wesley Rawles]]
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** ''[[Survivors - A Novel of the Coming Collapse]]''
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** ''[[Founders - A Novel of the Coming Collapse]]''
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** ''[[Expatriates - A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse]]''
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** ''[[Liberators - A Novel of the Coming Global Collapse]]''
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* ''[[Panic in Year Zero!]]'', 1962 with [[Ray Milland]]
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* ''[[Planet of the Apes]]'' 1968 by Pierre Boulle
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* ''[[Power Rangers]] RPM'' (2009)
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* ''[[Some Will Not Die]]'' by Algis Budrys ([[Plague]] total wipe-out scenario. This book was another with an influence in [[James Wesley Rawles]] writing.)
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* ''[[The Omega Man]]'', 1971
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* ''[[The Omen]]''
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* ''[[The Poseidon Adventure]]'', 1972 with [[Gene Hackman]] and Ernest Borgnine
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* ''[[The Postman]]'', 1997
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* ''[[The Purge]]''
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* ''[[Rescue Dawn]]'', 2006 by [[Werner Herzog]] with [[Christian Bale]]
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* ''[[Resident Evil]]'' (Video Game Series) 1996-2017 (Called ''Biohazard'' in Japan)
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* ''[[Resident Evil]]'', 2002, 2007, 2010, 2012 with [[Milla Jovovich]]
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* ''[[Robinson Crusoe]]'', 1719 by [[Daniel Defoe]], 1954 and 1997 film with [[Pierce Brosnan]]
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* ''[[RoboCop]]'', 1987
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* ''[[The Running Man]]'', 1982 novel written by [[Stephen King]] (as Richard Bachman), 1987 film with [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], Richard Dawson and [[Jesse Ventura]]
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* ''[[Serenity (film)|Serenity]]''
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* ''[[Silent Running]]''
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* ''[[Soylent Green]]''
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* ''[[Stagecoach (film)|Stagecoach]]'', 1939
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* ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'', 1996
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* ''[[The Stand (TV series)]]'', 1994 by [[Stephen King]], starring [[Gary Sinise]], [[Rob Lowe]], Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and Jamey Sheridan
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* ''[[Swiss Family Robinson]]'', 1960, based on 1812 novel by Johann David Wyss
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* ''[[The Road]]'' by [[Cormac McCarthy]], 2006, 2009 film with [[Viggo Mortensen]]
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* ''[[The Terminator]]'', 1984 film with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, and its sequels:
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** ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'', 1991 film with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Norton and Robert Patrick
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** ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'', 2003 film with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristianna Loken
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** ''[[Terminator Salvation]]'', 2009
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** ''[[Terminator Genisys]]'', 2015
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** ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]'', 2019
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** ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'', 2008-2009 TV series
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* ''[[THX 1138]]''
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* ''[[The Time Machine]]'' by [[H. G. Wells]]
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* ''The Tribe,'' 1999-2003
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* ''[[Total Recall]]''
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* ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'', 1997-2002
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* ''[[V for Vendetta]]''
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* ''[[The Walking Dead]]'', 2010-2015
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* ''[[WALL-E]]''
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* ''[[Watchmen]]''
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* ''Wolverine: Old Man Logan'' (Limited Comic Book Series), 2008-2009
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* ''[[World War Z]]'', 2006 by Max Brooks, 2013 film with [[Brad Pitt]]
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* ''[[X-Men: Days of Future Past]]'', 2014
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== See also ==
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* [[Utopia]], the flipside of Dystopia.
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* [[Big government]] [[Welfare state]] leads to [[Nanny state]], leads to [[Police state]]
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* [[Gleichschaltung]]
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* [[Liberal totalitarianism]]
  
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== See Also ==
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==References==
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[[Utopia]], the flipside of Dystopia.
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{{reflist|2}}
  
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[[Category: Literary Devices]]
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[[Category:Natural Disasters]]
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[[Category:Man-Made Disasters]]
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[[Category:Threats]]
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[[Category:Science Fiction]]
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[[Category:Science Fiction Movies]]
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[[Category:Movies]]
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[[Category:Fiction]]
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[[Category:Literary Genres]]
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[[Category:Literary Devices]]
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[[Category:Dystopian Fiction]]
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[[Category:Literature]]

Latest revision as of 14:46, April 22, 2024

A dystopian future is one where the social problems of today become greater in magnitude, producing a future that is filled with crime, war, and similar evils.

A dystopian society may also be imagined as a society where a ruling elite controls the vast majority of wealth and political power while simultaneously disseminating propaganda to the masses to control the lower and middle classes. This ruling elite may be seen as propagating misinformation in order to socially control the citizens. This propaganda is usually revealed in such a manner that the elite are the caretakers and providers of the lower middle class.

In many fictional depictions of dystopian societies, the propaganda—which would be disseminated by an overwhelmingly powerful government (Big Brother) or a totalitarian cabal—would psychologically force the lower classes to believe that they are living in a utopia that represents the culmination and perfection of civilization, where in actuality, crime and bureaucratic corruption are widespread. Typically, a dystopian novel is intended to comment on what the author perceives to be then current social trends by extrapolating those trends. Sometimes, as with Animal Farm, the dystopia is presented in the form of an allegory to get past the censors and liberal media. In some stories, however, the dystopia is generally depicted rather openly as a dystopia, often with the ruling members making absolutely no secret of how they intended to butcher their own subjects simply for their own amusement and actively seek to make the bad events even worse, with motivations including nihilism and truly enjoying the carnage, with some even advocating for absolute lawlessness and anarchy even when in charge. Examples of this interpretation of dystopia include Final Fantasy VI with the main villain Kefka Palazzo, in particular during the game's second act, as well as the graphic novel Transmetropolitan, where the main villain, The Smiler, proceeded upon becoming President to create damaging policies for America to have bits of it crumbling off, with his freely admitting during the election that he intended to destroy America upon getting elected.

Dystopia in fiction

In the 20th and late 19th century, many well-known dystopian novels were written. This theme has continued into the 21st century as well. Among these are:

Broad List of Survivalist-Dystopian-Survival-Apocalypse-SHTF-Zombie Books-Films-TV-Video Games-Comic Books

See also

References

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