I like my dystopia with a dollop of reality and, as such, try to take what's going on now & advance it several hundred years to what it could become. I would never, however, want some of the things I write to come to pass - especially not right now!
In Truth, the sequel to XVI, the media/government sends out what they consider to be "breaking news" to everyone's PAVs (Personal Audio Video devices.) Imagine my surprise when I came across this news story the other day!
As good as this seems, and even with this disclaimer, "Consumers would be able to opt out of all but those presidential messages." something inside my brain is whispering, "invasion of privacy... too much control... "
What do you think?
Accidentally predicting the future...
  The League of Extraordinary Writers is a group of debut YA authors who write science fiction and dystopian works. The ten of us have works that run the gamut of near-future mind control to far-future space travel, but they do have one thing in common: a future where the Earth we know now is twisted, gone. |
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I agree. Of course, there is also the opposite. Practically no media coverage of Fukishima's, 3 melt-throughs (and probably a fourth,also). Who would have thought we have a China Syndrome happening, and not barely any mention of it at all.
I think it is invasion of privacy: but I'm already envisioning how they'd defend it. I'd like to think they were inspired by the book. Just imagine bringing it up. "Listen, guys, I read this book last week. It has a very interesting idea..."
Big Brother's always nipping at our heels!
When writing about the future, the imagination takes you to some dark places. But it can't be all bad. If you do accidentally predict the future, I hope you predict some of the good, too! : )
I think we don't have a clue about how much our government can do and already does. And we participate voluntarily with all of our fun techno gadgets. I don't have opinions about whether it's right or wrong, good or bad. I do think the potential for both beneficial and harmful are already here.
That's the thing about technology & other so-called advances - they all come with a price, don't they? Some may be worth the cost - but what about the long run? It's something to think about, at least for me it is! :)
Creeeepy. It makes you wonder how many people will go off the grid in the near future? Between GPS and cellphones, and GPS in cellphones, and messages you can't escape...
Maybe I just can't quit about that Wall Street Journal article that labeled YA lit as too "dark" (citing the dystopian genre within it), but dystopian has always been a reflection of what is already hinted at in our own culture. I love that books like XVI explore the human response to government control, especially in a YA format, so the story can help us think a bit more critically about our own world.
You know, I can see the appeal of such a thing, but it is a little scary. Dystopians always seem to come from what started out as a desire for safety and the betterment of mankind. Good intentions and all...
I can see the convienece of the idea since a vast number of people do have cell phones, but I'm not so sure about the special chip. It seems a little too big brotherish. If it was just a piece that made the phone operate and was factory installed then maybe. For now, I'm glad I'm not in New York.
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