Do You Have A Favorite Futuristic Novel?

[+ Avalon]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World

 

I like "Brave New World". However I would have changed two things. I would include homosexuality. That would have been taboo at the time the book was written.

 

And I would include euthanasia. Alphas and Betas at 60, Gammas at 50, Deltas at 40 and Epsilons at 30.

[sincitymix]

the culture series. the uplift novels.

[+ Avalon]

the culture series. the uplift novels.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Culture_(series)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uplift_Universe

 

Thanks! I had never heard of them.

[Gadfly22]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World

 

I like "Brave New World". However I would have changed two things. I would include homosexuality. That would have been taboo at the time the book was written.

And I would include euthanasia. Alphas and Betas at 60, Gammas at 50, Deltas at 40 and Epsilons at 30.

Great choice and great suggestions. My only criticism of the book is that AH overdoses a bit on use of the word 'surrogate'. Everything was a surrogate of some kind or another. Have you read the sequel, BTW? I have a copy somewhere but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

Another suggestion - not as good as BNY, but interesting reading. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock

Written in the late 60's - some very interesting predictions. I think it was intended as a scholarly work but it reads like a novel. A best seller in its day. I read it in HS. Wonder if anyone even remembers it now?

[KinkyNEguy]

It saddens me that there won't be anymore Culture novels. I really enjoyed them.

[+ Avalon]

Great choice and great suggestions. My only criticism of the book is that AH overdoses a bit on use of the word 'surrogate'. Everything was a surrogate of some kind or another. Have you read the sequel, BTW? I have a copy somewhere but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

 

I've not read the sequel

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World#Brave_New_World_Revisited

[+ quoththeraven]

Great choice and great suggestions. My only criticism of the book is that AH overdoses a bit on use of the word 'surrogate'. Everything was a surrogate of some kind or another. Have you read the sequel, BTW? I have a copy somewhere but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

Another suggestion - not as good as BNY, but interesting reading. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock

Written in the late 60's - some very interesting predictions. I think it was intended as a scholarly work but it reads like a novel. A best seller in its day. I read it in HS. Wonder if anyone even remembers it now?

Future Shock was non-fiction.

 

Although Brave New World is more reflective of the West (,other than the communal raising of children), I prefer 1984 and Fahrenheit 451.

[Gadfly22]

Future Shock was non-fiction.

Not exactly but I get your point. It made predictions based on extrapolation of current (at the time) trends, many of which turned out to be "fictitious" - like breeding gill people to live underwater to curb overpopulation. As I tried to imply in my previous post (not entirely successfully apparently) it reads more like an entertaining work of fiction.

[+ Avalon]

Future Shock was non-fiction.

 

Although Brave New World is more reflective of the West (,other than the communal raising of children), I prefer 1984 and Fahrenheit 451.

 

I do like "Fahrenheit 451" also.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451

 

Maybe a combination of "Brave New World" and "Fahrenheit 451"? The Epsilons and Deltas don't need to read.

[body2body]

China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh, is a terrific novel set in a 22nd century U.S. where China is the world’s dominant culture. The protagonist is Gay. It was critically well received ( nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and winner of the James Tiptree Jr. Award).

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Mountain_Zhang

[TruHart1]

It is a long out of print novel by George Nader titled "Chrome" about the adventures of a man and his android lover. I stumbled on the paperback back in the late 1970's or early 80's and was enthralled by the concept at the time. Though I am not sure where it is, I believe it is still around here packed away somewhere.

 

Edited to add: George Nader was a gay Hollywood actor who wrote this novel after he retired from his somewhat successful film career: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0618865/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

TruHart1

Edited October 12, 2018 by TruHart1

[+ quoththeraven]

Not exactly but I get your point. It made predictions based on extrapolation of current (at the time) trends, many of which turned out to be "fictitious" - like breeding gill people to live underwater to curb overpopulation. As I tried to imply in my previous post (not entirely successfully apparently) it reads more like an entertaining work of fiction.

Yes, it predicted future events based on current trends, but that's still broadly speaking non-fiction. I mean, essays and memoirs are considered non-fiction. So was it.

 

Future Shock, The Population Bomb and The End of History demonstrate how bad humans are at making predictions.

[BroadwayDave]

I think maybe Greg Bear’s EON may fit into this category?

[+ Avalon]

It is a long out of print novel by George Nader titled "Chrome" about the adventures of a man and his android lover. I stumbled on the paperback back in the late 1970's or early 80's and was enthralled by the concept at the time. Though I am not sure where it is, I believe it is still around here packed away somewhere.

 

Edited to add: George Nader was a gay Hollywood actor who wrote this novel after he retired from his somewhat successful film career: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0618865/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

TruHart1

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Nader

 

He and his partner were together for 55 years!

[Rudynate]

Great choice and great suggestions. My only criticism of the book is that AH overdoses a bit on use of the word 'surrogate'. Everything was a surrogate of some kind or another. Have you read the sequel, BTW? I have a copy somewhere but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

Another suggestion - not as good as BNY, but interesting reading. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock

Written in the late 60's - some very interesting predictions. I think it was intended as a scholarly work but it reads like a novel. A best seller in its day. I read it in HS. Wonder if anyone even remembers it now?

 

Wasn't the emphasis on surrogacy intentional? Everyone living a fake, virtualized existence?

[bloop]

Mary Shelley's The Last Man

[+ Reisr30]

Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is one of mine.

[+ Avalon]

Mary Shelley's The Last Man

 

Much thanks! I was unaware of it. I only knew of her "Frankenstein".

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Man

[Gadfly22]

Wasn't the emphasis on surrogacy intentional? Everyone living a fake, virtualized existence?

Not disputing that at all, but I thought a great writer would find different ways to say it rather than repeating the same word ad-nauseam.

BTW not everybody thinks he is a great writer. According to the wiki page @Avalon linked, some claim he plagiarized large parts of Brave New World.

[+ quoththeraven]

Not disputing that at all, but I thought a great writer would find different ways to say it rather than repeating the same word ad-nauseam.

BTW not everybody thinks he is a great writer. According to the wiki page @Avalon linked, some claim he plagiarized large parts of Brave New World.

I wasn't aware of the plagiarism charges, but his writing style does nothing for me. One of the reasons I don't much like Brave New World.

I also left off (forgot, really) Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange. Also Stephen King's The Stand.

[+ Avalon]

Regarding "A Clockwork Orange" - I've not read the book but have seen the movie. When I was in college it was put on in the student union. There were several young nuns attending the school and they were at the movie. I was surprised.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange_(film)

[Mo Mason]

George Orwell's 1984

Nevil Shute's On the Beach

[+ Avalon]

George Orwell's 1984

Nevil Shute's On the Beach

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Beach_(novel)

[body2body]

Huxley wrote another less well known dystopian novel in 1948. Ape and Essence, this is a wild ride. The book begins at a Hollywood film studio with the discovery of a discarded film script called Ape and Essence. It takes you to a Los Angeles that has survived a nuclear war, people get clothes by mining graves, worship thr devil, and conduct human sacrifices in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Babies are killed in sacrificial ceremonies if the they have more 14 fingers or 3 nipples. It is a savage satire of religion and modern culture.

[+ Avalon]

Huxley wrote another less well known dystopian novel in 1948. Ape and Essence, this is a wild ride. The book begins at a Hollywood film studio with the discovery of a discarded film script called Ape and Essence. It takes you to a Los Angeles that has survived a nuclear war, people get clothes by mining graves, worship thr devil, and conduct human sacrifices in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Babies are killed in sacrificial ceremonies if the they have more 14 fingers or 3 nipples. It is a savage satire of religion and modern culture.

 

Thank-you! I had never heard of it before.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ape_and_Essence