While meeting over coffee with some friends the other day,
the subject of a dystopian vs utopian future came up. It was suggested that maybe one of the
reasons people write the dystopian future is because it’s easier.
Then and now, I think I might agree with that. Because even if on the surface you write a
utopian world, by the time you drill down, there would have to be something
happening to make it so. I mean what
qualifies as “perfect”? And how can it be perfect for everyone?
It can’t can it?
With the success of TV shows and movies showing the struggle
to survive, it would appear that there are a lot of people that prefer the
dystopian tale. But, I have to admit, I
seem to be getting tired of it. I also
am tired of the young adult angle. Why
is it that the adults always seem so clueless?
I don’t write science fiction, so I haven’t attempted to
write a futuristic tale, but as I sit and wonder what my story would look like,
I can’t say I know. Would it be based
around children saving the world? Or, would there be one “all knowing”
character leading the rest? Or, would we simply pick ourselves up brush
ourselves off?
Maybe that’s what the dystopian world shows?
What do you think?
(This post was originally posted on my blog.)