Socialist Progressives

Nitram

(24,611 posts)

79. Dick had the most briliantly paranoid and dystopian imagination of any SF writer, but...

Sat Nov 28, 2015, 03:32 PM

Nov 2015

...his writing is often terrible. His characters are always flat, his plots disjointed and the vast majority of his writing style is awkward, trite or just plain dull. "The Man in the High Castle" was his most readable, although I admit I read everything of his I could get my hands on. He had the best ideas, the darkest visions and the most paranoid take on reality of anybody.

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Huxley vs Orwell who got it right? Comix [View all] Ichingcarpenter Nov 2015 OP

what about - they're both right? we exist in a putrid stew of the two tk2kewl Nov 2015 #1

I vote they were both correct. nm rhett o rick Nov 2015 #32

Me too. Enthusiast Nov 2015 #35

Yep, we have elements of both. nt awoke_in_2003 Nov 2015 #65

I agree. cprise Nov 2015 #69

Totally agree! SkyDaddy7 Nov 2015 #73

I don't think there's an 'or'. I think they were both right. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Nov 2015 #2

+ 1 for comment and plus +1000 for Bernie n/t ejbr Nov 2015 #57

Examples of the Orwell elements... awoke_in_2003 Nov 2015 #66

Both describe the New Normal. 1984 for the poor, BNW for the leveymg Nov 2015 #3

if this is something you're inclined to dig into, this is a great essay nashville_brook Nov 2015 #4

And this is a great line: CanSocDem Nov 2015 #7

Boy, does that nail it to the wall!?!! lastlib Nov 2015 #10

Post # 7 NewtonO Nov 2015 #60

Giroux's writing Ichingcarpenter Nov 2015 #19

His is the clearest thinking hifiguy Nov 2015 #71

When you read Henry Giroux you see that Orwellians are jwirr Nov 2015 #21

that is a damn good point. nashville_brook Nov 2015 #40

And much of it is hidden behind Huxley. So many are so jwirr Nov 2015 #42

i have a physical reaction to the TV being on nashville_brook Nov 2015 #46

I have a huge tv screen in my room (where I live in grandson's jwirr Nov 2015 #47

we are the same way. Chris Hayes, Rachel, debates nashville_brook Nov 2015 #49

I think the difference between trash tv and recreational tv jwirr Nov 2015 #51

Damn that was interesting. zeemike Nov 2015 #22

thanks for this, k and r for the whoe discussion. bbgrunt Nov 2015 #34

That should be banned. Enthusiast Nov 2015 #36

i'm surprised it hasn't been already. nashville_brook Nov 2015 #41

Hillary goodness is a soothing balm to my soul. Enthusiast Nov 2015 #45

one thing I do is collect dystopias, so I can get into the "genealogy" of both MisterP Nov 2015 #62

this is a real eye-opener about orwell nashville_brook Nov 2015 #74

it was an extension of his "anti-totalitarianism"--which of course is what McCarthyism MisterP Nov 2015 #83

Thanks for this... haikugal Nov 2015 #77

Thought provoking. Thanks ! . . nt Bernardo de La Paz Nov 2015 #5

Both are right, 1984 is not really speculative fiction, it is allegorical reporting on 1948 and Bluenorthwest Nov 2015 #6

Huxley's "Island" stresses the importance "paying attention" Ghost Dog Nov 2015 #27

very interesting comparison here. mountain grammy Nov 2015 #8

Answer c JonathanRackham Nov 2015 #9

I was in high school when I wrote an essay comparing and contrasting these Nay Nov 2015 #15

Neil Postman is thought provoking lostnfound Nov 2015 #11

and "Amusing ourselves to death" Fast Walker 52 Nov 2015 #44

Huxley's truth is primordial; Orwell's truth exploits and builds on it, imo. Joe Chi Minh Nov 2015 #12

Thanks for this post and BlueMTexpat Nov 2015 #13

both not mutually exclusive..curse you for making me think today dembotoz Nov 2015 #14

seems like we got the worst of both dystopian worlds Fast Walker 52 Nov 2015 #16

70% Huxley 30% Orwell Javaman Nov 2015 #17

Message auto-removed Name removed Nov 2015 #18

We're all Bozos on this bus! Ford_Prefect Nov 2015 #20

The mural is fractal. Ghost Dog Nov 2015 #30

Life is nothing Mendocino Nov 2015 #31

+1! Enthusiast Nov 2015 #37

Kick, rec, and saved. n/t Smarmie Doofus Nov 2015 #23

both obviously, and for quite a while now stupidicus Nov 2015 #24

I agree PatSeg Nov 2015 #25

Yikes... SoapBox Nov 2015 #26

K&R zeemike Nov 2015 #28

K&R for the cartoon and for Post #4. Scuba Nov 2015 #29

K&R. Well said. Both were amazingly prescient. Overseas Nov 2015 #33

Kicked and recommended to the Max! Enthusiast Nov 2015 #38

A very interesting discussion but... Nitram Nov 2015 #39

I agree - TBF Nov 2015 #58

Meat and Potatoes shadowmayor Nov 2015 #43

Frederic Pohl malthaussen Nov 2015 #48

totally checking this out! nashville_brook Nov 2015 #50

Another excellent dystopian novel was... Nitram Nov 2015 #78

Ah, the question that will not die: Huxley or Orwell? The correct answer is Burgess. nt merrily Nov 2015 #52

Burgess Meredith: "Women weaken legs!" tclambert Nov 2015 #53

I was going to finish reading your post, bvar22 Nov 2015 #54

Fascinating read Dr. Xavier Nov 2015 #55

Thanks for this... Thespian2 Nov 2015 #56

Interesting underpants Nov 2015 #59

I think this would make a fascinating documentary Ichingcarpenter Nov 2015 #61

Bradbury and Fahrenheit 451 are often forgotten in these comparisons, and he was just as prescient. rwsanders Nov 2015 #63

Although Fahrenheit 451 written in 1952 is a great piece of literature Ichingcarpenter Nov 2015 #64

I didn't realize there was a relationship between Huxley and Orwell, but... rwsanders Nov 2015 #75

Dick had the most briliantly paranoid and dystopian imagination of any SF writer, but... Nitram Nov 2015 #79

totally agree -- i take guilty pleasure in his stuff being re-imagined nashville_brook Nov 2015 #80

Yes, Dick laid the perfect foundation for some great SF movies. He was an idea man. Nitram Nov 2015 #81

What you need is a gramme of soma. Alkene Nov 2015 #67

Thanks for posting this. Very interesting stuff.... paleotn Nov 2015 #68

Thanks! maddiemom Nov 2015 #70

Two different, yet equally valid, views on totalitarianism. OnyxCollie Nov 2015 #72

Outstanding thread! CrispyQ Nov 2015 #76

I think Huxley undervalued the importance of schadenfreude. malthaussen Nov 2015 #82