There’s something to this. I have much less interest in light hearted content these days. But I also refuse to watch the handmaids tale since it’s a little too real for me.
I’ve always found the cyberpunk dystopias to be a kind of magical realism precisely because they are so intractable.
The villains are always ten steps ahead. The system of oppression never seems to falter or contradict itself. The plucky rebels always have a nefarious super secret mole in their midst.
IRL, our businesses and governments are riddled with flaws. They’re staffed with legions of lazy and incompetent bureaucrats. They are constantly getting caught with their pants down.
What really keeps the system going is inertia. Too many people are afraid of banging into the security state. Too many people feel like they, personally, have too much to lose in resistance and nothing to gain from a revolution. Too many people are simply pessimist - convinced the hell they know must be better than an uncertain future.
Dystopian fictions are comforting compared to how the world is faring these days. At least fictional dystopias are set to have a viable solution.
There’s something to this. I have much less interest in light hearted content these days. But I also refuse to watch the handmaids tale since it’s a little too real for me.
Depends on the dystopia, lots don’t have viable solutions to the dystopia, just living a little less shittily.
I’ve always found the cyberpunk dystopias to be a kind of magical realism precisely because they are so intractable.
The villains are always ten steps ahead. The system of oppression never seems to falter or contradict itself. The plucky rebels always have a nefarious super secret mole in their midst.
IRL, our businesses and governments are riddled with flaws. They’re staffed with legions of lazy and incompetent bureaucrats. They are constantly getting caught with their pants down.
What really keeps the system going is inertia. Too many people are afraid of banging into the security state. Too many people feel like they, personally, have too much to lose in resistance and nothing to gain from a revolution. Too many people are simply pessimist - convinced the hell they know must be better than an uncertain future.