One problem with this is that I've seen societies and customs defended in both fiction and non-fiction that any sane person would describe as dystopian, or at least as desperately needing to be changed, defended as an earthly paradise. Like the anthropology book that defended the "deep and sincere spirituality" of cultures that engaged in human sacrifice. Including Australian Aborigines who, according to the author, forced women to kill and eat their first-born child to "return them to the ancestors".
There was only one religion he didn't like, because it kept interfering with all the deeply sincere and spiritual cultures he praised. I think you can guess what religion it was.
Many dystopias claim to be utopias. Others claim to be working toward utopia. Still others don’t claim that, though they generally claim to be necessary or some such.
He loves Big Brother. But Big Brother does not preside over the Good Place but over the Good Way to Strive. (It would be the Good Place were it not for -- them.)
One problem with this is that I've seen societies and customs defended in both fiction and non-fiction that any sane person would describe as dystopian, or at least as desperately needing to be changed, defended as an earthly paradise. Like the anthropology book that defended the "deep and sincere spirituality" of cultures that engaged in human sacrifice. Including Australian Aborigines who, according to the author, forced women to kill and eat their first-born child to "return them to the ancestors".
There was only one religion he didn't like, because it kept interfering with all the deeply sincere and spiritual cultures he praised. I think you can guess what religion it was.
Very true. Lists of utopias and dystopias by popular vote get very — strange.
To me, the key aspect to the setting being a dystopia, is the characters being told that it is a Good Place with the readers seeing it as a Bad Place.
Obviously, "readers seeing it as a Bad Place" can be very subjective.
A traditional Muslim would see "Handmaiden’s Tale" very differently than most Americans would see it.
That would mean that 1984 is not a dystopia.
Many dystopias claim to be utopias. Others claim to be working toward utopia. Still others don’t claim that, though they generally claim to be necessary or some such.
Ah yes, but the Main Character has been convinced by the end of the book that his world is a Good Place.
Seriously, I see your point.
He loves Big Brother. But Big Brother does not preside over the Good Place but over the Good Way to Strive. (It would be the Good Place were it not for -- them.)