R.E.M. released that single while I was in high school, in 1987 I believe. It is a catchy little diddy, although it is not about Jack and Diane. It seemed appropriate for the ideas rambling through my head today as I sit down to put thoughts to page. Now, before you send a concerned text or make a quick call to some hotline on my behalf, I do not feel as if things are spirally out of control toward imminent destruction. In all honest, the world a pretty neat place right now. School is out, professional development was rewarding last week (thanks to a an amazing group of teachers who prove over and over again that laughter and learning do in fact go hand in hand), Emily and Dylan are tolerating each other pretty well so far this summer, I am adjusting well to early morning weights, and I spent most of the weekend doing nothing in particular but being together with my beautiful wife Heidi. Life is pretty neat.
No, the thoughts that might be wrapped up in such a song are aroused by a book I have started. It is titled The Road, and it was recommended by a friend and colleague by the name of Greg Froese. I am not very far into the novel, so I cannot honestly give much of an assessment. I am intrigued by it, and I find myself wanted to read further whenever I have to put it down for a time. However, the tale is, well, unpleasant. Thus far, I know only two characters, a man and a young boy. There has been disturbing mention of a female character, and a new man has just entered the picture, although his stay seems as if it will be short. The setting is gray. Gray, ashen, burnt, and smoldering. As I said, i am just getting into the novel, but I am going to go out on a limb and say someone done messed up. Bigtime.
I started to think about the popularity of works that present the reader, or viewer, with a world that has dark and dangerous. Why are we gripped so tightly the tales that have humankind destroying itself, its core systems of beliefs, its surroundings, and its hope? Some create dystopian worlds where humans have created societies that seem ideal and perfect, or at least are presented as such, while masking the darkest, most savage realities. Others paint post-apocalyptic images of worlds scorched and barren, sometimes literally burned by warfare and unchecked human malice, at other times simply purged of the majority of mankind, nearly erased by disease, drought, or self-destruction.
Pleasant places to visit on a spring afternoon. I have to admit that I enjoy reading and teaching these types of literature. They can be seen as flashing lights, as hints to us as human beings to take a look at ourselves and what we do more closely. They can be hyperbolic symbolism of the world which we have already created, meant to comment on our own follies, to point out what we have already done so horribly. They might tap into the eternal pessimism that so many people seem to wallow in and seem to need to survive. Whatever the reason, they are good reads, and often good movies. People seem to love seeing just how horrible things might be.
So, with that in mind, I thought I would throw together a "Best of" list of literature about the worst possible futures we can expect. A "You think your world sucks? Just wait until this happens" who's who, if you will. I am only going to include pieces I have actually read, and not those that I have only seen as films. I would love to include films such as V for Vendetta or The Book of Eli, but since I have only seen someone else's interpretation of each piece, I do not feel that I can speak to those works. I am sure to leave off some good pieces as well, so feel free to add your own favorites in the comments. Who knows? That might lead to some young soul opening a book at some point over the next three and a half months. I am hoping The Road will eventually find its way onto this list. I will have to finish it first.
Now, in no particular order...
1984: George Orwell's novel is dark, harsh, and painful. The governments watches everyone, or at least might be watching everyone, at any given time. Even thinking negatively about the country's leaders is a crime, rats and facecages are employed as tools of persuasion, and every fact is a lie. The protagonist is so attracted to Julia, a woman who proudly wears the ironically scarlet sash of the Junior Anti-sex League, that he can think of nothing else but smashing her face with his fist. Big Brother is always watching, and everything is just fine, or else.
Fahrenheit 451: Hey, a future in which houses are constructed of inflammable materials seems like a good thing, right? Unfortunately, the firefighters union is rathers strong, so that profession shifts to setting fires rather than quenching them. They burn books, and since the only reading material that is not outlawed is the drivel produced by the government, firefighters are tasked with rooting out those rebels who insist on foolishly holding on the bound-pages of the past. Wall-sized TVs have taken the place of human friends, and the protagonist's wife wants only to acquire a fourth wall so she can be surrounded by her televised friends and to ingest as much mind-altering substances as possible so she can feels as if she is in their world. Montag just wants to read a book, or at least figure out what the big deal is about reading one, and avoid being stabbed by a hypodermic needle wielded by a mechanical dog that can actually smell fear and deceit. Neat place.
"The Marching Morons": This is a short story, so you have no excuse for not finding it and reading it. It seems that at some point, humans master cryogenics, and one man awakes from a long sleep to discover that the human race has forgotten about all technology. The least intelligent members of society have bred at a high rate, while more intelligent people have chosen not to have children. The result is a culture idiocy, and he feels that this puts him in the enviable position of being so far above those people who make up the new society, that they cannot even fathom how much he knows. He will be a god! Or not. Hilarity ensues. Or not. Read it.
"By the Waters of Babylon": This is another short story (I hope you have noticed I italicize novel titles and place titles of shorter works in quotation marks. I am a member of the MLA Gang, and I refuse to let the lax habits of journalism school grads infiltrate my writing.) John is the son of a priest, and he hopes to one day become a priest himself. Priests hold a special place in his primitive society, and he is willing to undergo whatever ritual is required to reach that lofty position. His rite of passage takes him along the god roads, to a place of forgotten statues and packs of wild dogs. It is quite a journey, but one more familiar than we might imagine.
I Am Legend: I am referring to the short novel by Richard Matheson, not the film starring Will Smith. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed the movie, and I have watched it several times. I simply wish they had not titled it after this piece of literature. Too many changes were made. The novel is amazing. It focuses on Robert Neville, an ordinary man who just happens to be living in a world of what appear to be vampires. His family is gone, victims of some strange disease, and his neighbors, also victims of that contagion, taunt him nightly, trying to get him to come outside so they can devour him. This isolated man must determine what has caused his world to be ravaged, so that he can somehow survive it. He explores the details of our legends, such as the idea that vampires cannot stand garlic or cross running water, to learn why we have these legends in the first place. Why are they so prominent in our shared histories if they do not in fact spring from some nugget of truth that long ago became cloaked in what we call legend? Even more frightening: what if those who were the subjects of the legends, once a minority, are suddenly the inventors of future legends, based on their own fears and prejudices?
Brave New World: Written in the late 1930s, this novel creates a world that is still disturbing, partly because it seems so frighteningly familiar. Genetic engineering, emotional detachment, chemical dependence, and consumerism play major roles in this novel, along with forms of entertainment that break moral and ethical boundaries and vacations to primitive lands where what we call the nuclear family still exists. It is a brave new world indeed. Greg Froese has assigned a comparison/contrast of this novel and 1984 for his AP seniors English students this summer. I love that idea. The ways the novel presents the dystopia's moral views of intimacy, love, contentment, and social conditioning should lead to some interesting and thought-provoking discussions. I envy Mr. Froese.
Anthem: I am not sure that I would call this a terrific read, but I do find it interesting. Society has removed as much individuality as possible, and the way to true contentment is to be content with your role in society. That sounds good, until the a street sweeper discovers a lightbulb, something that does not exist any longer, in an old sewer tunnel, and light goes off in his head, and his heart. Sorry. Anyway, he starts to think about what might be, and what he might become. And that will not do. Hilarity ensues. Or not.
World War Z: Once again, I refer to the novel of this title, not the film. The film was fine; the novel was better. It is the chronicle of the lead up to, escalation of, and playing out of the zombie wars. Black market organ transplants, Israeli isolationism, audio hallucinations, far north zombie popsicles, trapped in sunken ships and submarine zombies, mercenaries, and sacrificial lamb battle plans. Sounds neat, right? Well, it is. The world is dark place, my friend, when everyone you once knew wants to devour your flesh. There are even people who take the "if you can't beat them, join them" approach and become zombies even though they are not zombies, only to discover that the zombies know the difference even if the wannzombies don't.
The Stand: I have not read this work by Stephen King for quite a while, but it still sticks in parts of my brain, so it needs to be on the list. The world's human population has been decimated by a superflu. Those who remain simply hope to survive. They seem drawn to one of two places, and one of two groups: a farm in Nebraska where an old woman lives and speaks to them in their dreams, or Vegas, where a dark figure who has long walked the lonely roads promises carnal pleasure. I think you can see where this one might head. I remember the characters being well-written and conflicted. Maybe I should go back and read it again. Stephen King will eventually find his place of respect as our era's Poe or Hawthorne. Maybe The Stand is not his best work, but it is interesting.
I did not want to give too much away in my list, so I apologize if my ramblings are confusing. My recommendation would be to read them for yourself. Disagree with me if you feel I am wrong. Add to the list if you feel a worthy work has been ignored. So what if someone disagrees with you? It's not the end of the world.
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