Why Isn’t Dystopian Fiction Fun Anymore?
"I wonder if the dystopian novels that we read...are really so far off from our own reality"
Dystopian fiction: comforting or terrifying?
In the cultural moment of the pandemic it may be an attractive idea to compare present society to fictional dystopias. The sense of fear, the limits imposed on people’s rights, the ubiquity of screens, widespread surveillance, the spin tactics of the press, and the hypocrisy of leading political figures are all features of a dystopia.
“The frailty of everything revealed at last”: dystopian fiction in a time of crisis
"Dystopian narratives may be bleak, but they do not contribute to the barbarity of our times: they are, instead, a powerful reminder that in the midst of crisis, beauty and hope do remain."
Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes offers an origin story for everyone’s favourite evil-but-unequivocally-stylish dictator, President Snow. For the uninitiated, his achievements in the...
More profit-interest than philanthropy in new Twilight prequel ‘Midnight Sun’
Confession time: I was a Twilight fan. It’s not as damning as the image that probably comes to mind – I honestly don’t remember...
Dystopia in and amongst trash: Beckett’s Endgame
Beckett symbolically employs trash to reflect physical and philosophical reality of a post-apocalyptic world.
The appeal of dystopian drama
Why have we produced so many stories about the end of the world as we know it?
Review: Brave New World
Cesca Echlin is unsettled by Four Seven Two's evocation of Huxley's World State
The rise of the dystopia in a pessimistic world
As the world becomes increasingly hostile we turn to hell in art for comfort
13 Review – ‘effectively and enjoyably portrays Bartlett’s broken Britain’
Bertie Harrison-Broninski is impressed by the ambition and scope of this drama of political intrigue and belief
Walk Like Natives review – ‘A flash-mob blending into the crowd’
A secret piece of theatre, taking place in central London, is a pure celebration of joy.
The Handmaid’s Tale: unnervingly familiar and uncomfortably relevant
Beccy Swanson is impressed by the cruel visuals setting Channel 4’s The Handmaid’s Tale apart from Atwood’s original novel, but warns against binge-watching
