Dystopia and America

[CriticalDan4th]

Hello, I'm new here but I have a burning question already!

I recently wrote a blog post about dystopian literature (see my profile to get the link-any views greatly appreciated) and as an 'off-the-cuff' remark I said there was seemingly a trend where the USA or North America are the society that falls.

I base this suggestion on books like The Handmaid's Tale, The Hunger Games, to some extent 1984, but I wanted to know if anyone else had spotted this trend too. Is there a pattern, particularly in more modern dystopian literature, where the USA is made the fall guy?

And if so, why are they? I would say it was because the Western world symbolises power and organisation and so it has more of an effect if the US falls.

But what do you think? I'm interested if anyone has any evidence to suggest there is a pattern or isn't.

Thanks! :)

[PeterL]

I think that dystopic fiction is largely set in North America are several: most of the authors are from North America, so they know the landscape; the territory is large and varied, so alost anything can can be included. There has been a long tradition of rejection of traditional values (and that's what dystopic fiction is all about) that goes back to the initial settlement by French and British; they were there because they had abandoned tradition. On the other hand there have been some dany dystopic novels that were set in Europe. I am not familiar with dystopic literature of Africa or Asia, but I am sure that there is some.

[CriticalDan4th]

Interesting thoughts thanks :) I'm sure there are many dystopian works set in other places apart from North America, but the ones that tend to become classics and stick in the mind do tend to be set there I find.
So would you say that the huge amount of dystopian literature which was written during the modernist period can be attributed to the idea of breaking away from traditional values?

[PeterL]

Interesting thoughts thanks :) I'm sure there are many dystopian works set in other places apart from North America, but the ones that tend to become classics and stick in the mind do tend to be set there I find.
So would you say that the huge amount of dystopian literature which was written during the modernist period can be attributed to the idea of breaking away from traditional values?


Yes, that's what I think, but there are other reasons. If I were to write such a novel, it would be out of the hope that the overwhelming majority of humans would go away.

BTW, Lord of the Flies is a rather notable dystopian novel that was not set in North America.

[kev67]

For an early dystopian novel set in the US, you could look up Iron Heel by Jack London. I have not read it myself. I gather it was written just after the turn of the 20th century and has a rather left wing message.

[Nick Capozzoli]

Some time ago I posted a comment upon this recently coined word, "dystopia." I dislike the term because I think it is an example of "false etymology." Specifically, it represents a confusion about the etymology of the word "Utopia." Utopia is a made-up word from the Greek words for "no/not" and "place," i.e. "no place" or "nowhere." It was not intended to mean "Eutopia," or a "Good Place." "Dys-" indicates "bad" and "dystopia" would be a "Bad Place."

It seems that "Dystopia" is here to stay, and my objection to it is likely to seem pedantic and fall upon deaf ears.

[PeterL]

Some time ago I posted a comment upon this recently coined word, "dystopia." I dislike the term because I think it is an example of "false etymology." Specifically, it represents a confusion about the etymology of the word "Utopia." Utopia is a made-up word from the Greek words for "no/not" and "place," i.e. "no place" or "nowhere." It was not intended to mean "Eutopia," or a "Good Place." "Dys-" indicates "bad" and "dystopia" would be a "Bad Place."

It seems that "Dystopia" is here to stay, and my objection to it is likely to seem pedantic and fall upon deaf ears.

I strongly agree with you about the low quality of the word "dystopia". I even spent a little while inventing better ones, but I have not yet tried to introduce one. Do you have any better words?

[cafolini]

Excuse me, important. This Sunday, starting at 7 pm eastern, Alan Alda and many well-known people conduct a telethon for injured American soldiers. Military channel, Military.com, or DTV 287.

[Nick Capozzoli]

I strongly agree with you about the low quality of the word "dystopia". I even spent a little while inventing better ones, but I have not yet tried to introduce one. Do you have any better words?

Unfortunately I don't. And in fact "dystopia," meaning "a bad place" is a perfectly good word. The problem is that folks use it as if it meant the opposite of "utopia," which as we know means "no place." If we used "eutopia" to mean "a good place," I'd not object at all to using "dystopia" to mean "a bad place."

As regards the "original" Utopia, one could argue whether or not that envisioned "nowhere" was completely "good." But we are stuck with the original word coinage...

[PeterL]

Unfortunately I don't. And in fact "dystopia," meaning "a bad place" is a perfectly good word. The problem is that folks use it as if it meant the opposite of "utopia," which as we know means "no place." If we used "eutopia" to mean "a good place," I'd not object at all to using "dystopia" to mean "a bad place."

As regards the "original" Utopia, one could argue whether or not that envisioned "nowhere" was completely "good." But we are stuck with the original word coinage...

But we can be fairly confident that "Utopia" is not now, nor was it ever, "Eutopia". But "Eutopia" is an excellent antonym to "dystopia".

[CriticalDan4th]

Good point about LotF! I first read it years ago and now I suppose I do classify it as a work of dystopian literature.

[ennison]

Dystopian literature is not specifically or typically American. Most American literature that I read is positive, funny, beautiful and uplifting even if the story is sometimes grim .