I have always been fascinated with the idea of a dystopia. In fact, I teach it to my literature students here in the United States. Dystopias do an amazing job of teaching us what can happen when rules and regulations are too extreme. And, to be honest, it is chilling what they tell for it seems more and more like the world our society is becoming today.
1984 is truly a fantastic novel in so many ways. Written in 1948, it is a prescient tale about the world we find ourselves eerily coming to be in day after day with the advancement of technology which was imagined by Orwell so long ago. It speaks of a totalitarian regime that doesn’t only control the present, but they control the past, too. They don’t only kill people, they vaporize people, making sure they never existed at all. It has a very simple hierarchical structure of the proles (or the common people), the outer party (the main workers), the inner party (the society’s elite), and the notorious, unforgettable Big Brother (the party leader).
1984 is the year in which it happens. The world is divided into three superstates. In Oceania, the Party's power is absolute. Every action, word, gesture and thought is monitored under the watchful eye of Big Brother and the Thought Police. In the Ministry of Truth, the Party's department for propaganda, Winston Smith's job is to edit the past. Over time, the impulse to escape the machine and live independently takes hold of him and he embarks on a secret and forbidden love affair. As he writes the words 'DOWN WITH BIG…
Red Rising is a great science-fiction fantasy novel, that I would consider to be sci-fantasy. It takes place within our solar system and has a memorable ranking system of colors where reds are at the bottoms and the silvers and golds are at the top. Pinks are sex slaves, blues are doctors, blacks are personal guards for the golds, etc. This book is full of twists and turns that you don’t see coming and the first three books of the series are absolutely incredible. With book 6 coming out July 2023, it is the perfect time to dig into the series by starting with Red Rising.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, BUZZFEED, GOODREADS AND SHELF AWARENESS
Pierce Brown's heart-pounding debut is the first book in a spectacular series that combines the drama of Game of Thrones with the epic scope of Star Wars.
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'Pierce Brown's empire-crushing debut is a sprawling vision . . . Ender, Katniss, and now Darrow' - Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author of Pandemic
'[A] top-notch debut novel . . . Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field' - USA Today
This book has been constantly toted as one of the best books to read. Ever. And there is a reason for that. It is that good.Brave New World follows a man named Huxley who lives in a dystopian futuristic society where it follows three main rules: no privacy, no family, no monogamy.The caste system involves Alphas, who reigned supreme, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons, who are noted as the father of science fiction. In this world, no one is born. They are all created, and when they are created into their caste systems, they are fed these rules and beliefs to live by that determine their life. Such a chilling and haunting tale, but one that resonates with society all the same. Give this one a read!
**One of the BBC's 100 Novels That Shaped Our World**
EVERYONE BELONGS TO EVERYONE ELSE. Read the dystopian classic that inspired the hit Sky TV series.
'A masterpiece of speculation... As vibrant, fresh, and somehow shocking as it was when I first read it' Margaret Atwood, bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale.
Welcome to New London. Everybody is happy here. Our perfect society achieved peace and stability through the prohibition of monogamy, privacy, money, family and history itself. Now everyone belongs.
You can be happy too. All you need to do is take your Soma pills.
This book is a great commentary on what happens when you try and put women in a box. In a world so corrupted with syphilis, pollution, and other diseases it is nearly impossible to get pregnant anymore, besides the rare women who are captured and who become Handmaids. Their duty is to bear the children for the Wives of the Commanders who cannot get pregnant. Besides these three classes, though, the book offers many more such as: Marthas, Econowives, Aunts, Guardians, Angels, Jezebels, and Unwomen. Give this book a read and see what all the hype is about with its televised show on Hulu.
** THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER ** **A BBC BETWEEN COVERS BIG JUBILEE READ**
Go back to where it all began with the dystopian novel behind the award-winning TV series.
'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it' Guardian
I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light.
Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford -…
Shades of Grey takes place in the imagined land of Chromatica, which is essentially an alternative version of the UK where one’s social class is determined by one’s ability to perceive color. To be honest, I thought this was so unique compared to other books that I read that I couldn’t get enough. Greys, in this society, cannot perceive color and so they are the lowest rank. 'Ultra Violets', on the other hand, hold the highest rank. The perception of color also affects their health and wellness. Certain colors have medical effects on people. Another really cool thing about this dystopia is that doctors are called “swatchmen,” since they show swatches of color to their patients. Anyway, I recommend this book because of its absolute creativity.
The New York Times bestseller and "a rich brew of dystopic fantasy and deadpan goofiness" (The Washington Post) from the author of the Thursday Next series and Early Riser
Welcome to Chromatacia, where the societal hierarchy is strictly regulated by one's limited color perception. And Eddie Russet wants to move up. But his plans to leverage his better-than-average red perception and marry into a powerful family are quickly upended. Juggling inviolable rules, sneaky Yellows, and a risky friendship with an intriguing Grey named Jane who shows Eddie that the apparent peace of his world is as much an illusion as…
The system of Gladonus is home to Creatures of Legend, all-powerful deities, reclusive First Bloods, and the Guardian of the Core. From it, all life flows in and out. Should it cease, the universe ceases to exist as well. It falls upon the Guardian to protect the system at all costs. However, his time is soon ending and he needs to hold Trials to select his next apprentice.
None of these participants, however, know that the Trials will pit them against others who are just as conniving, talented, and motivated to win. With their lives and identities on the line, will one of these would-be heroes find the inner strength and wisdom to emerge a champion and impress the Guardian before the system collapses?
I have been to, and loved, North, Central, and especially East Africa for over fifty years. Only six times have I been to Africa on holiday; more often, perhaps twenty or more times, as a television producer. Working in Africa gains a perspective of reality that the glories of vacation do not. Each has its place, each its pitfalls like stalled plane rides with emergency landings in the bush or attacks by wildlife. But, in the end, the magic of the “otherness,” what an old friend called “primitava” captures one’s soul and changes your life.
Keen to rekindle their love of East African wildlife adventures after years of filming, extreme dangers, and rescues, producer Pero Baltazar, safari guide Mbuno Waliangulu, and Nancy Breiton, camerawoman, undertake a filming walking adventure north of Lake Rudolf, crossing from Kenya into Ethiopia along the Omo River, following a herd of elephant making their annual migration.
Stumbling onto an elephant poaching, the team become embroiled in true financing of terrorism for al Shabaab –ivory sales–and are determined to stop the slaughter at any cost. Ivory trade financing terrorism involves UN refugee camps with two hundred thousand displaced Somali persons, powerful…
A documentary team hiking through East Africa collides with a gang of deadly poachers, in this gripping adventure by the author of Kidnapped on Safari.
Years of filming, extreme dangers, and daring rescues have taken their toll on documentary producer Pero Baltazar and his team. To relax and reconnect with the East African wildlife they love, Pero organizes a walking safari for him, his camerawoman Nancy Breiton, and their elite guide Mbuno Waliangulu. Still, Pero has trouble truly disconnecting from work. When the team comes across a herd of elephants making their annual migration north of Lake Rudolf, Pero decides…
