Randy Mootooveran
Sci fi, Fantasy, Horror Lit
April 18, 2018

The Latest Dystopia: When Government Fails

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Idiocracy are two depictions of the future mostly free from the iron grip of corporations. Or to be more accurate, there is no cunning, cat stroking super villain in a big chair ordering their incompetent minions. Without a leader, they were comparable to headless chickens put in charge of running a nation. Even a person with one iota of a brain cell could end up the savior of humanity in both versions. It's hilarious to think how everything in these universes could spiral out of control with the absence of the most basic form of education. However, the most important aspect of these stories come from what they say about modern society.

Value has had many meanings throughout the years, changing with the times. It was what made large stacks of hundred dollar bills be worth as much as toy blocks in Germany post World War 1. It's whats kept the world out of a major war since World War II. Back then it was human lives. Now its the lives of every race, gender,  or community that have raised in value today. It seems the times have made several moral things high in value. That being said, its meaning could just as easily swing the other way given the right circumstances. Imagine if reality TV, junk food, and passionless sex became society's biggest concern over education and government? Or the population of an entire planet was worth as much as a bypass for a space highway? Science fiction gives writers freedom to ask these questions under the guise of entertainment. These concepts may be ludicrous, but it does provoke discussions for people looking past the comedy. We often find ourselves ready to act if something we value is put in danger, as well as defend those actions. Every day, news stations are always trying to inform the populus of what should be held in high regard. Media is a powerful tool that has always swayed minds throughout history. It may have its slip ups (case in point Hillary Clintons failed attempts to sabotage Donal Trump at last years election), but it is nevertheless capable of prompting revolutions and following trends. If what was being valued changed followed by the slow desensitization of audiences, it's frightening to think what could be accomplished should someone gain the means to influence what was being broadcasted.

In the end, its just another form of speculative fiction where the future is rife with possibility. No one may be able to predict where it goes, but it always helps to have a schematic of what it could evolve into if left unchecked.