I'm currently reading through the Parable series with my PSL branch and a local abolitionist group. Only half way through Parable of the Sower (the first in the series). It is very good, she got the US response to climate change 100% right.
Why Lord of the Flies? That book just promotes the chud idea that without "law and order" human beings would just be savages that would gleefully kill each other.
It’s funny because they found an actual island of stranded kids a while ago, and they all worked together and practiced communism instead of smashing each other with rocks or whatever
The children do, initially, attempt to establish law and order. But this organizational structure breaks down as soon as individuals realize there is no consequence for misbehavior save what their fellows impart.
The story establishes a compelling historical dialect, with the kids initially attempting to replicate the world they remembered, but ultimately adapting to their material conditions over time. While you can certainly read it from a Hobbesian angle, you can also read it as an understanding of how the world functions even with "law and order". The strong prey upon the weak, gangs prey upon the individual, and all the high minded rhetoric in the world falls flat when you're on outside of the mob looking in.
LotF was written as a parody of The Coral Island, which explores a similar premise - three boys marooned on a South Pacific island - but reaches an obnoxiously settler colonialist optimist conclusion.
I'm proud to say that I thought Orwell sucked in high school. And I thought Rand sucked in high school.
The only good dystopian fiction is Brave New World and Lord of the Flies.
Octavia Butler tho
I've been meaning to try some of her books (slowly going through all hugo awards writers); any suggestion on which one to start ?
I'm currently reading through the Parable series with my PSL branch and a local abolitionist group. Only half way through Parable of the Sower (the first in the series). It is very good, she got the US response to climate change 100% right.
Thanks !
Why Lord of the Flies? That book just promotes the chud idea that without "law and order" human beings would just be savages that would gleefully kill each other.
It’s funny because they found an actual island of stranded kids a while ago, and they all worked together and practiced communism instead of smashing each other with rocks or whatever
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/09/the-real-lord-of-the-flies-what-happened-when-six-boys-were-shipwrecked-for-15-months
The children do, initially, attempt to establish law and order. But this organizational structure breaks down as soon as individuals realize there is no consequence for misbehavior save what their fellows impart.
The story establishes a compelling historical dialect, with the kids initially attempting to replicate the world they remembered, but ultimately adapting to their material conditions over time. While you can certainly read it from a Hobbesian angle, you can also read it as an understanding of how the world functions even with "law and order". The strong prey upon the weak, gangs prey upon the individual, and all the high minded rhetoric in the world falls flat when you're on outside of the mob looking in.
I liked Homage to Catalonia (though of course I now realise Orwell was utterly clueless at the time.) His other work was meh.
Lord of the Flies is kinda eh, situations similar in reality sometimes/often go more smoothly. It's a bit excessively pessimistic about humans.
LotF was written as a parody of The Coral Island, which explores a similar premise - three boys marooned on a South Pacific island - but reaches an obnoxiously settler colonialist optimist conclusion.
I guess a bit excessively pessimistic is better than being 19th century imperialist propaganda.
You should read MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood. Fantastic dystopian sci-fi.
I'll add it to my reading list.
Suggested soundtrack items include Tobacco Fucked Up Friends and Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz