www.greatbooksprogram.org

When one considers books dealing with futuristic themes, two classics come to mind: the ominous ’1984′ by George Orwell and ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley. Perhaps the more intriguing of the two is ’1984′. Although it was written in 1948 and imagined a dystopian future 36 years later which never came to pass, there is still many things to learn from this novel. Part of the reason it is still such a popular book today is due to Orwell’s incredible foresight.
In ’1984′ he predicts situations reminiscent of the oppression enforced in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Also, Orwell imagines a mass media, broadcast in every home, which distorts facts in order to push the oppressive governments agenda. Certainly this is meant to be satirical and a product of George Orwells imagination but there is something about it that, although exaggerated, rings true today. In the modern world of cable news channels, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, all broadcasting their own unique brand of the political truth, formulating an opinion of absolute certainty can be almost impossible. Orwell’s frightening view of futuristic global politics is meant not as an accurate prediction but as a warning of the horror that could be possible in the modern world.