Dystopia is the imaginary representation of a future society whose characteristics are negative or undesirable.
A dystopia is an imaginary representation of a future society whose characteristics are undesirable . It is, therefore, the opposite of a utopia .
While a utopia is an ideal society , a dystopia is a negative society. In other words: utopia is a desire that is impossible to achieve and dystopia is a possibility whose realization should be avoided.
Origin of the concept of dystopia
The first use of the term dystopia , although it was in its equivalent in the English language, is attributed to John Stuart Mill , an English politician, economist and philosopher, within the framework of a parliamentary intervention in which he gave a speech, in the year 1868.
Although this word has not appeared in the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy for a long time, it was finally included by the writer José María Merino , who describes it as a representation of a society of the future whose moral alienation can be explained from its negative traits. .
Examples in literature
Numerous writers, throughout history , have imagined dystopias. One of the best-known dystopian societies is the one created by the British George Orwell (1903-1950) in his novel “1984” . Orwell envisioned a world governed by Big Brother , constantly present in the lives of citizens. In the Orwellian dystopia there is a Thought Police (which punishes those who think things contrary to those accepted by the ruling party) and even a Newspeak that eliminates words that should not be thought.
“Fahrenheit 451” , by the American Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), is another book that presents a dystopia. In this case, the writer developed a society where the function of firefighters is to burn books because, according to the rulers, they produce anguish in the citizens since they incite people to question reality . This way, if people can't access books, they are happy.
Chaos and destruction are present in dystopias.
Dystopias in cinema and video games
Cinema also often shows dystopias. One of the most popular is the society that George Miller imagined in his film “Mad Max” : a planet immersed in chaos where motorcycle gangs control the roads and confront the Central Force Patrol .
In the video game industry, dystopia occupies a very important place. Although it is not the most popular option for developers when creating imaginary worlds, there are certain series whose relevance is undeniable, and among them Deus Ex stands out. The first of the four main games in this saga had among its creators the acclaimed writer and producer Warren Spector .
Throughout the four installments of Deus Ex , we approach several of the elements that define dystopia in a natural and spontaneous way, as if we were really there. One of them is darkness ; We can find it in most of the works of this group, and it helps us understand the situation of deterioration that humanity has suffered, the lack of hope of its characters, the loss of certain values.
The darkness in dystopia can be seen both graphically and symbolically: in video games and movies, it is rare to see a scene in broad daylight but we also see a sadness in the characters that seems to have taken away their hope. Fanaticism is another of the characteristic elements of dystopian stories, and can be represented through new religions or groups that seek to "defend themselves" from the attacks of their supposed enemies.
Without a doubt, technology occupies a very important place in dystopia. But it is not imposed through special effects that aim to leave us speechless, but rather it seems to be perfectly integrated into the daily lives of the characters.