Dystopia

April 17th, 2025

I’ve taken to reading “speculative fiction” novels such as Station Eleven, The Children of Men, The Parable of the Sower, and Roadside Picnic. Speculative fiction is a sub-genre of sci-fi. Back in my youth, I read the classics: 1984 and Brave New World. These books generally are “what if” stories. They imagine a future for humanity that may or may not come to pass, and these stories tend to be shocking and disturbing. I find them oddly soothing, mostly because they describe fantasy dystopias as opposed to the real one that I experience every day.

I read the news on the Internet. I never watch the news. That’s far too painful. It’s hard enough for me to peruse an essay about craziness and hate. It’s impossible for me to sit and listen to somebody lie to my face, even if it is only virtually. At least, if an article gets too intense, I stop reading for a while and maybe come back to it later, or maybe not come back at all.

The novels somehow put the real world into perspective. Usually, the characters in speculative fiction are fighting for their very survival. In my little corner of the world, I don’t need to do that, although I am aware that across the globe many people do. I need only to read about Gaza or Ukraine or Sudan or other places where life is extremely difficult.

The books help me to remember what advantages I possess. I have clean water, enough food, adequate healthcare, a cozy house, a car for transportation, and a plethora of other things that I don’t even consider until I lose them. I have people who love me. I also have my struggles, and they sometimes feel overwhelming, but I am blessed in many ways.

Pondering the good things in my life makes me want to help others who are suffering. There is only so much I can do. I am only mortal, and I have to focus on the people around me who need me the most. However, I can still reach out to others in small ways. I can’t transform the world from an almost-dystopia into a paradise. I can only make it a bit more livable. That has to be enough.