Brave New World (TV Series)

[AE35Unit]

Anyone watching the new series?
Just on the first episode now. Funny but I had planned to read the book but I shall wait now...

Brave New World (TV Series 2020– ) - IMDb

Created by Grant Morrison, Brian Taylor, David Wiener. With Alden Ehrenreich, Jessica Brown Findlay, Harry Lloyd, Nina Sosanya. In a utopia whose perfection hinges upon control of monogamy and privacy, members of the collective begin to question the rules, putting their regimented society on a...

www.imdb.com

 

[Karn's Return]

Oh, great, another dystopian film adaptation. Yeah, that's all we need-another batch of grimdark depression in our media. :| I might be against the majority of humanity these days, but give me the fairy tale. I would rather have a happy lie than a depressing truth, because truth is always depressing. We need joy, not more oppression and despair.

 

[nixie]

I'm watching, not having read the book I'm finding it quite interesting.

 

[Venusian Broon]

I've read the book. So when I see '...members of the collective begin to question the rules...'

Mmmm. You should read the book 'cause this doesn't look like it is a version of it. It looks like they have taken many liberties with the source material.

Oh and the book definitely isn't grimdark. Dystopian, yes, but not grimdark.

 

[BAYLOR]

I've read the book. So when I see '...members of the collective begin to question the rules...'

Mmmm. You should read the book 'cause this doesn't look like it is a version of it. It looks like they have taken many liberties with the source material.

Oh and the book definitely isn't grimdark. Dystopian, yes, but not grimdark.

In the book , The denizens of Brave New World were for the most part, a bunch of empty vessels too preoccupied with empty sex, drugs to numb reality other assorted abysmally mind-numbing pleasures. (The had a popular game called magnetic golf ) For the most , everyone blindly accepted their place in society , didn't question, didn't read , didn't think , didn't care. The Zombies in the walking dead had more life in them the smiling stiffs in Brava New World.

 

[Venusian Broon]

In the book , The denizens of Brave New World were for the most part, a bunch of empty vessels too preoccupied with empty sex, drugs to numb reality other assorted abysmally mind-numbing pleasures.

Ahh, an accurate rendition of reality then.

 

[Dave]

You should read the book 'cause this doesn't look like it is a version of it. It looks like they have taken many liberties with the source material.

I've read the book but not seen this yet. SFX magazine says it has been sanitised. No longer is Mexico a haven for degenerates as that would be unacceptable in todays political climate. Also, they have social media in the TV series- something Huxley would not have predicted. So, it is a thoroughly modern take on the story - something that is often done with many other classics. Not something that I like though, I'd rather they stayed true to the originals.

 

[BAYLOR]

Ahh, an accurate rendition of reality then.

It's a clear case of life imitating art.

 

[AE35Unit]

Made it to the 4th episode and that was enough. Dull, boring, miserable. Hope the book is better.

 

[BAYLOR]

I've read the book but not seen this yet. SFX magazine says it has been sanitised. No longer is Mexico a haven for degenerates as that would be unacceptable in todays political climate. Also, they have social media in the TV series- something Huxley would not have predicted. So, it is a thoroughly modern take on the story - something that is often done with many other classics. Not something that I like though, I'd rather they stayed true to the originals.

The book is great, except I would change the ending . I would have had asteroid hit the earth.

 

[AE35Unit]

The book is great, except I would change the ending . I would have had asteroid hit the earth.

Not read it but I hope its better than Orwell's 1984

 

[BAYLOR]

Not read it but I hope its better than Orwell's 1984

There exists a sequel to 1984 . 1985 by Gyorge Dalos

 

[Dave]

Not read it but I hope its better than Orwell's 1984

You'd need to explain what you don't like about 1984 but while both are about totalitarianism, lack of free will and government surveillance, I would say that 1984 is much more about "historical negationism", propaganda and perpetual war, where as Brave New World, We and The Perfect Day, they all instead feature the ideas of eugenics and population control via soothing, happiness-producing drugs. Personally, I'd say that the idea of soothing drugs like Soma isn't very likely, nor even Larry Niven's "Wireheads", and has now been superseded by the idea of living plugged into a Matrix-like virtual reality. On the other hand, most of 1984 has become true, with many of the terms used in the novel entering common usage.

 

[BAYLOR]

You'd need to explain what you don't like about 1984 but while both are about totalitarianism, lack of free will and government surveillance, I would say that 1984 is much more about "historical negationism", propaganda and perpetual war, where as Brave New World, We and The Perfect Day, they all instead feature the ideas of eugenics and population control via soothing, happiness-producing drugs. Personally, I'd say that the idea of soothing drugs like Soma isn't very likely, nor even Larry Niven's "Wireheads", and has now been superseded by the idea of living plugged into a Matrix-like virtual reality. On the other hand, most of 1984 has become true, with many of the terms used in the novel entering common usage.

1984 is a great novel and a very grim read. I liked the film adaptation with John Hurt.

Dave, there is a novel you find of Interest

In Caverns Below by Stanton Coblentz He was historian , a satirist and a Science fiction writer. He largely forgotten by most of today's readers but this book by him has become relevant again. Its a science fiction dystopian type of novel written 1935 two men exploring the caverns under Nevada encounter two waring super civilizations of albino humans who don't believe that there are people living on the surface of the earth . Actually, this book is surprisingly prescient in some of its observations.

 

[Dave]

In Caverns Below by Stanton Coblentz He was historian , a satirist and a Science fiction writer. He largely forgotten by most of today's readers but this book by him has become relevant again. Its a science fiction dystopian type of novel written 1935 two men exploring the caverns under Nevada encounter two waring super civilizations of albino humans who don't believe that there are people living on the surface of the earth . Actually, this book is surprisingly prescient in some of its observations.

I haven't read that but just looked it up. Also known as: Hidden World (novel) - Wikipedia

If you mean by "surprisingly prescient", you mean the control of the population by endless war, and that it provides big profits for large corporations, then he would not have been the first to notice that by any stretch. I've heard that the Crusades were very profitable.

However, I think we are taking this thread very far off-topic, but before it returns back to topic, there are two Ferengi Rules of Acquisition from Star Trek that are relevant:

Rule 34. says, "War is good for business." (DS9: "Destiny", "The Siege of AR-558")
Closely followed by Rule 35. that says, "Peace is good for business." (TNG: "The Perfect Mate"; DS9: "Destiny")

You choose your shovel and takes your pick!

 

[BAYLOR]

I haven't read that but just looked it up. Also known as: Hidden World (novel) - Wikipedia

If you mean by "surprisingly prescient", you mean the control of the population by endless war, and that it provides big profits for large corporations, then he would not have been the first to notice that by any stretch. I've heard that the Crusades were very profitable.

However, I think we are taking this thread very far off-topic, but before it returns back to topic, there are two Ferengi Rules of Acquisition from Star Trek that are relevant:

Rule 34. says, "War is good for business." (DS9: "Destiny", "The Siege of AR-558")
Closely followed by Rule 35. that says, "Peace is good for business." (TNG: "The Perfect Mate"; DS9: "Destiny")

You choose your shovel and takes your pick!

Airmont books 1964 reissued it under the title The Hidden World. That's the edition I had . I read it 40 years ago and never forgot it . Never could nor the vacuous inhabitants of two waring nations. Yes Dave, I think this book has thing or two to say.

 

[AE35Unit]

You'd need to explain what you don't like about 1984 but while both are about totalitarianism, lack of free will and government surveillance, I would say that 1984 is much more about "historical negationism", propaganda and perpetual war, where as Brave New World, We and The Perfect Day, they all instead feature the ideas of eugenics and population control via soothing, happiness-producing drugs.

Well I just found it dull, a slog, and it had a very disappointing ending. I guess I'm not keen on books focussing on dystopian society

 

[Fried Egg]

Does anyone still watch Sky?

 

[Dave]

I've watched the first episode. It was a little like a soap opera with additional sex scenes. Hannah John-Kamen is wasted in this. It's a "no" from me!

 

[AE35Unit]

I'm gonna try watching it again from the start. I wasn't feeling so good the other day (full of cold).