I decided to recall the fantastic books I have read over the years, which deal with the future. Written about fifty years or even more ago, they all tell about our time.
And here's the thought: almost all the stories are dark. It does not matter whether the author described the achievements of scientific and technological progress that led to the apocalypse, or the social structure of the future. I can say the same about movies. Hollywood is replete with stories about the "bright future", in which a sad fate awaits the ordinary citizen.
Judge for yourself. The first person I remembered was HG Wells, well, where can I do without his "Time Machine". In short: humanity has degenerated and divided into two categories: the pampered inhabitants of the "upper world" and the monstrous offspring of the lower. The last comrades existed solely by devouring infantile creatures who were quite calm about this state of affairs. This is a gloomy picture, you can't imagine worse.
Next came Yevgeny Zamyatin's dystopia "We". And again the apocalypse in nature and in the minds. As a result of some kind of catastrophe (the reason remains behind the scenes of the narrative), people were divided into two camps. The first lived within the Green Wall, completely subordinate to the "love" of the Benefactor. They had no names, only numbers and letters, they went to work in formation, they wore the same clothes, called “unifs”. They composed poems in honor of the Benefactor and believed that the life of one person was nothing compared to the greatness of the State. Doesn't it look like anything?
The second inhabitants of the country - peacefully grazed outside the perimeter, but were spiritually and physically free. But then a revolt against the Benefactor, his punitive machine and public order is ripening in the camp of those walking in formation. The uprising, however, is brutally suppressed. As the protagonist, to whom the "fantasy" was forcibly cut out, says with inspiration: "Reason must win."
Yes, an ironic reader will object to me that the novel We, written in the 1920s, is a parody of English society. But I still look at things more broadly, the author did not come up with England of those years, he convincingly painted the consequences that totalitarianism leads to.
Zamyatin had the opportunity from afar, from the shores of foggy Albion, to observe the path along which his own homeland directs his feet. Several years before the appearance of the Leader, he colorfully described the features in which the main personality of the era is easily guessed. Alas, to some people today seems too insipid, and the current leaders are devoid of charisma. The desire of the people to return the "firm hand" is worthy, so that the next Zamyatin would sing him in a new dystopia. We do not learn anything from mistakes and classical literature. So, you have to repeat the lesson.
But, back to dystopias and fantasy.
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Orwell's sore mouth is not quoted only by the lazy. Let's move on. Who do we have there? Of course, Huxley and his brave new world. Huxley's future is bright and beautiful! People do not live long, they die young, happy, with cheerful music. What else can you dream of. The new world welcomes us with open arms. Against the background of Orwell and Zamyatin, the world in which you will not live to old age is quite joyful. If I choose between a society ruled by the Benefactor and the prospect of dying young but happy, I will choose the latter.
And now a little about Hollywood stories. There, too, the future is very ambiguous and gloomy. Remember the film, where the hero wakes up after many years of sleep and is horrified to learn that alcohol is prohibited, smoking is prohibited, and penalty points are awarded for foul language. Oh, these prohibitions!
Why does science fiction see the future this way? Where are the happy faces, where are the people cheerfully rolling on cars with electric motors? Why there are only eerie landscapes: black pipes, smoke, nuclear winter. The social system is always the same: a clear division into higher and lower, totalitarianism in its worst and ugliest forms. Violence against the individual, the predominance of the state over the person, the enslavement of consciousness.
Maybe I'm not objective. But I tried diligently to recall at least one example from the literature of the past, in which our era was described positively. And I did not find it, can you imagine! Not a single positive example. Moreover, in recent years, judging by the posts on entertainment resources, people are keenly interested in the topic of apocalypse and survival. People share schemes for collecting "disturbing" backpacks; in all seriousness talk about how to behave in the event of a nuclear war or a zombie invasion.
Yes, here's another "wonderful" topic: a zombie apocalypse or a military invasion of extraterrestrial intelligence, it is very popular today in wide circles. But explain to me why ?! Why not fantasize about some "bright" topic! Why are mind games in dark colors so attractive to the human imagination? Why prepare rations and a supply of matches in case of a disaster when you can just live and enjoy life. Approaching a happy future, rather than planning the diet of a family of three at the time of a nuclear strike.
Why are so many people "led" to the promises of various "prophets"? They go into the woods, dig dugouts and wait for the end of the world, enjoy the primal horror, savoring the details of future troubles.
Someone thinks they are crazy, but at the same time they are seriously preparing for their own end of the world: they put laundry soap, gas cylinders, matches and other things necessary in the last trip in a duffel bag. And at the same time he considers himself a normal person. Apparently, in the very nature of man lies this desire - to scare oneself, fight an invisible enemy, create and overcome difficulties.
But I am afraid of something else: by diligently drawing an image of a gloomy future, we program it this way! Rereading Zamyatin once again, I am amazed at his perspicacity: we were already in formation, in the same uniforms of the Moskovshveya factory, we were already walking, and the Benefactor's justice machine worked day and night. Now we are waiting for the invasion of zombies.