Talk and argue about your favorite social fiction.

What is "social fiction " in particular so we know our parameters?

Never read Brave New Waves oddly enough.

Funny that Huxley and Orwell, even Burgess are best remembered these days for their sf when their fiction is mostly of the okay but rather boring English realist school (Huxley and Orwell I mean, Burgess is a much different writer in general).  May be a gem in there somewhere but I've never had the wherewithal to chance it.

Hard to believe but the common wisdom in the contemporary English literay set was that the sf masterpieces of H.G. Wells were second rate compared to his now largely forgotten realist novels. That old reactionary C.S. Lewis claimed this with a straight face.

Orwell's real genius is his essays I think. Really just read them all. 'Such, such were the joys' and 'Shooting an Elephant' blow away most of his fiction I think.

Quote from: Dumarest;1001947What is "social fiction " in particular so we know our parameters?

The parameters are: keep it broad, use your judgment, don't bog down the thread with debates about the definition of social fiction.

I'm guessing stuff like Logan's Run, Soylent Green is what fits in this category?

Quote from: ArrozConLeche;1002061I'm guessing stuff like Logan's Run, Soylent Green is what fits in this category?

Yeah, I'd say so. When I think social fiction my mind goes to books like 1984, A Clockwork Orange, Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451. I'm not too worried about the parameters.

Burgess' other sf novel The Wanting Seed is worth a read too.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;1001871Talk and argue about your favorite social fiction.

The short story Cloak of Anarchy by Larry Niven, great stuff to ponder. Any of Larry Niven's Draco Tavern stories, which he created just so he could explore social ideas through the lens of science fiction.

To expand it a bit, any of the numerous great episodes of The Twilight Zone, The New Twilight Zone, and The Outer Limits. I wish to any god that will listen for that format of show comes back to TV.

How about Judge Dredd, or do comics not count?

Quote from: Schwartzwald;1002211How about Judge Dredd, or do comics not count?

I don't know. How is Judge Dredd social fiction in your view?

Quote from: jeff37923;1002215I don't know. How is Judge Dredd social fiction in your view?

OK since you asked in a non trolling way I'll answer.

The judge dredd series was actually always written as satire and parody of various social issues as well as a cautionary tale against the willingness to trade liberty for security, and ending up with neither. The creators of the series always saw dress as a fascist and were really surprised to see him considered a hero by many. They even wrote stories like "America" and "a letter to judge dredd" plus others to show that the judge system was terrible and nothing but fascism under the guise of "protection".

Look at how tobacco is banned in mega city one except for one building, how sugar is illegal, how free speech gets you beaten down and imprisoned. It was a look at the " nanny state" meeting the gestapo.

Have I shown you how the dredd series is in fact social fiction about a fascist nanny state out of control?  A warning that was sadly ignored in England and America?

BTW when these dredd issues were ran a long time ago McDonalds sued in england to stop them and left them out of print for decades.  Lately English parody law changed making them fair game again. This is one where dredd, crossing post apocalypse america, comes across an area dominated by McDonalds. Pretty much too true to be funny.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=6g5sb6pd&id=D1C246F0EBB5A3D0D34830D364F3EAC1A68E1ECF&thid=OIP.6g5sb6pdDhVZ56ssSDo4NQDsEs&q=Judge+dredd+mcdonalds&simid=608031950650213181&selectedIndex=8&ajaxhist=0

Again, not too worried about the parameters. So long as you think it genuinely is social fiction, feel free to discuss it. If someone brings up something you think isn't social fiction, probably best to just ignore it and post about something you consider more relevant.

Of movies, I think Gattaca is a pretty fine example of the genre. Possibly quite relevant, in particular with the possibility of a big brother surveillance based on DNA. I'm not sure about the pervasive discrimination shown there, but I could see that becoming a factor when it comes to getting insurance in the future.

The hunger games is pretty much a very hard hitting piece of social fiction that is all too likely to become reality.