Dystopian Fiction 101

Dystopian Fiction 101
SUPPORT THE CHANNEL
BUY ME A COFFEE - www.buymeacoff...
PATREON - / mediadeathcult
AWESOME MERCH - mediadeathcult.com
Witten, performed and edited by Moid Moidelhoff
Filmed by Charlie Lapworth
Art Consultant - Sy
#sciencefiction #scifi #sf

[@pnptcn]

MDC is part of a handful of fiction oriented channels that are voicing valuable criticism. And MDC is being entertaining as hell while doing it. Thanks for the effort Moid.

[@brianlehman710]

I would consider Kafka's "The Trial" and "The Castle" to be important progenitors of dystopian fiction. Nice work on this video. Very artsy - i good ways.

[@chrisdunlap5482]

What a perfect place to put a Pink Floyd lyric....

[@Sulihin]

I love that album, partially because of the dystopian feel. Animal Farm is only dystopia adjacent though, I guess.

[@antistition]

Love the comparisons between the "big 3" of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Brave New World. I agree that Brave New World was the one with the most disturbing layers showing both the utopia and dystopia, and how those two things could be the same. But Bradbury's skill/talent as a writer is just too good. 451 is still my favorite.

[@positronicfeed]

That conclusion. Bloody hell. Cheer up Moid.

[@pnptcn]

It's not Media Ice Cream Cult

[@jbellinger99]

IT IS A ROGER WATERS' QUOTE - PINK FLOYD, "DOGS."

[@c62west]

I didn't know I needed a cult until I found yours. Thanks for another great video.

[@MediaDeathCult]

Thank you so much

[@coryjhoover]

Cool cinematography and color correction. Looks very slick and sets the tone. I still sort of miss the old videos in the chair where you'd futz with the mic and color changing light every 15 seconds. I miss the humor and human quality. It felt like you were having a real conversation with the viewer. Now it feels like you're a TV host.

[@MediaDeathCult]

Thanks, I still make those old style videos for Patreon

[@TunaFreeDolphinMeat]

Loved it all - narration, content, production, backdrops. Topic and themes are important

[@RachaelReads-xo5hl]

Was so happy to hear you showcase “We.”

[@Tuaregoxffff]

Next level content quality for the channel. 🎉

[@neonkaw]

The Machine Stops (1908) by E.M. Forester is often overlooked because Forrester was not a science fiction writer. Nonetheless, it has many dystopian predictions that still seem relevant in the 3rd decade of the 21st Century.

[@pandittroublejr]

Thank you... 🙏🏾❤️

[@RichBide]

Nicely done Moid (and Charlie). Now I feel the need to listen to Pink Floyd’s Animals for some reason.

[@richard_d_bird]

you got to be crazy

[@topofthestackmtg1976]

Me too. That was a great way to end it.

[@marclynch314]

He really does tick all the boxes. Great way to end it.

[@tulliopires6894]

This video was a tour de force!

[@moondra3481]

❤❤❤..Love this video. This is what gets me..When meetings at work take a serious turn and they start using that see something say something platform I usually roll my eyes and burst out laughing ONLY because besides the individual who came up with the concept of the meeting theme that 98percent of the.people in the room had not read F451.... and also due to the fact the theme of that particular novel is happening right now in real time.. banning of books etc. sorry for the rant..again ❤ the video. Brilliant.

[@michelmeijer4509]

What an incredible fantastic production value, combined with the tale of the books and stories we love. Add some Moid character and perfection was made. Thanks so much!

[@BooksForever]

Yes! This is the one I’ve been waiting for! The dreaded dystopian story is in my assessment the very height of novel-writing achievement - as a valuable public service announcement by signaling a preemptive warning.

[@rickkearn7100]

What drives our nightmare visions of the 2020's you ask? My answer: politicians. This episode of MDC was in my daily YT feed. After watching, I was so impressed I subscribed. Cheers.

[@Amadeus451]

I forget who said it, but there's a quote that goes something like, "what's fashionable reflects what society feels it is missing collectively." So for example, post-WW2 trends are toward conservatism and security aesthetics since the entire world just got jumbled up by a madman, but in the decades after that the aesthetics get more and more flighty and outlandish because security is taken for granted. Sci-fi is like the what's-round-the-bend version of that. We're trying to peer further along the line so we're not caught off-guard for what might start filling in the cracks of culture and society when the churn begins again, to lift a concept from The Expanse.

[@barryvercueil2346]

Excellent video. Brave words on YA. Cheers.

[@RoyWashington-358]

I am writing a dystopian novel. Your short video was exciting and greased my gears. I hope one day someone will talk about my novel in such a way.

[@MediaDeathCult]

Thank you, good luck with the novel

[@chrishellize]

Excellent!! But now I have to reread Fahrenheit and pay more attention to the 'we did it to ourselves' bit :/

[@fouxsiefouxs]

Brilliant! ...I Love the PF lyrics reference! Fits really well!

[@ryanodoherty4090]

That's the John Murray building! Swindon is a suitable backdrop for this video! Haha

[@mtritt1296]

Your productions of late have been top notch, and your narrative analysis is super impressive! Thanks Moid!

[@MediaDeathCult]

That's very kind, thanks

[@KurtLorenz]

Fantastic video… incredible production… perfect soundtrack… but, I’m even more depressed than I was 16 minutes ago. ❤❤❤

[@MediaDeathCult]

Thank You

[@Craig-j5o]

Perfect timing for this gem. Superb! Thank you.

[@benwilliams6993]

This video made me glad I'm a Delta.

[@steveqhanson6835]

Came for the book haul, stayed for the insightful social critique. Well done Moid.

[@novasite7795]

Great video! Thank you for posting!

[@ericbriggs7383]

14:36 Is that Silent Hill I hear? Great production value Moid! I'm loving the extra effort you're putting into your content. Hopefully more and more people discover what you're doing here.

[@evmartin-gonzales2035]

Excellent work. And the format is great

[@roryscarlett3952]

Moid your production and content is first class as always. This is an excellent discussion on a genre I really love. Thanks to you and Charlie!

[@MediaDeathCult]

Thank you Rory

[@1eyejackffs934]

Outstanding video, thank you, now let's all put down our devices and take a walk in the real world for a few moments.

[@fabriziobisiani1120]

An amazing video about my favorite sci fi genre. Great, Moid. Thank you.

[@MarkShone]

Thanks for producing such great content. Loved the dark visuals used here. Truly dystopian.

[@taffeylewis]

Fantastic documentary, with a hard hitting and thought provoking message. Great camera work too. By the way, best album they did IMHO.

[@Jcm1695]

Another great video! Keep up the quality videos and the recommendations. I got turned onto the channel because of your PKD videos, I’m currently going down his rabbit hole. Thank you!!!

[@lisabeuckelaers5323]

Gave me goosebumps.

[@CrisSelene]

This was an amazing video. I appreciate the literary and social critique. Very insightful. I read all the other books you've mentioned (aside from the Hunger Games 😅) except "We" but it's been on my TBR for a long time and every time I hear you speak about it I move it up. If only I had more time. I was wondering when or if you were going to address the YA novels. Now we see teens and young adults who had Katniss the Tribute as their literary role model protesting and sticking it to the "Man" in every tiny way they can.

[@Anotherone-v5d]

Love the video as always. Really appreciating the production value on this too 👍 keep up the good work

[@romanovec]

Thank you for another great video, have you considered making ,,behind the scenes" or ,,making of" videos? I just watched moidverse version of that one scene from ,,everything everywhere all at once" and thought to myself how cool would it be to see how this video was done

[@MediaDeathCult]

There are "making of" videos on my Patreon

[@romanovec]

@@MediaDeathCult ah I see thank you for answer

[@zetectic7968]

Watching this at 50 minutes past midnight, trying to cope with a bad cold seems appropriate. The production visuals/backdrops almost distracted from the content (not a criticism, more about my state of mind) I shall have to rewatch in the light of day. The phrase "Clap hands here comes Charlie" has popped into my head. Quality content & I look forward to more 👍

[@pastoh1]

Glad you mentioned Brave New World. (I suppose you had to) In my opinion, that is the only version of dystopia achievable...and worse yet, I think he have already achieved it.

[@philanderson5138]

thanks again Moid, an amazing video, great production and content. the question is worth asking. BUT. In my opinion the young adults of my daughters age have grown up with questioning the current climate. They are the hunger games generation. They seem to question everything. at least I hope they do. well done sir!

[@sleestack13]

I realize that I am in the vast minority here, but I have always put "Lord of the Flies" firmly into this dystopian genre. It's a full breakdown of society, just due to our own very human foibles and insecurities as opposed to an overarching government.

[@stvbrsn]

Which is exactly why it belongs in the category. It expresses and explains where those “overarching governments” come from in the first place. Cheers!

[@susannah1066]

"High Rise" is like that; with adults in an apartment block-J G Ballard

[@raybarron316]

Excellent! Great overview and great production.

[@nickr3115]

Excellent video! Really enjoyed your summary of the genre.

[@calebrogers1558]

MDC - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang? I'm shocked there isn't a roasting review of this Hugo winner on your channel. What's a guy gotta do to make that happen? You're creating top shelf commentary, I hope you know you're appreciated!

[@SimianScience]

your videos are amazing and informative. and your accent rules. thank you.

[@MediaDeathCult]

Thanks

[@marieloweanderson350]

Feeling inspired! So good!

[@warrenford]

Another home run

[@geordietrout3914]

Wow, fancy video. TV awaits.. really enjoyed this... particularly the Pink Floyd lyrics at the end.

[@orlando-from-The-Bronx]

I gave you a like for ending the video with a quote from Dogs, my favorite Pink Floyd song.

[@KujoTV]

Been waiting for this one and it was awesome! How goes it with Kafka?(because Hesse should be the next step) I wish you had stayed on Ytube but you gotta do you, so the occasional proof of life is nice.

[@mysteriousoul]

This way lies existentialism…

[@richardadcock5450]

Moid you are simply Amazing

[@diegolar]

Excellent video, Moid! Would have loved to hear something on the spiritual dystopias explored by JG Ballard, who integrates these themes into the characters and their relationships rather than a view on a wider part of society. Also, thank you for pointing out the eurocentric status quo which is very much the cyberpunk dystopia we have today. I really like this channel, it's critical animus distinguishes it from other 'content'.

[@sleestack13]

Moid needs to relax with a couple grams of Soma.

[@martinneumeyer9282]

Could you review 'Prey World" by Alexander Merow? It is a great German dystopian novel

[@TravelAnorak]

It`s apt that you filmed a video about dystopias in Swindon 😀

[@ChurchofCthulhu]

Metropolis (1927) is doubly important today - not just the dystopian reality we live in it predicted, but the rise of robots (AI) to replace humans.

[@roterotevideo]

Manipu-help, this is a gold bit.

[@mysteriousoul]

Science Fiction Canon: Dystopian fiction is a vital wellspring of the genre Warhammer 40k: Hold my bolter

[@JoeNicolosi-l8i]

Wow!! your best video yet!!

[@rvantong]

Fantastic video. One of your best

[@SciFiScavenger]

Top notch. Chapeau to the MDC team. 🎬 🎩👍

[@skiphoffenflaven8004]

Great ending, you old Floydie!

[@anderstroberg3704]

One book which really deserves a mention is Kallocain, by Swedish author Karin Boye.

[@portland-182]

When you already live in a dystopia, is reading about a fictional dystopia what the population want to do with their spare time?

[@durwoodmaccool890]

This! Like what the hell? The plot descriptions of half these things just sound a newspaper.

[@plaguepandemic5651]

Fiction doesn't always need to be about escapism, sometimes it's a nice tool for understanding our world better or a warning for the future

[@joaoseibold777]

Yes

[@definitely_not_a_bat]

Digital content at its best

[@decox911]

Brilliant

[@ChurchofCthulhu]

YA dystopian novels aren't fiction - they're survival guides.

[@DSM907Maniak]

Well done!

[@evertonperk661]

Mishead the last bit to be the good metal band name: "Cholera Chain"

[@buyahhhhrooo4418]

Pink Floyd is a fitting reference for Distopian writing.

[@MediaDeathCult]

Thank you, it's also lazy writing. I was listening to that album a lot and I just thought "This is so good I need to steal it" I think Roger would be proud

[@buyahhhhrooo4418]

@@MediaDeathCult Nothing lazy about finding a fitting reference point. Good writing for those who don't know, a good Easter egg for those of us that do. I love it.

[@kingmj87]

1) The YA dystopia trend already came and went, old man. Even the Hunger Games franchise failed to keep its audiences attention. 2) The most popular dystopian novel these days is one that's been around for a while and you didn't mention it - The Handmaid's Tale. 3) I think the most important (and underdiscussed) aspect of dystopian fiction right now is how people throughout the democratic nations proudly proclaim that they subscribe to one of any number of hyper-politicized mass-market worldviews, each one placing them at the heart of some imaginary dystopia painted by their rigidly curated media bubbles, all because these black-and-white media fantasies are exponentially more comforting to the individual than the daunting complexities of the real world. 4) The oldest dystopian future I'm aware of is the one mentioned in Robert W Chambers "The King in Yellow." I'm not saying you missed it, but it's rarely brought up in these videos, so I figured it's worth mentioning.

[@BruceGeils]

Moido! You beauty! kick ass vid.

[@marcgoulding5230]

I wonder how the 2020s will be looked at by historians in the future. This is not quite the same as the on-the-edge paranoia of the last decade of the Cold War, but there does seem to be a general cynicism and impotent throwing up of the hands. But I'm in my fifties, so perhaps my view is skewed. I'd like to hear what others think. Excellent essay, Moid. Thanks for your work.

[@zeal9901]

Awesome video

[@MediaDeathCult]

Thank You

[@CyraNoavek]

YA dystopian fiction is guidance for young people on the qualities which will allow them to thrive in the face of adversity. Katniss showed us that we can mantain our moral code even as we try to survive the Hunger Games we are all living in.

[@Richard_Jones]

"Ignorance is bliss". Let's call it 'blignorance.'

[@tnagel88]

Was that a Pink Floyd reference at the end!? Nice work.

[@MediaDeathCult]

Indeed it was

[@martymead]

Woof woof@@MediaDeathCult

[@scharmers]

Unexpected Animals

[@Nemoticon]

6:21 Loool, perfect🤣

[@TravelAnorak]

If you haven`t already read it then I can recommend The Palace of Dreams by Ismail Kadare.

[@EwanV]

Hopelessly passing your time in the grassland away, only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air, you better watch out, there may be dogs about!

[@MediaDeathCult]

Roger would be proud

[@mantisamygdala]

Great!

[@foetaltreborus2017]

Great vid..

[@scottv5587]

Literally Fahrenheit 451

[@s1n4m1n]

Are you saying we live in a dystopia?

[@garethlewis8029]

Great video! I hated it! Thank goodness we can actually look forward to Iain M Banks' AI minds making sure we are all happily well-fed and entertained, rather than having to rely on YA heroines making mistake after mistake and an infinite number of deus ex machinas ensuring a happy ending.

[@themojocorpse1290]

I had 1984 on my list of shame until last year . Don’t know how I’d missed reading this classic but better late than never . What a brilliant book totally gripped me from start to finish . The videos are pure quality Moid , extremely entertaining and thoroughly thought provoking . Thank you 🫡

[@thehound9638]

I'm glad to hear that phrase "list of shame." I read "1984" years ago, but I do have many books which everyone seems to have read which I haven't gotten too yet. I read the "Foundation series" for the first time last year, and I have "I Robot" series waiting to be read.

[@themojocorpse1290]

@@thehound9638 yes it’s strange how certain books slip through the net. I was a big Asimov fan as a young man and read almost everything I could get my hands on by him ,Great author .! Read coming up for air ,animal farm and 1984 last year so Orwell is a firm favourite now . 🫡

[@thehound9638]

@@themojocorpse1290 There's too many of them that's the problem.

[@BeautifulEarthJa]

6:17 Florida anyone?

[@combatdoc]

Animals!

[@foetaltreborus2017]

Sadly we see 1984 creeping up on us day by day..

[@c62west]

You ask the question, as if you don't already know the answer.

[@deepashtray5605]

We need more nihilism.

[@civoreb]

The usual suspects of dystopian fiction 👍🏼

[@mandelbot5318]

Man, I hate dystopian fiction. Vile, odious stuff. And I hate this video. I especially hate the creativity on show yet again. This is getting ridiculous. More please.

[@jbellinger99]

Nice Floyd quote. I am not sure Roger Waters is the sanest source, lol. But i love him anyway. Such an ugly record, it becomes beautiful with listening.