The Future as we Write it.
Chris Bonfiglioli
Open University New Media Consultant
Open University New Media Consultant
- Sounding Coastal Change
- Stories of Change
- Earth in Vision
Is it a coincidence that many of the things described in George Orwell's 1984 and in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World have already come about in some form, or have been paralled in unexpected ways?
The question is whether the stories led the reality or the reality was born from the stories.
The original Utopia by Sir Thomas More describes the an early 16th century idea of a perfect society. Utopias, and science fiction works in general tell us just as much about the time in which they are written as they do about the future. But they also point the way to choices, good or bad ones.
The original Utopia by Sir Thomas More describes the an early 16th century idea of a perfect society. Utopias, and science fiction works in general tell us just as much about the time in which they are written as they do about the future. But they also point the way to choices, good or bad ones.
We are living in a time when technological changes are being chosen quickly and with little or no public debate. Who is choosing technology such as driverless cars, airport scanners and lethal drones? Surely we don't still think that technology is just something that happens to us? No technology is chosen by us all either passively or actively. Even if our involvement is merely to acquiesce it is still political involvement.
Many of the films we watch are dystopian. Perhaps the present would be better if we started dreaming of better futures? this ties in with ideas of spaces of hope; designing spaces for better ways of living. (David Harvey). The healthy cities movement (Len Duhl) and all the developments of this are also part of the search for happier, healthier ways of living.
