The joy of dystopia

Sci Fi Diary — Part of an occasional series about writing SF.

Why is dystopia so much fun to write about?

Frankly, I don’t like thinking about the end of life as we know it. I don’t want to see the fate of the world resting on hormone-driven young people. Yet that is the premise of countless science fiction stories.

Why? For some very good reasons.

Freedom. Once the rules no longer apply, the author is free to make up a new society with all new rules. Yet somehow, frequently the characters end up with rules that are strangely reminiscent of the society that came before — and the protagonists end up trying to escape.

Conflict. Fiction thrives on conflict, and what better way to introduce story-worthy goals than a struggle to survive after all our comfortable social norms have been blasted away?

Opportunity. Teens are a prime science fiction market, but it’s hard for an author to give a teen a realistic shot at being a hero. What with school and protective parents, how can a teen ever face life-threatening danger (other than the self-inflicted danger of driving the family car while high), much less be a hero? Easy. Create a world where there are no adults, no school and teens are responsible for protecting themselves and their peers. That allows plenty of opportunity for life-challenging action, both good and bad.

Escape. Let’s face it, we all love a good escapist story, where anything can happen.

So bring on the dystopia! As long as it’s fiction …

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Write that novel!