Similarites between World Inc. and Wall-E

[ValBookReviews]

ooh, I wish I had seen the film Wall-E to participate.

You should! It's very sweet (in direct contrast to World, Inc)

Okay! Thank you! Maybe I'll give it a shot.

[xBibliobibulix]

I definitely think there are similarities. Most science fiction is derivative now, very rarely is a concept brand new (not that there is anything wrong with that it just is). The idea of a big corporation taking over and turning the masses into mindless drones is a recurring theme in a lot of Sci-Fi so I'm not surprised you made a connection but it was a good one!

[Bianka Walter]

I definitely think there are similarities. Most science fiction is derivative now, very rarely is a concept brand new (not that there is anything wrong with that it just is). The idea of a big corporation taking over and turning the masses into mindless drones is a recurring theme in a lot of Sci-Fi so I'm not surprised you made a connection but it was a good one!

There are a lot of connections between all sci-fi/dystopia these days. I suppose coming up with something new is not easy. Although, corporations taking over at least hasn't been done to death. I feel like nuclear war and global warming are concepts that are a little redundant now.

[ayoomisope]

True. I think, however, that we haven't gotten enough Terminator-esque movies. There's still some good stories to be told on that front.

[ayoomisope]

Now that you mention it, I see it a little too. I think similarities are bound to happen when the genre is shared - especially when big corporations are a controversial and loaded topic sometimes. However,the author did a good job with the differences, keeping the story from being stale.

It's good when authors take the time to properly work a story and create a unique experience.

[ayoomisope]

I know that the two stories couldn't be more different, but I couldn't help noticing some big similarities between World Incorporated and the Pixar film Wall-E.
In both, the big corporations take over, and the somewhat mindless people go about their everyday lives without much stimulation.
Did anyone else notice a slight connection between the two? Was there anything else from the book that shared themes from Wall-E?

I'll admit that I can see the similarity between the two, but only because you've mentioned it. I'm not sure I see any other similarities, however. Yes, they both have big corporations in charge, but I would say that in Wall-E the corporations took control due to lack of any other choice, and there was really nothing malicious about what they were doing. The behavior of the supercorporations in World Incorporated was drastically different. Still, I love that you noticed that one slight connection. Finding those little similarities has always been one of the fun parts of reading for me.

Nice observation. It's true that the corporations in Wall-E were not malicious, and they eventual collapse of society was unintended.

[Bianka Walter]

True. I think, however, that we haven't gotten enough Terminator-esque movies. There's still some good stories to be told on that front.

Oh great idea. Maybe we should write a strongly worded letter to Spielberg and tell him to sort that out for us.

[ayoomisope]

True. I think, however, that we haven't gotten enough Terminator-esque movies. There's still some good stories to be told on that front.

Oh great idea. Maybe we should write a strongly worded letter to Spielberg and tell him to sort that out for us.

Hmm. Maybe. I'm really up to it. James Cameron might not be so glad about it though.

[Bianka Walter]

True. I think, however, that we haven't gotten enough Terminator-esque movies. There's still some good stories to be told on that front.

Oh great idea. Maybe we should write a strongly worded letter to Spielberg and tell him to sort that out for us.

Hmm. Maybe. I'm really up to it. James Cameron might not be so glad about it though.

Cameron's far too busy with Avatar 2.

[David Horta Alonso]

I as well noticed similarities in government take over by corporations. This could be fatal in the long run. Corporations are businesses entities he'll bent on making profits and not addressing the societal problems.

[Yolimari]

I did not occur to me to make this comparison but I think you are onto something. I think maybe both critique the modern’s world obsession with consumerism. In World, Incorporated everyone is just a consumer and the corporations compete for their loyalty. There are personalized ads everywhere. In Wally, we see that the people aboard the spacecraft spend all days sitting in front of a screen and eating junk food. In other words, in both novels people live only to consume products and use technology. Also, in both stories everyone behaves the same way.

[CheyenneR]

I didn't really think about that comparison but I can definitely see the similarities. Especially with the mindlessness of the citizens.

[David Horta Alonso]

Yes, the corporations are taking over governments while the people go about their daily business. The people do not know what is going on in the society.

[Bianka Walter]

I did not occur to me to make this comparison but I think you are onto something. I think maybe both critique the modern’s world obsession with consumerism. In World, Incorporated everyone is just a consumer and the corporations compete for their loyalty. There are personalized ads everywhere. In Wally, we see that the people aboard the spacecraft spend all days sitting in front of a screen and eating junk food. In other words, in both novels people live only to consume products and use technology. Also, in both stories everyone behaves the same way.

It's the people that get to me the most. Imagine living in a world where you are controlled by what you buy. Everyone says that the corporations give freedom from government, but I wouldn't like to like in a world where I'm governed by what products I purchase.

[Yolimari]

I did not occur to me to make this comparison but I think you are onto something. I think maybe both critique the modern’s world obsession with consumerism. In World, Incorporated everyone is just a consumer and the corporations compete for their loyalty. There are personalized ads everywhere. In Wally, we see that the people aboard the spacecraft spend all days sitting in front of a screen and eating junk food. In other words, in both novels people live only to consume products and use technology. Also, in both stories everyone behaves the same way.

It's the people that get to me the most. Imagine living in a world where you are controlled by what you buy. Everyone says that the corporations give freedom from government, but I wouldn't like to like in a world where I'm governed by what products I purchase.

I agree. People would not have an identity.