Does "World, Incorporated" remind you of other Dystopias?

[FictionLover]

World Incorporated reminds me of the universe as depicted in the SyFy TV series Dark Matter. There, corporate interests are more powerful than governments, and are still in pursuit of profits.

Do you see parallels with other dystopian societies you have read about or seen in movies? Perhaps in works of Phillip K. Dick or Ursula Le Guin?

[Cristina Chifane]

I have seen some parallels with George Orwell's 1984 or Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Agent Sliver mentions the Registry, a huge database the supercorporations use to gather information about consumers’ habits. Regardless of the incredible amount of data about each and every individual, dystopian societies such as this are doomed to fail, considering the disregard for personal freedom or human emotions and feelings. Hopefully, the supercorporate world in this novel will ultimately disintegrate. What I am really scared of is the alternative. Agent Sliver might completely submit the same as Winston in Orwell’s 1984 or go mad the same as John in Huxley's Brave New World.

[Chandler_Greg]

Dystopian governments in 1984 and others control the media and a constant of that media coverage is the notion that there are enemies "out there" and ongoing battles. The articles Sliver has Kelly read to explain what happened to the world start out as a collection from many sources, but the last several are all from World, Inc. This indicates the demise of a free press.

The corporations maintain a series of armed skirmishes, to demonstrate continued animosity, while the 5 super-corporations are actually united as a single council. As such, patrons of one corporation can actually be encouraged to buy from competitors, as they promote cross-corporate trade and increased profits for all.

[FictionLover]

I have seen some parallels with George Orwell's 1984 or Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Agent Sliver mentions the Registry, a huge database the supercorporations use to gather information about consumers’ habits. Regardless of the incredible amount of data about each and every individual, dystopian societies such as this are doomed to fail, considering the disregard for personal freedom or human emotions and feelings. Hopefully, the supercorporate world in this novel will ultimately disintegrate. What I am really scared of is the alternative. Agent Sliver might completely submit the same as Winston in Orwell’s 1984 or go mad the same as John in Huxley's Brave New World.

Yes, I realized after I posted that I had missed the obvious comparison to Brave New World and the soma drug they took and the Serum that Sliver takes.

I had been thinking bout Sci Fi writers like Robert Heinlein, Asimov, Dick, Octavia Butler.

I think any time you have a repressive government, people are under enormous psychological pressure. That is why Dystopia societies make such good reading.

[FictionLover]

Dystopian governments in 1984 and others control the media and a constant of that media coverage is the notion that there are enemies "out there" and ongoing battles. The articles Sliver has Kelly read to explain what happened to the world start out as a collection from many sources, but the last several are all from World, Inc. This indicates the demise of a free press.

The corporations maintain a series of armed skirmishes, to demonstrate continued animosity, while the 5 super-corporations are actually united as a single council. As such, patrons of one corporation can actually be encouraged to buy from competitors, as they promote cross-corporate trade and increased profits for all.

So, a little bit like the constant wars in 1984 where shortages one day, are surpluses the next, thanks to ongoing propaganda.

[[Valerie Allen]]

Oh God, Yes! World, Incorporated: A Modern Dystopia reminds me of two additional, fictional tales I like where everything is very bad (Dystopia); the Left Behind book series, best-selling novels, and films by authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist end times: the pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological interpretation of the Biblical apocalypse. In addition to the amazing book and film series, Jason Bourne created by author Robert Ludlum.

[FictionLover]

Oh God, Yes! World, Incorporated: A Modern Dystopia reminds me of two additional, fictional tales I like where everything is very bad (Dystopia); the Left Behind book series, best-selling novels, and films by authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist end times: the pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological interpretation of the Biblical apocalypse. In addition to the amazing book and film series, Jason Bourne created by author Robert Ludlum.

How does World Incorporated remind you of the Left Behind series? I only read one, but I don't see the parallels.

[allyziemage]

I honestly did not feel that this was that major of a dystopian society, unless you consider the modern era a dystopia. Society as a whole is not fearful for their lives nor are they severely suppressed and quieted (this is based on the definition of a dystopia from the Merriam-Webster dictionary). Yes, the registry does store information on each person, including shopping habits, but that is easily done with the internet and cookies from websites. Sure, you might delete your cookies every few months, but during that time the data from those cookies could be downloaded in another person's database, where you cannot delete the information from. Citizens are not limited to shop at only one company either; Sliver mentioned that competition between the supercorporations is common for them to get as many credits in their pool as possible. His first target was a terrorist planning on detonating bombs in a shopping mall; governments already target out terrorist organizations like this. There are specific keywords that are flagged in communication where the government will then listen in on what is being discussed. The professor was the only case that someone was targeted that would not have been in today's society that didn't have an exception in the novel. Shawn and the religious figure were only targeted because of Fellrock's agenda, not as a norm or necessity by the supercorporation.

Who knows, maybe we're the ones living in a dystopia as well.

[Kibet Hillary]

It surely does ring something about very many dystopias.

[[Valerie Allen]]

Oh God, Yes! World, Incorporated: A Modern Dystopia reminds me of two additional, fictional tales I like where everything is very bad (Dystopia); the Left Behind book series, best-selling novels, and films by authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist end times: the pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological interpretation of the Biblical apocalypse. In addition to the amazing book and film series, Jason Bourne created by author Robert Ludlum.

How does World Incorporated remind you of the Left Behind series? I only read one, but I don't see the parallels.

You will need to read the complete Left Behind series to compare as there are similar, conflicting storylines.

[Helen_Combe]

I honestly did not feel that this was that major of a dystopian society, unless you consider the modern era a dystopia. Society as a whole is not fearful for their lives nor are they severely suppressed and quieted (this is based on the definition of a dystopia from the Merriam-Webster dictionary). Yes, the registry does store information on each person, including shopping habits, but that is easily done with the internet and cookies from websites. Sure, you might delete your cookies every few months, but during that time the data from those cookies could be downloaded in another person's database, where you cannot delete the information from. Citizens are not limited to shop at only one company either; Sliver mentioned that competition between the supercorporations is common for them to get as many credits in their pool as possible. His first target was a terrorist planning on detonating bombs in a shopping mall; governments already target out terrorist organizations like this. There are specific keywords that are flagged in communication where the government will then listen in on what is being discussed. The professor was the only case that someone was targeted that would not have been in today's society that didn't have an exception in the novel. Shawn and the religious figure were only targeted because of Fellrock's agenda, not as a norm or necessity by the supercorporation.

Who knows, maybe we're the ones living in a dystopia as well.

I wish we had a ’like’ button here. Great post. As you say, we already have much of this. Outside the main railway station in Birmingham is a huge screen which I am told scans the demographic of the public passing by and picks its adverts accordingly.
I always make sure I walk past in a chicken outfit.

[Bianka Walter]

I honestly did not feel that this was that major of a dystopian society, unless you consider the modern era a dystopia. Society as a whole is not fearful for their lives nor are they severely suppressed and quieted (this is based on the definition of a dystopia from the Merriam-Webster dictionary). Yes, the registry does store information on each person, including shopping habits, but that is easily done with the internet and cookies from websites. Sure, you might delete your cookies every few months, but during that time the data from those cookies could be downloaded in another person's database, where you cannot delete the information from. Citizens are not limited to shop at only one company either; Sliver mentioned that competition between the supercorporations is common for them to get as many credits in their pool as possible. His first target was a terrorist planning on detonating bombs in a shopping mall; governments already target out terrorist organizations like this. There are specific keywords that are flagged in communication where the government will then listen in on what is being discussed. The professor was the only case that someone was targeted that would not have been in today's society that didn't have an exception in the novel. Shawn and the religious figure were only targeted because of Fellrock's agenda, not as a norm or necessity by the supercorporation.

Who knows, maybe we're the ones living in a dystopia as well.

This is actually a really good point. And one that I didn't realise until I read your post. It's interesting to note that a dystopia is actually a world that is undesirable. The world created in World, Inc. was actually fine. People were happy and carrying on, the world was not falling to pieces. It was cool. I actually felt that the author didn't do a great job of creating a unique world. Maybe this IS the dystopia.

[Bianka Walter]

I honestly did not feel that this was that major of a dystopian society, unless you consider the modern era a dystopia. Society as a whole is not fearful for their lives nor are they severely suppressed and quieted (this is based on the definition of a dystopia from the Merriam-Webster dictionary). Yes, the registry does store information on each person, including shopping habits, but that is easily done with the internet and cookies from websites. Sure, you might delete your cookies every few months, but during that time the data from those cookies could be downloaded in another person's database, where you cannot delete the information from. Citizens are not limited to shop at only one company either; Sliver mentioned that competition between the supercorporations is common for them to get as many credits in their pool as possible. His first target was a terrorist planning on detonating bombs in a shopping mall; governments already target out terrorist organizations like this. There are specific keywords that are flagged in communication where the government will then listen in on what is being discussed. The professor was the only case that someone was targeted that would not have been in today's society that didn't have an exception in the novel. Shawn and the religious figure were only targeted because of Fellrock's agenda, not as a norm or necessity by the supercorporation.

Who knows, maybe we're the ones living in a dystopia as well.

I wish we had a ’like’ button here. Great post. As you say, we already have much of this. Outside the main railway station in Birmingham is a huge screen which I am told scans the demographic of the public passing by and picks its adverts accordingly.
I always make sure I walk past in a chicken outfit.

Helen, you make me laugh. It must be very difficult to keep your chicken outfit clean. Or do you have two?
On a serious note though, is that a real thing? Scanning people passing by seems like a thing of the future for sure, but I'm not a fan. I will be purchasing my chicken outfit shortly. Although, I doubt something like that will make its way to our little third-world country any time soon

[Helen_Combe]

Helen, you make me laugh. It must be very difficult to keep your chicken outfit clean. Or do you have two?
On a serious note though, is that a real thing? Scanning people passing by seems like a thing of the future for sure, but I'm not a fan. I will be purchasing my chicken outfit shortly. Although, I doubt something like that will make its way to our little third-world country any time soon

So I’m told
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/m ... ns-9920400

[Helen_Combe]

Helen, you make me laugh. It must be very difficult to keep your chicken outfit clean. Or do you have two?
On a serious note though, is that a real thing? Scanning people passing by seems like a thing of the future for sure, but I'm not a fan. I will be purchasing my chicken outfit shortly. Although, I doubt something like that will make its way to our little third-world country any time soon

So I’m told
Below is the link to the newspaper article.
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/m ... ns-9920400

In fact it is said that the UK is most spied upon nation in the world. Amazing that they haven’t caught me yet!