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A review by rossbm
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
3.0
(Listened as audiobook)
What's it about?
In the future, everyone is happy. This is accomplished through conditioning as children, access to the soma drug, and easy gratification of desires (which are shaped by the childhood conditioning). There is a strong caste system, but everyone is happy with it, mostly thanks to childhood conditioning that includes damaging lower caste embryos to reduce their intelligence and making babies averse to nature (so that they consume more).
John, a savage from a native reservation that is outside of this system, is brought into civilization. Despite being a savage, he is well versed in Shakespeare (which is banned). He rages against the infantilization of everyone. He particularly hates the promiscuity, lusting after a woman but calling her a slut and whipping himself for his unpure desires. He eventually sets up shop in a isolated area, but becomes a tourist attraction.
What did I think?
The story was a bit boring and things were a bit dated. However, despite being close to 100 years old, it still holds up well. This is probably because it focuses on the human condition rather than physical technology. I imagine that in the future we will increasingly outsource things to AI, which not only will help us achieve our desires, but also shape our desires.
What's it about?
In the future, everyone is happy. This is accomplished through conditioning as children, access to the soma drug, and easy gratification of desires (which are shaped by the childhood conditioning). There is a strong caste system, but everyone is happy with it, mostly thanks to childhood conditioning that includes damaging lower caste embryos to reduce their intelligence and making babies averse to nature (so that they consume more).
John, a savage from a native reservation that is outside of this system, is brought into civilization. Despite being a savage, he is well versed in Shakespeare (which is banned). He rages against the infantilization of everyone. He particularly hates the promiscuity, lusting after a woman but calling her a slut and whipping himself for his unpure desires. He eventually sets up shop in a isolated area, but becomes a tourist attraction.
What did I think?
The story was a bit boring and things were a bit dated. However, despite being close to 100 years old, it still holds up well. This is probably because it focuses on the human condition rather than physical technology. I imagine that in the future we will increasingly outsource things to AI, which not only will help us achieve our desires, but also shape our desires.