When Huxley wrote it he initially assumed this dystopia would exist 6 centuries down the road. After WWII he commented that "today it seems quite possible that the horror may be upon us within a single century." Although I find Orwell's 1984 a much more timely and accurate portryal of our modern world than Huxley's A Brave New World, BNW touches on issues left unexplored: sexuality and mind-altering drugs. I see plenty of parallels, and hope the world will heed his prophetic counsel of the world we may choose for ourselves if we fear liberty more than the tantalizing cry for stability by central planners and those wanting an "easier way."

I wish the characters had greater depth, and richer development. They were a bit flat. That may not be a problem given the fact that the novel is more about the evils of collectivism and more macro-level issues in society. There is a reason this has been required reading for many schools. Unfortunately, too few heed its warnings.