inkican
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MV edit - as an author, I tend to avoid dystopian stories because I only believe in writing fiction.
Incidentally, if you need a brief vacation from reality, all my books are free until Jan 1st on Smashwords:
https://inkican.com/smashwords-white-hot-scifi-winter/
If I get to 100K given away, I can join the SFWA (Scifi Writers Association) - every click / share / review helps. <3
PilgrimScott
Phew, about time!!
mytruepersonality
No this generation is to early for the inevitable revolution that comes with dystopian futures. we at the dystopian making part. like 50 years to early.
WowSoSparkly
she'll try but will instantly be made fun of, adult men will make repulsive innuendos about her, and her voice will be drowned by the noise, especially if she doesnt have some perfect PR firm behind her (ask Greta Thunberg)
Telemapus
[Tosses duffel bag] Welcome to the choosenating!
t9dawg
So far the biggest turnup at anti-trump protests seem to be age 50+ females.
KuroNeko00
That doesn't describe a dystopian novel, it describes wish fulfillment coming of age story written in a dystopian setting. The big difference is in a true dystopian story nothing actually gets better, the protagonist fails at whatever they're attempting, and usually suffers greatly in the process. The ur example being 1984, though Animal Farm is another well known one.
drinkthederpentine
This
lonelyrangerofthedreams
I read 1984 and A Brave New World and I have bad news for you all.
lonosham
Greta Thunberg aged out…
ScrippyChan
I never understood that bit with the triangles and such in dystopian, apocalyptic, or similarly beleaguered narratives. I cannot conceive of when I, in a similar situation, would *ever* have a spare fuckin' moment to even absent-mindedly think about sex, never mind have the fuckin' luxury of getting it up.
hairyinire
Thank you for the offer. Ive got a transcendental road trip adhead and can use some entertainment.
hwatL4bloopy
Please don't put that all in GenZ, they got a lot going on. have you seen how some of them have aged like milk? We gotta protect them. Unfortunately, it will likely be someone in GenY. 35+ bs if it's the near future.
cactusjuiceitsthequenchiest
Hmmm... I'm in my early 40s, no kids, potty mouth, and a handful of mental illnesses that I hide behind inappropriate humor. *Sigh* crotchety mentor with a (very deep down) heart of gold it is for me I suppose 🤷♀️
MoonAmericanFloydHeywoodR
I self published two novels and a non-fiction book of columns. Not to sound like an omen, or sour grapes, but my ventures into publishing were a wake up call that an author can’t set the world on fire unless the world wants to be set on fire.
The writing was a beautifully revealing, remarkably cathartic experience that changed me. So what if my books didn’t change the world!
boredatworkthatsall
Save the cheerleader, save the world.
ShadeMeadowsArt
It COULD be an warring alien race that settles here...
Awmph
I am available to hide them / teach them important life lessons just as soon as they accept the situation and get up off their asses
jubajuice
I'm fine with living in a dystopian hellscape. I'm just pissed this isn't a cool one. No flying cars, no space travel, no nutripaste, no robot girlfriend, and so on. Shit, we haven't even gotten to hunting each other for sport on a gameshow.
We really shat the bed on this one
TexMexHex
Hungers Games is terrible
JohnWickdidnothingwrong
It's gonna be ok *for the protagonist*. We're the peripheral characters that the evil government caps to show that they're evil.
inkican
I'm going for Goofy sidekick that saves the day
JohnWickdidnothingwrong
I lack the charisma for a speaking role, best I can hope for is like "Revolutionary #3".
michiyl
Look at Mr(s). "I'm on the list of credits" here!
Akivaran
I laughed SO damn hard at this.
HandFireWeapon
We live in Shakespearian times.
modis
God help us if we have to Theone of Glass our way out of this.
FaeVikingPrincess
Why does it have to be a 17 year old? Why not {insert your own age}?
eastherbunni
because those kind of books are targeted to teenagers so the protagonist is a teenager
Saxytimes
Someone pointed out once that people over 40 would be having knee and back pain, trouble seeing, just tired generally, let the 17 year olds do it
Gnakenheimer
Protagonism is best left for the youth or the insane
Telemapus
You can write sex scenes for 17 year olds (with other 17/18 year olds) and it's just "hmn..." not "call the cops."
astrangehop
Well, from books, but also irl kids from teens to twenties make up a large swath of revolutaries. They have freedom, idealism, and there forebrains haven't clicked in fear of death or whatever. Things like the Arab spring wasnt a majority 40+ crowd.
ChelVanin
Wasn’t Alexander the Great like 19 when he conquered the known world?
ChelVanin
Old enough to have agency, but legally a child so no one takes you seriously. Instant adversity for your protag to overcome.
Niagaran
It's the trope. Hunger Games, Divergent and, I'm sure, a bunch more.
rubypilgrim
SFWA is a big deal!
3Davideo
Is that a common formula? The only one I know of is The Hunger Games. And Twilight I suppose, though that's not dystopian.
drinkthederpentine
There's hundreds of them
eastherbunni
Hunger Games spawned a whole subgenre of "dystopian YA with a female protagonist and love triangle". Divergent is probably the best known one
Telemapus
Divergent. Maze Runner. Scythe. Delirium. Technically that thing where they're angels and demons... Shadowhunters was that it?
KuroNeko00
It's incredibly common in the YA (young adult) genre aimed at girls in particular. Hunger Games is the popular one, but Divergent is another you may have heard of.
Arcanum3000
Bad news: We're in an old-style cyberpunk dystopia novel for adults, not a modern YA dystopia novel. Except we don't even get the cool parts of a cyberpunk dystopia.
astrangehop
Idk about you, but I'm going on a shadowrun this weekend.
Telemapus
Fun fact: In old-style cyberpunk dystopia novels "he plugged his phone back in" means he reconnected to the network, not that he resumed charging his phone.
Imalwaysready
Could be both overlapping. Shirley, you can have more than one dystopia happening at a time, right?
GentlemanScientist
I maintain that Joe Abercrombie got it right in The Blade Itself: (Warning, spoilers in reply)
GentlemanScientist
Nobody in charge knows anything about anything to begin with, nothing useful was gained by the main characters' considerable effort and sacrifice, nothing positive was accomplished and on the whole the entire venture was wasted.
lostlittletimeonthis
And what that means is the hero does get some payback, but in the end the system doesn't change and he gets chewed up by it anyway
Arcanum3000
The system has been designed to account for some payback.
Escapist83
That means our savior is going to be gen alpha? With all that gen alpha slang and humor?
Telemapus
"My first and only commandment is: ZIP ZAP Eszet CHURNT!"
maybeamonster
we're right at the "gruff joyless old bastard that thinks all these kids are stupid and soft while they think we're stodgy and past our prime, whose wisdom proves true and who over time is shown to have a lighter side, even as he realizes the crass youth may have some gall and gumption after all" age.
mr miyagi was 52 when the karate kid released. we're not far off it.
mrsdowneyjr
It'll be like clockwork Orange but also not
3Davideo
That would be acceptable.
hwatL4bloopy
Am I confused about how young GenZ is?
DietCokeIsMyDrugOfChoice
Nah, I think this is more late Gen Z/Gen Alpha. The gens are just getting lumped together. We Millennials know a thing or two about that haha
hwatL4bloopy
Indeed
SithElephant
I, for one welcome our new 67 overlords.
counterintel
Me, whenever someone uses a new slang term I've never heard before:
RabidCharcuterie
This is a hella funny comment
DietCokeIsMyDrugOfChoice
I laughed at this way too hard lol my nieces and nephews are so annoying with this 67 crap so I roll my eyes but they're legit having so much fun with it and the mirth on their faces ends up just making me laugh
NinjaCongo
Greta kinda fits the bill actually...
DdCno1
She aged out and the sequels to the excellent first novel kind of lost the plot.
xcelita
I haven't read anything about her love triangle yet though - the prophecy can't be complete without it!
ChocolateCookieAndFudge
Someone hasn't read 1984. No one is coming. We just turn on each other, even within families, and hide in fear.
hwatL4bloopy
That's already happened and I am pretty scared.
DdCno1
1984 isn't a prophecy. It's a persiflage of then (1948) current Stalinist regimes. Nothing is set in stone and our future can be shaped in any direction.
DirkOrion
Three fingers up for the cursed child who lived!
abraxasfury
Up where?
MuffinProof
Updog
TheEleventhHand
FestusMA
Up there.
ryanbunny
Up where?
TlsGrz
Not up the child!
valen00
Get in trouble for that these days!
DarkVoivod
Not really? :/
GentlemanScientist
DYLANLEE79
So as a middle aged gay man that means my role is.... fuck I gotta hide them for three days and then heroically die while holding back the evil horde as they escape.
JoeT85
look at it this way, you'll know when the end is coming.
hwatL4bloopy
You're also like their uncle's metamore that has a bunker in the woods or some other convoluted relation.
6thsigma
Yeah you better hope it's mostly written as a comedy so you can save them with hilarious hijinks and not heroic sacrifice. And our current dystopia already has a lot of clowns .... so maybe.
DumbandConfused
Thank you for your sacrifice.
aRabidGerbil
You could try to be someone they meet early on, and inspire them with your sad story. That way you get to disappear until the very end when we see you holding hands with your husband in public to signify that a small military victory in the capital has produced sweeping social change.
Telemapus
Wait... do you have any weird tattoos?
Sinisfun
or just host drag brunch as a distraction
mrsdowneyjr
Ooo, good idea. Or dress them for stealth
Surisuule
Dude I'm with you. I'm the devoted dad with a family. I have to die to have a tragic background of what is wrong with society. My kids and MAYBE my wife will survive.
inkican
I'm ... so proud of you for doing what I .... never could *dies*
YummyBubb1es
Oh crap, you got the lead gay uncle role? That means I'm background gay dude #8. I'll have one witty punchline before i-
inkican
I like you BGD, that's why I kill you last
TheWombatStrikesAgain
You could try being an antagonistic bitch, and then later admit "Actually, you're pretty alright, kid". So the story can use your change of heart to show how far the main character has come. Growing in skill, building a reputation, turning enemies into friends, etc.
But if you don't calibrate your bitchiness correctly, it could also decide to kill you off midway, to give the audience the satisfaction of seing a bully die.
Imalwaysready
Sure, but only after having a meaningful impact by giving them a key item or piece of advice that re-hardens their now-fragile resolve, this allowing their quest to succeed. And it’s not like you’ll be forgotten (for at least five or ten pages, at least, after which you will never be mentioned again).
NinjaCongo
Violet143
With an added (sadly needed) message of love is love and we can't help whom we love
silentjay01
On the plus side, you will get to have some kickass final words like, "...RUN!", "Today is a good day to die!", or, "There's too many of 'em!"
HalloIamherenow
I think the most badass final words was actually from Heavy in Star Wars Clone Wars -bad guys "Uhh... do we take prisoners?" -Heavy "I... don't" *explodes entire building*
sqeewew
Imma go with ebleghgleblegleuuuuggggghhhhh
hwatL4bloopy
Don't forget to naturally evacuate your bowels.
Redhairedchap
And take as many of them with you as you can. I'm thinking either explosion or straight up John Wicking your way through your safe house. Guns taped behind paintings and trip wired traps on staircases.
silentjay01
Or like Michael Cera's character in the new "Running Man" with his 'Home Alone' house.
DYLANLEE79
Explosion. Attic full of thermite, basement full of gasoline, main floor a hoarder maze of flammable books, deadman trigger. The glowing crater will be a warning to others.
Redhairedchap
First goon in the squad as he turns the corner and sees the ceiling disintegrate above him.
https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1dG5tamQ1NG5vbWkzZHQ4MTVueTEzd2FpZmhsYWt2OXpneWVsYTRmdSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/yidUzHnBk32Um9aMMw/200w.webp
DYLANLEE79
Works on most of your generic hordes, goons, zombies, vampries, terminators, pod people and most aliens not from volcanic worlds.