DYSTOPIA:

d e f i n i t i o n  

 

What is a dystopia? Well, that question is not as easily answered as one might think. There are a few definitions in the literature and on the web, but none is satisfactory. In Grolier's The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, the following description of dystopia as a concept can be found:

The word "dystopia" is the commonly used antonym of "eutopia" [i.e. utopia] and denotes that class of hypothetical societies containing images of worlds worse than our own. [...] Dystopian images are almost invariably images of future society, pointing fearfully at the way the world is supposedly going in order to provide urgent propaganda for a change in direction.

I think this comes close to a satisfactory definition, but I felt I wanted to elaborate on the issue and composed my own definition. The purpose of the definition is rather to exclude than include:

Dystopia is an imaginary society which comments on our own society and in which a majority of us would fear to live.

Four key words I find essential in my definition:

Imaginary, as dystopian stories reflect, not depict contemporary society. An example: The street life of Taxi Driver equals cyberpunk counterparts in many respects, but the story still depicts our own society.

Society, as dystopian stories discuss major tendencies in contemporary society. An example: In Lord of the Rings, Sauron's rule is truly dystopian, but it does not really comment on our society. Another example: Lord of the Flies has many dystopian qualities, but the island is not really a complete society. 

Fear, as dystopias reveal and illustrate potential dangers, not seldom imminent as well. An example: There are obviously many dangers in the Star Wars galaxy, but few would spontaneously fear to live there. However subjective this issue may be, the aim with a dystopian story is to frighten and/or provoke the reader/viewer.

Majority, as dystopias are positioned in relation to conventional contemporary values. An example: Some deranged individuals would probably enjoy the savage world of the Mad Max triology, but most of us would not.

It is important to have two other aspects in mind as well:

Relativity, as Dystopia is a question of point of view and differs over time and place. For instance, the visionary man's Utopia is often the common man's Dystopia. In Hitler's Third Reich, the ruling class and its boot-licking servants probably thought they were living in Utopia, but political dissidents and concentration camp inmates were sure they were living in Dystopia. Some people may claim we are already living in Dystopia today, others may claim it is Utopia. Your Utopia might be my Dystopia and vice versa.

Intuitiveness, as Dystopia is difficult to demarcate and define. It is a general label used simply because it is convenient and fancy. I like to compare it to the likewise arbitrary label film noir. We can intuitively tell if a movie is film noir, but not why it is film noir. Exact characteristics are often difficult to extract.

Finally, note that a dystopian depiction by no means need to take place in the future. Uchronian stories, i.e. alternative history stories, may be dystopian by definition, but take place in the present or in the past. Furthermore, the year 1984 has passed, but George Orwell's novel may come true in the future anyway.