George Orwell and the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

by David Brin

Overview

One of the most powerful novels of all time, published fifty years ago, foresaw a dark future that never came to pass. That we escaped the destiny portrayed in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, may be owed in part to the way his chilling tale affected millions, who then girded themselves to fight “Big Brother” to their last breath.

In other words, Orwell may have helped make his own scenario not come true.

In this brilliant and profound essay, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning science fiction novelist and futurist David Brin explains how the common wisdom about future catastrophes is both useful and utterly misguided.

Excerpted from THROUGH STRANGER EYES (paperback, Nimble Books, 2008).

Product Details

BN ID:	2940012590145
Publisher:	Nimble Books LLC
Publication date:	05/27/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	15 KB

About the Author

David Brin (b.1950) is an American scientist and award-winning author of science fiction. He is the author of several books including Sundiver and Startide Rising —part of his Uplift series. His award-winning novel The Postman was adapted as a feature film and starred Kevin Costner in 1997. Brin's nonfiction book The Transparent Society won the Freedom of Speech Award of the American Library Association and the McGannon Communication Award.