Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World” • Hacker News Board

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#51

Post by WriterGuy2021 » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 2:05 PM UTC

dustintrex wrote: post #50

It's a real shame that Huxley's final novel Island , written after his first exposure to actual psychedelics, gets so little press compared to Brave New World . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_(Huxley_novel) But apparently the world wasn't ready for a utopia of Tantric sex and drugs where people are genuinely happy.

Brave New World has become more than a novel now...it's a symbol in the cultural lexicon. Another example is the use of "orwellian" as an adjective by people that have never read 1984. I agree that his other works demonstrate his skills as an artist much better.

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#52

Post by nickstinemates » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 2:19 PM UTC

dustintrex wrote: post #50

It's a real shame that Huxley's final novel Island , written after his first exposure to actual psychedelics, gets so little press compared to Brave New World . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_(Huxley_novel) But apparently the world wasn't ready for a utopia of Tantric sex and drugs where people are genuinely happy.

Island is an amazing book. I highly recommend it. I read it at least once a year and its just as moving the 10th time as it was the first.

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#53

Post by danteembermage » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 2:33 PM UTC

dr_dshiv wrote: post #12

WriterGuy2021 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Huxley's dystopia, all friction is eliminated. Friction is what makes people wake up. These "unbearable limits," i.e., friction, would not exist in Brave New World.

It sounds a lot like the Netherlands. It’s so damn nice and functional here — more freedom than the US, even — but there is a gnawing sense that it will lead to a very dulltopian world, where needs are fully satisfied and life becomes rather unimportant.

The best social safety net in the world can only protect you so much from the needs of your own children, absent some sort of young ladies illustrated primer taking over. So in that since parenting becomes more important to parents human thriving when other struggles die.

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#54

Post by hanklazard » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 2:34 PM UTC

mbg721 wrote: post #41

imglorp wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It turns out they were both approximately right about dystopia.

They both missed (but the film Brazil caught) that the dystopia will be run by a bureaucracy of bumbling idiots.

Anytime I am forced to navigate a maze of bureaucracy and/or paperwork, my mind goes to this movie. It seems more relevant with every passing day.

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#55

Post by rjbwork » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 2:45 PM UTC

WriterGuy2021 wrote: post #45

0des wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems a lot of literary dystopias have merged and manifested into our current reality. At this point I'm just waiting for someone harpoon at my car as I approach an onramp.

Despite all the insightful intellectual back and forth on this thread, this is my favorite comment.

Right over my head. Is this just a snarky Moby Dick joke?

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#56

Post by abruzzi » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 2:48 PM UTC

Barrin92 wrote: post #13

BNW remains to this day one of my biggest disappointments when it comes to the classics. I remember reading it maybe fifteen years ago and I went in with this expectation to read this brilliant critique of modern consumer society everyone was referencing, what did I get? The antagonists of the book are called Marx, Lenina and Mustapha (read: muslims, women and commies running the world government), and the hero is a…

I've actually known quite a few people that liked the society depiceted in the novel. I had one friend that felt that it was ideal because what was depicted was a less painful version of the mindless drudgery that most of the world spends their life in, and those that don't fit in are sent somewhere where they can be themselves (Falkland Islands) He saw it as a better version of the divisions already present in our society. (His opinions, not mine.)

I've found the novel to be a bit of a Rorschach blot since people read their whole view of current society, and their place in it into the novel. As has been pointed out, Huxley was an artist, so his interpretation of his novel is heavily guided by a creative personality, and for many creative people, individuality is one of the highest goods. Others read their own views into it, and interpret the novel very differently. My personal reading has some sympathies with Huxley's version, but it is not the same. I'm not a fan of the way society (both at the macro and micro level) is structured now (or in 1932), so there are aspects of BNW that appeal to me.

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#57

Post by sewer_bird » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 2:53 PM UTC

rjbwork wrote: post #55

WriterGuy2021 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Despite all the insightful intellectual back and forth on this thread, this is my favorite comment.

Right over my head. Is this just a snarky Moby Dick joke?

It’s a reference to “Snow Crash” by Neil Stephenson

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#58

Post by drfxyjhdyfrhgc » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 2:58 PM UTC

Barrin92 wrote: post #13

BNW remains to this day one of my biggest disappointments when it comes to the classics. I remember reading it maybe fifteen years ago and I went in with this expectation to read this brilliant critique of modern consumer society everyone was referencing, what did I get? The antagonists of the book are called Marx, Lenina and Mustapha (read: muslims, women and commies running the world government), and the hero is a…

>Huxley seems to be dead afraid of a society in which the monogamous family is washed away by technology and higher forms of social organization...

It would be rude of me to ask about your family of origin.

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#59

Post by tomkat0789 » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 3:00 PM UTC

mbg721 wrote: post #41

imglorp wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It turns out they were both approximately right about dystopia.

They both missed (but the film Brazil caught) that the dystopia will be run by a bureaucracy of bumbling idiots.

I think that's another dimension of the control. It'd be controversial to make a law saying "we're restricting how you repair your air condition", but if you instead said, "for your safety, you need to have a signed and stamped form B-6 to repair your air condition" you can achieve the same effect by creating layers of bumbling bureaucracy. Everybody is hostage to insane rules that obfuscate your control.

Re: Remembering Huxley's “Brave New World”

#60

Post by germinalphrase » Thu, Oct 07, 2021, 3:02 PM UTC

dustintrex wrote: post #50

It's a real shame that Huxley's final novel Island , written after his first exposure to actual psychedelics, gets so little press compared to Brave New World . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_(Huxley_novel) But apparently the world wasn't ready for a utopia of Tantric sex and drugs where people are genuinely happy.

I quite like the idea in “The Island” that there is a desire to dominant within all people, but for those who have a strong compulsion to dominate, we must provide a productive outlet. In the novel, this outlet was rock climbing in which the desire to dominate is turned inward upon the self rather than outward upon other people.