In 1949, George Orwell published one of the most enduring and chilling works of the 20th century 1984. The book was written in the aftermath of World War II, during a time when the world was reeling from unprecedented violence, mass propaganda, and the rise and fall of authoritarian regimes. Fascism had devastated Europe, and Stalinism was casting a long shadow over the East. Orwell, having witnessed the manipulation of truth and the abuse of power firsthand during the Spanish Civil War and through his criticisms of the Soviet Union, wrote 1984 not just as a warning, but as a desperate cry against a future he feared was already beginning.
When we talk about the origins of 1984, it’s tempting to think of it as a completely original, prophetic vision conjured by Orwell alone. But the truth is more nuanced. George Orwell, though a literary giant in his own right, was part of a lineage, a tradition of dystopian writers responding to the political horrors of the 20th century. And one name looms particularly large in that lineage: Yevgeny Zamyatin. Zamyatin was a Russian engineer, naval architect, and writer who, in 1921, penned a dystopian novel called We. It is widely considered the first modern dystopian novel.
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I wonder if Suzanne Collins had read 'We' before creating District 13. There are some interesting parallels, especially the daily timetables issued by the state, although Collins does allow for more personality in the citizens of 13 than Zamayatin portrayed in the denizens of the One State.
Iron Heel. Jack London!
I’ve been wanting to read We for a long time, but a different dystopian book that caught my eye is the Trial by Franz Kafka. I’m not done with it but if you like We, Youll like the Trial
They Live! ~Roddy Piper
I happened upon that book as a free offering from Audible. It's bleak and the ending is downright tragic.
Mrw I hate the surveillance state so much I give a list of communists to the state and die as a spook lmao 😂
1984 broke me
Yeah orwell was an anti communist rapist and 1984 is garbage devoid of any rational grounding. He also ratted out homosexuals to the British police
And here we are with Europe trying to become We or 1984. I read 1984 few months ago and it was very eye opening about the current state of the world. How certain ideologies have been trying to distort words and concepts to control people, the increase in anti-freedom discourse. Very frightening.
I love listening to your videos to help me sleep 💜
We saw the glimmers of this during COVID 19
I'm so glad that Yevgeny Zamiatin's getting his due after a century again!
It's been more than a decade since I had completed 'We'. This video just refreshes a long forgotten memory.
1984 and animal farm was required reading in public schools until
The late 90s
I'm watching it again because I love Quinn's quotes of books!! So soothing!
While "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" is not a dystopian novel, it sure does have the feel and structure of one. When you Randall Mcmurphy coming in and trying to change things for the other patients and him facing defeat at the hands of Nurse Ratched, it kind of makes me feel like I'm reading "1984" Nurse Ratched is, in some ways, even more terrifying than O'brien.
However, unlike "1984" there is a sens eof triumph when the Chief escapes.
In a world of slop and robot voices I appreciate you Quinn
I thought ingsoc was airstrip 1 or something IDK this was one on my first novels my reading comp sucked when I was 15
I come from a culture that does not share much of the dystopia of the west. These dystopia manifests what a person living in a middle income western culture fears the most.
Growing up, I've been exposed to much of these through movies and books. But they have never disturbed the deepest part of my psyche.
Individuality? A prelude to selfish obsessions. Freedom? An illusion with little consequence in the larger scheme of existence. Love as a motivation? The irrational passionate love of young adults that more often resulting in foolish and unfortunate outcome?
I realise through reading western dystopia that we are not the same.
❤"WE" and 1984 is Scary Similar to The Democrat Scocialist Party…New Speak(PC Speech), Control All For What is Said to be the Greater Good…Only and All is for The Colective and Individual Freedom is Selfish❤
Request contains an invalid argument no joke YouTube superimposed banner when you try to make a comment at apparently Google disagrees with like holy hell
So if you want proof that there's no such thing as freedom I made a fantastic super long novel of a freaking comment for you on this and YouTube will not let me post it at all it literally says contains an invalid argument in a banner superimposed across the bottom yeah here we are 1984…. Jesus Christ somebody get me off this cursed space rock covered in sadistic talking apes
Political correctness and corporate speak is exactly what dystpoian new speak is.
We already live in dystopia and its doomed to complete failure.
13:58 like how today you have people calling empathy a sin, and having preachers preaching from their pulpit about their definition of empathy that is the reverse of what that actually means.
13:09 Snirt, snow+dirt
Lets Ride
Fuck yeah
The Wise Man on the Mountain beat you to this one.
respect for not take a sponsorship
As a deeply curious person that struggles with reading from a permanent "fight or flight" mental illness collection, your style and delivery is the only way I would likely ever absorb these books. Thanks
Reminds me of We the Living by A. Rand who must have borrowed from this work.
We need minimal state, when every person is more important than any state, except for criminal behavior
UK right now is !984, almost…
I feel like George Lucas may have borrowed from We in THX1138.
We was also influenced by Notes from the Underground
Excellent video!
I’ve read both books and love them.
fun fact: We was a criticize against a Anarchy-Syndicalist who was a bolshevik know as Alexei Gastiev, Zamyatin was a Bolshevik too in the time but didn't fear to criticize the bad part of it and when Gastiev saw the work WE, he worked very hard to ban this and success. So Zamyatin just write a english version and send it to a friend in UK to publishing it at his place.
and Orwell was in fact a Socialist but not a conformist, more like Zamyatin on that
We, Bave New World, 1984, Fahrenheit 451 – all contain elements of our AI – NSA – Palantir present
Don't stop give us what we love ,cuz we love you're vibe.
You showed me so much…I love it and thank you for it.
Lore of We | The First Dystopia momentum 100