Christmas Gift Guide: A Very Dystopian Xmas

6th Dec

Christmas Gift Guide: A Very Dystopian Xmas

George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World are two of the most influential and most widely referenced works of dystopian fiction. 1984 is the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in politics, social freedom or beyond Channel 4′s Big Brother reality horror show: grab this hardcover edition for just £9.09. For someone who already knows their Newspeak from their Doublethink, you can get them one of these Thought Criminal tees from only £9.99. Brave New World has, despite challenges, avoided censorship, and this 1930s novel remains a masterpiece and important work of fiction. The artwork for the book has been reproduced as an art poster, which would make a great gift for any fan. If the person you are buying for already has these, try We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. Written in the ‘20s, this is based on the author’s own experiences of the Russian Revolution and is a forerunner of many modern dystopian classics. You can get it for just £5.82 with an introduction by one Mr Will Self.

Long before Neo donned his black leather trenchcoat and went bullet-timing it around The Matrix, William Gibson’s Neuromancer redefined sci-fi; the Cyberpunk genre was born. Mixing societal breakdown with high technology, cyberpunk has greatly influenced science fiction and films since its inception in 1984, and this Storming the Reality Studio anthology brings togther work from writers such as J G Ballard, philosophers like Derrida and cyberpunk authors like Gibson – a great starting point, or the perfect gift for the seasoned cyber punk reader. Cyberpunk (along with steampunk) has also influenced some weird and wonderful fashions, and some of the best accessories i’ve seen in ages, like this jewellry made of computer components and raygun.

To throw a couple of film adaptations into the mix, we go to the actress of choice when it comes to all things dystopian: Julianne Moore. Children of Men, is a bleak but hopeful film version of P.D James’ novel of the same name; and 2008’s Blindness is a dark adaptation of Jose Saramago’s novel, from the director of City of God and The Constant Gardener.

For me, no list is complete without a bit of Margaret Atwood. What good luck then that she actually fits the dystopian fiction gift list quite nicely. You could start with the classic The Handmaid’s Tale, but a great double gift set is Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood. If you would like some filmic accompaniment to the pigoons, rakunks and other genetically modified creatures, check out Splice, a creepy and memorable sci-fi horror flick from the director of Cube. Or treat a loved one to one of these The Year of The Flood items advertising some of the products of the future.