Apocalypse Later: Is Sci-fi's bleak vision of the future warranted?

In the dystopian future envisioned by science fiction writers and filmmakers, society deteriorates into little more than a war-ravaged landscape where people are left to eek out an existence in the rubble or retreat underground. This backdrop is usually the result of an apocalyptic--or near-apocalyptic--event that ushers in a new age. Humans are sometimes battling machines that have emerged as the superior "species" in the survival-of-the-fittest motif or are divided into warring factions competing for ascendancy and the little resources remaining. More recently in this foreboding depiction of the future is the threat of extinction or horrid mutation of humankind by biological organisms such as viruses. A new Dark Age emerges; hopelessness and pessimism are ubiquitous until a hero or heroine--"the one"--appears, restoring the earth to its natural order and its rightful heirs. Some of you, no doubt, are already recognizing this archetype. This, overall, is the classic dystopian future of the genre. It is a common thread in many sci-fi stories. 

Then, there is the dystopian utopia. Often in these dire narratives, society is ruled and controlled by faceless technocrats who control every aspect of life. The irony is that the people usually do not recognize to what extent they are being controlled and manipulated; sometimes they are completely oblivious to it. The technological advancements create a facile and convenient way of life where machines serve humanity to an extent that is automated and intuitive (note again the irony here). Citizens live a tightly manufactured and administered existence, as this is prescribed by the ruling oligarchs in order to maintain order and security, for in the future resources are limited, and the population has to be managed accordingly in order to prevent the complete collapse of law and order. The rights of the individual then become subservient to the needs of the state. Security supersedes individual civil liberty, and any one who questions this governance is labeled a subversive and becomes an enemy of the state. The technocracy wields its power through a draconian police state that enforces its codes and laws. The members of this society are often under constant and intimate surveillance. Corporations and the media work closely with the state in order to keep the people in a hypnotic, dreamlike condition by a constant barrage of intrusively ubiquitous advertising and propaganda. Dissent is suppressed swiftly, efficiently, and (sometimes) quietly. This re-design and reconstruction of society, post some catalyzing event, speaks to social engineering, which intent is (ostensibly) to save civilization; and often alludes to quasi-eugenicist goals such as the elevation of humanity by the elimination of genetic imperfections and aggressive tendencies. Through the removal of emotions, genetic re-engineering, and the integration of man and machine--the making of the uberman--the architects and engineers of this brave new world attempt to usher in a new age. 


The sci-fi genre is replete with mythic themes, archetypes and references to periods in earth's history that presaged a great turning point in civilization. These watershed periods in history, to which much of sci-fi nods and winks, reflect more or less a Hegelian view--that is, conflict between the status quo and the forces that oppose it, which then results in the birth of an entirely new order. If you're a fan of the genre, you already recognize the books and films to which my overview alludes. If you're not entirely familiar with the various films and books of the genre, I've posted some links below that may illuminate my references. But why is the outlook by the writers and filmmakers so bleak? Is this pessimism warranted? Can we rely on the forecasts of these artisans? Are they forecasts? Is art imitating life? From where did they draw their inspiration?

The Terminator

The Matrix

They Live

Minority Report

THX 1138

Dark City

I am Legend

Children of Men

1984

Brave New World