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The idea of most utopian stories is that there's no such thing as a true utopia.
Besides, if you look at the origin of the word, Utopia was first seen in Thomas More's Utopia, and while I haven't read it, I know enough to say it fits that "no such thing as a true utopia" outline. In fact, it was the original.
Ah.
Usually a utopia becomes a dystopia is the thing. It seems perfect, but not everyone fits the mold, or something sketchy happens to maintain order.
The Giver is a good example.
Usually the Idea behind a utopia set up is if every one lives in ignorance that there is a better way to live they will think their way of living is perfect.
I would argue that wither it is a utopia or dystopia is depends on the perspective the world is written from. If The Hunger games were written in the perspective of an individual from district one we would be presented with a utopia instead of a dystopia and when the games are introduced we see that utopia facade crack, and then shatter. Same with 451, It's all about perspective, If the book was written from Guy's wife's perspective (Pardon, I forget if she has a name or not) we would get a series of events presented as if they were part of a utopia but we the reader would be able to see it as a dystopia, if written correctly this can be a very interesting situation.
In the Giver everything is presented as a Utopia and we see everyone being content because they are ignorant of what could be. Looking at the dystopia that basically birthed all other dystopias, 1984 could be written as a utopia for the same reason, the people live in ignorance and so they do not know how awful their life is.
Perspective is everything. Propaganda is everything, we need only look back a generation so see how effective it is. Sorry I will stop here because I will go on a rant about this stuff.
I guess a better way of putting it is:
Dystopia= everything is terrible
Utopia= everything is fine (but only on a surface level).
And The Giver is a great example.
Edit: I know it's been months, but I've thought about this some more and I feel like the bigger difference is more the intent of the author and the story that they're trying to tell. Like, yeah to a random background character in 1984 it might see the world as a utopia, but I don't think Orwell was trying to write a book about a perfect society.
Pretty much every utopia could be written into a dystopia but not every dystopia can be written as a utopia.
Imo the best utopia dystopia would be the Brave New World.
That's on my to-read list lmao
Said list is never getting done because I haven't picked up a book in over a year aside from required reading for school, but don't worry about it.
I loved it. I tried to write a poem after I finished it. The climax had me super tense.
Two dimensional characters that are there solely for comic relief
U right.
Vampires who don't sleep?? I get that you don't grow and you're not alive, but there's like. Other stuff that happens while you sleep. How are you moving stuff from your short term memory to your long term memory?? Did your brain just stop producing melatonin and if so, what other hormones did it stop producing?? Clearly not adrenaline so where do you draw the line?? Is it an adaptation thing? Because you'd still need sleep for memory stuff and emotional processing, so why would your brain not just produce melatonin during the day so you sleep during the day and hunt at night?? And come to think of it, if you don't sleep, I guess your body doesn't need to heal itself because that happens during sleep, so the little tears that happen when you build up muscle are not happening, which means you can't get stronger, which really sucks, and I feel like then you'd be stuck with the strength you had as a human, and even if you weren't, it would probably be proportional to said previous strength, and definitely hard to improve at fighting cause you know, gaining strength and muscle is kind of a big part of improving, so if you came across another vampire who hated you and happened to go to the gym regularly you're really just screwed
anyways the only reason to not have your vampires sleep is for you to be weird about their dark circles (which they also should not have because nothing should be happening to their blood vessels if they don't fucking have blood) and talk about how they learned to play the piano and do the yiffy with their adopted sibling all night because they can't do anything else and it's stupid and I don't want to see it ever
👆 very valid point
Magic being persecuted/magic is dwindling.
Vampires who don't sleep?? I get that you don't grow and you're not alive, but there's like. Other stuff that happens while you sleep. How are you moving stuff from your short term memory to your long term memory?? Did your brain just stop producing melatonin and if so, what other hormones did it stop producing?? Clearly not adrenaline so where do you draw the line?? Is it an adaptation thing? Because you'd still need sleep for memory stuff and emotional processing, so why would your brain not just produce melatonin during the day so you sleep during the day and hunt at night?? And come to think of it, if you don't sleep, I guess your body doesn't need to heal itself because that happens during sleep, so the little tears that happen when you build up muscle are not happening, which means you can't get stronger, which really sucks, and I feel like then you'd be stuck with the strength you had as a human, and even if you weren't, it would probably be proportional to said previous strength, and definitely hard to improve at fighting cause you know, gaining strength and muscle is kind of a big part of improving, so if you came across another vampire who hated you and happened to go to the gym regularly you're really just screwed
anyways the only reason to not have your vampires sleep is for you to be weird about their dark circles (which they also should not have because nothing should be happening to their blood vessels if they don't fucking have blood) and talk about how they learned to play the piano and do the yiffy with their adopted sibling all night because they can't do anything else and it's stupid and I don't want to see it ever
I barely remember writing this
Vampires who don't sleep?? I get that you don't grow and you're not alive, but there's like. Other stuff that happens while you sleep. How are you moving stuff from your short term memory to your long term memory?? Did your brain just stop producing melatonin and if so, what other hormones did it stop producing?? Clearly not adrenaline so where do you draw the line?? Is it an adaptation thing? Because you'd still need sleep for memory stuff and emotional processing, so why would your brain not just produce melatonin during the day so you sleep during the day and hunt at night?? And come to think of it, if you don't sleep, I guess your body doesn't need to heal itself because that happens during sleep, so the little tears that happen when you build up muscle are not happening, which means you can't get stronger, which really sucks, and I feel like then you'd be stuck with the strength you had as a human, and even if you weren't, it would probably be proportional to said previous strength, and definitely hard to improve at fighting cause you know, gaining strength and muscle is kind of a big part of improving, so if you came across another vampire who hated you and happened to go to the gym regularly you're really just screwed
anyways the only reason to not have your vampires sleep is for you to be weird about their dark circles (which they also should not have because nothing should be happening to their blood vessels if they don't fucking have blood) and talk about how they learned to play the piano and do the yiffy with their adopted sibling all night because they can't do anything else and it's stupid and I don't want to see it everI barely remember writing this
oh how time passes by, fufu
ngl, you kinda sounded like one of those Tumblr users who write some really good stuff at an ungodly hour then doesnt remember in the morning and is stunned to see it blew up :"D
Magic being persecuted/magic is dwindling.
ah, dude… fuck… that one ;-;
i dunno why but i feel really disgusting about that one. Okay i can understand the persecution one, people fear what they dont understand, and several rogue mages can push people to demonize magic, but like, it dying out?? That one leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. Somehow it makes magic as being something artificially introduced into the world, not a part of it.
Onward kinda hit a nerve for me there, given Ian was basically the last one with magic there. I can get the improvement of life quality for all species, but magic is so much cooler come on man. Why trade magic with the basic real world living style? Just. Nah from me dawg
Magic being persecuted/magic is dwindling.
ah, dude… fuck… that one ;-;
i dunno why but i feel really disgusting about that one. Okay i can understand the persecution one, people fear what they dont understand, and several rogue mages can push people to demonize magic, but like, it dying out?? That one leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. Somehow it makes magic as being something artificially introduced into the world, not a part of it.
Onward kinda hit a nerve for me there, given Ian was basically the last one with magic there. I can get the improvement of life quality for all species, but magic is so much cooler come on man. Why trade magic with the basic real world living style? Just. Nah from me dawg
I actually think onward was a pretty good example of what happens to old practices when technology comes along and makes things more accessible. It was realistic, It wasn't that Magic disappeared people just stopped practicing it, not everyone had the gift for it in the first place. Magic wasn't accessible enough for real progress to happen in the general public. It's still there, it's just not used.
It depends. Like honestly I think the Witcher does it well because it's kind of "witch hunt," "burned at the stake" persrcution, not so far from real life witch hunts.
Magic being persecuted/magic is dwindling.
ah, dude… fuck… that one ;-;
i dunno why but i feel really disgusting about that one. Okay i can understand the persecution one, people fear what they dont understand, and several rogue mages can push people to demonize magic, but like, it dying out?? That one leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. Somehow it makes magic as being something artificially introduced into the world, not a part of it.
Onward kinda hit a nerve for me there, given Ian was basically the last one with magic there. I can get the improvement of life quality for all species, but magic is so much cooler come on man. Why trade magic with the basic real world living style? Just. Nah from me dawgI actually think onward was a pretty good example of what happens to old practices when technology comes along and makes things more accessible. It was realistic, It wasn't that Magic disappeared people just stopped practicing it, not everyone had the gift for it in the first place. Magic wasn't accessible enough for real progress to happen in the general public. It's still there, it's just not used.
oh no, dont get me wrong, Onward was beautiful and the way they did away with the magic was well done, it is indeed a good example of old practices dying out, very realistic yes. Its just that the idea of magic not being practiced anymore is whats bothering me - it brings some kind of sadness you know? Especially in worlds where magic is more widespread. I don't necessarily hate it to the core, it just make me sad
Magic being persecuted I get. Magic being almost gone- ehh. I'm tired of both though
I only like magic being almost gone if there's a good reason for it as opposed to it being an excuse for the main character to be extra special because they have magic and no one else does. I feel like you could do some cool stuff with a fading-magic world, especially if by a certain point it really does go away and leaves your characters magicless (especially if that happens, like, for an entire book and/or some important battles) even if it does ultimately return. You could probably explore some cool plotlines about how the magic went away too, like maybe its source was destroyed or it's become so thinly spread that it might as well not be there at all.
It would make a great sad plot for sure. Dying art always gets me.
The "I can change him" trope. Girl, if you can change him he would have been changed years ago. He needs a psychiatrist. And you need lessons on what red flags are.
Merfolk that aren't pretty girls/guys with taped on fish tails and seashell bras, give me those cool fins and spines and not-so-human features. I read a thing about how mermaids could have hair in the form of a type of thin spine found on some fish, or how a creature living underwater would have other features like sensory fins or echolocation cause eyesight doesn't mix well with underwater. I can appreciate The Little Mermaid, but there's so much other awesome merfolk stuff out there!
You should read The Deep by Rivers Solomon, it has some really interesting takes on mermaids!