just my 50pworth, but Brave New World/1984 isn't actually a particularly illuminating comparison - you basically go "yeah, different" and then stop.

I did my senior thesis in high school on the two of them, so I beg to differ. They're an obvious pairing, in any case, as you almost never mention one without mentioning the other in the same breath.

I did my senior thesis in high school on the two of them, so I beg to differ.

By an odd co-incidence, so did I, along with Neuromancer. They're lazily lumped together in that they're both mid-20th century dystopias, but that's it. They come from utterly different places, use utterly different techniques and are satirising completely different things. Aside from the fact of being dystopian, what's the commonality?

That wasn't meant to sound grumpy, BTW.

Aside from the fact of being dystopian, what's the commonality?

My paper focused on the dehumanization that occurs in dystopian societies, and how each book used various aspects of the culture (sex, politics, language, etc.) to achieve this.

I'd argue (I didn't at the time, but would now) that BNW isn't a dystopia at all - it's an utopia. It's just that we recoil from utopia.

While I certainly like the idea of starting with a classic, I'm iffy on making the first three months such. Maybe we'd be best to mix things up for a few months, classic to contemporary to non-fiction to something else new- just to keep everybody in? I like the diversity of this list, and I think showcasing that in our first few months could keep everyone happy.

Two cents inserted.

Maybe we'd be best to mix things up for a few months, classic to contemporary to non-fiction to something else new- just to keep everybody in?

Seconded. It's best that the Book Club have an "any book can be chosen" feel. Especially since this is the result of people feeling that their books/styles were being slighted.

I'd argue (I didn't at the time, but would now) that BNW isn't a dystopia at all - it's an utopia. It's just that we recoil from utopia.

Dictionary.com disagrees with you. Explicitly.

dys·to·pi·a ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ds-tp-) n.

An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.

A work describing such a place or state: “dystopias such as Brave New World” (Times Literary Supplement).

eta...

Maybe we'd be best to mix things up for a few months, classic to contemporary to non-fiction to something else new- just to keep everybody in?

Seconded. It's best that the Book Club have an "any book can be chosen" feel. Especially since this is the result of people feeling that their books/styles were being slighted.

I'm putting my two cents with Lilty and Fred, for a total of six cents so far. We all want to be challenged and engaged, but if the club is accesible, the more likely it is to fly.

I'd like to see us give Wolfram, Heather, and brenda (because her post inspired Heather's idea, which inspired Wolfram's proposal) the choice for the first three months, and then go on Nova's suggestion to randomly select (out of a hat is fine) the selector. If we want, we can insist the selector work from the list.

I hope we pick our first book soon though, whatever it is and however we do it, because I'm going to be gone in a few days, and probably for at least a week, maybe more. I'd like to be able to get the book while on vacation.

I'd like to see us give Wolfram, Heather, and brenda (because her post inspired Heather's idea, which inspired Wolfram's proposal) the choice for the first three months, and then go on Nova's suggestion to randomly select (out of a hat is fine) the selector. If we want, we can insist the selector work from the list.

I like this. whatever we decide to do later, I would just as soon Wolfram picks the first book (today or tomorrow, maybe) and Heather picks the next one soonish, and we decide how to do the picking after that once we've got something to read.

Oooh, shiny thread title.

That cite is a total contradiction:

An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.

A work describing such a place or state: “dystopias such as Brave New World” (Times Literary Supplement).

Point to "the condition of life is extremely bad" or "deprivation, oppression, or terror" in Huxley's novel. Just because it's become a byword for dystopia, doesn't mean it actuall is one...