Dystopia

[bananaskittles]

I need to write a story about a dystopian society, however, right now I don't really have any ideas... I'm thinking that I'll maybe write one about a society in the future with two divided populations, the rich vs poor. The rich will be able to clone themselves in order to harvest organs, and give their children desirable genes, while the poor have to live with what they have. The rich will always stay rich and the poor will always stay poor.

My other idea is that the women become the dominant sex and force the men into poverty. They have decided that they do not need men to procreate anymore and thus their lives are unnecessary. The men are treated like dirt, while the women live amazing lives.

I don't know... I just came up with these. Any suggestion? Any better ideas? Thanks.

[buisysignal]

I like the idea for women to be the dominate gender that would be really cool. But in most dystopian books there is always somebody who tries to break free from their terrible lives. maybe you can make the main character a man who dresses up as a woman to try and infiltrate the government.

[Probie]

or maybe we could make sure the men were properly secured so they couldn't break free?

[12AX7]

If we're fed, laid, and not talked to very much; we don't break free.

[Probie]

that can be arranged. 

[tweek]

How about you write a story about a society that is based on science and efficiency?  People are manufactured in batches and assigned to castes.  The traditional family unit is gone, and everyone is raised collectively.  When people sleep they are fed subliminal messages.  To maintain happiness people enjoy a new wonder drug that prevents them from thinking bad thoughts.  Discontented people are a pushed off into the wild and forced to be "saHappy Placees." 

There, I've done most of the work for you.  Just flush it out a bit, and you've got a great story on your hands. 

[Probie]

"To maintain happiness people enjoy a new wonder drug that prevents them from thinking bad thoughts."

Not entirely dystopian is it really? I mean I get the Orwellian influences you've put across and no one likes mind control. But there's still drugs so it's not all bad, right?

Edit: It's a good idea, you should send it to Sci Fi. I seem to remember a film similar to it though? hmmm.

[Joe Sixpack]

Isn't that called "Brave New World", and it was written by Aldous Huxley about 80 years ago?
Or maybe you knew that and were trying to exhibit the tarditude of today's youth, and I ruined it for you.  My bad.


For your rich vs poor scenario, it's a lot cheaper for the rich to just harvest organs from the poor, so that's the way I'd go with that.

For the women vs men scenario, it wouldn't take many generations for there to be no more males if the female-dominated society decides they're really not needed or wanted.  You need to include a reason for them to not just abort male fetuses.  Maybe they keep males for labor, maybe for pleasure, but for something.

How about something in the vein of Heinlein's 'If This Goes On' about a future world where ultra-religious zealots have taken over the government and the cruelties they inflict in the name of God?

[Vespertine]

The rich-vs.-poor-where-the-rich-have-clones-for-parts-harvesting has already been done.  It's a fantastic book called Spares by Michael Marshall Smith.  One of my all-time favorite books, which is saying something since I don't normally go in for the dystopian experience.

I like the idea of women becoming the dominant in society, but how is that dystopian?

[Joe Sixpack]

Have you ever seen ladies try to get along with each other?

[Wunderkind]

It works... three weeks out of the month.

[12AX7]

Have you ever seen ladies try to get along with each other?

   No, but I have seen a purple cow, and a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people-eater, a UFO and Jesus.