[Dragaera] Alternative dystopias

[Howard Brazee via Dragaera]

I'd like to see more comparative dystopias in SF.

For instance, it is easy to look at politics today and extrapolate one thing into the future - such as having all politicians working for the biggest spenders.    Alternatively, we could assume extremists are in control.     But these are two of the different directions that are duking it out.   And I find it hard to pick a side which is less threatening than the other.

Historical fiction is better at recognizing some complexities.    In the example above, I think of a line from _Caberet_, where the rich guy mentions how they are tolerating the Nazis in order to defeat the communists.   Then I compare it to rich people in various countries today tolerating extremists - for the rich people's short term goals.    But that was just one line - we already knew the background and results of that Nazi tolerating German.   SF needs to do more world building.

And then things aren't two valued.   For instance the biggest enemies of radicals aren't moderates - they are other radicals.    And there exists religious lefts (For Christians, the scriptural example of Jesus Christ is very anti-Pat Robertson - Jewish conflicting values are very obvious in Israel).