1984 and Fahrenheit 451 combined?

[swiatlonosny]

I have recently read the two books and let me tell you this: I think right now, in the year 2012, our reality is like a combination of these two books. I wonder what you think:

In Fahrenheit 451, people have flat panel TVs on their walls (!) and never read books.

In 1984, everyone has a TV in their flat that CANNOT be turned off.

Recently after visiting different people on different occasions I realized that a LOT of them have their flat panel TVs constantly on and never ever read books As far as the content of the programming is concerned, apart from tons of advertising it consists of a mixture of silly interactive shows that take a patronizing stance towards the viewer (like in Fahrenheit 451) and propaganda (like in 1984).

In F541 people didn't read books because they were forbidden. In 1984 people could read books but their content was controlled and constantly changed by the government. In both realities the purpose was to stop people from thinking too much after reading books. It was much better to simply "stupify" them with television. I wonder what you think about all this

[Mazza WA]

I haven't read 1984. But I have read Fahrenheit 451 several times. Although both are "futuristic" I think the attitude to books in both books is a very old one - ie the ideas in books are dangerous. Book burnings are not new, neither is using books to push a particular ideology onto the public (think Tudor England, and Nazi Germany). Much easier to control the media, and have people obsessed with soap operas and even computer games - heavens to betsy, don't let people start thinking!! I'll never give up my books, not the paper ones nor the ebooks. And every few years, I'll re-read Fahrenheit 451 to remind me why books are so important.
Nice post swiatlonosny, and well worth thinking about.

[Fran]

I haven't read 1984. But I have read Fahrenheit 451 several times. Although both are "futuristic" I think the attitude to books in both books is a very old one - ie the ideas in books are dangerous. Book burnings are not new, neither is using books to push a particular ideology onto the public (think Tudor England, and Nazi Germany). Much easier to control the media, and have people obsessed with soap operas and even computer games - heavens to betsy, don't let people start thinking!! I'll never give up my books, not the paper ones nor the ebooks. And every few years, I'll re-read Fahrenheit 451 to remind me why books are so important.
Nice post swiatlonosny, and well worth thinking about.

I've read 1984 a few times but I've yet to get to Fahrenheit 451 (it's on the list!). Reading your post it occured to me that the advent of the e-book will make it a lot easier for future regimes to control books and therefore reading options. If e-books result in the demise of the printed version it will, in the future, be possible for someone to annihilate an author's work in a way that has never really been possible with physical books. So while the electronic medium in one way makes it easier for an author to disseminate their work or ideas, on the other hand it makes censorship easier too. OMG the future looks dark