Smacc

Dr Michelle Johnston talks about dystopian futures and the relevance of emergency medicine in forming such futures. Literature can provide insights into the two types of future we can expect: an optimistic, technologically advanced future as showcased in the movie “Blade Runner” or a dystopian future as envisioned by George Orwell in the novel “1984”. She discusses how different authors have written along similar dystopian themes with government controlling all aspects of human life. Some examples are novels like “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley and “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood. Or, “The Hunger Games”, “The Maze Runner”, and movies like “Brazil”. The common theme of these stories is oppression of the individual, non-existence or illusion of freedom, poverty, and police societies. Michelle believes that dystopian literature is based on the tiny fears of individuals and how they react to it, shaping the future. Therefore, she asks the question: what are the things that we do today that might lead