Has anyone here ever thought to contrast Orwell's book called 1984 with the real 1984? While we're on that topic, is anyone aware of any other books that were written before the 80s that is about a futuristic world in the 80s. Personally, I find Orwell's book to be very depressing - but, for now, that's really the only thing I have to go on.

Just to give a little background history of myself. I was born in 1987, and I have a sister who is ten years older than me. Because both my mom and my sister were into the 80s culture - I was raised up on 80s music, movies, cartoons, TV shows, etc. So, yeah, I really feel out of place with my peers. Out of my peers who do like the classics, most seem to prefer the 70s over the 80s. Anyway, I hate to sound like a fogey here - but I do feel really distressed by how the entertainment media has gone downhill. In the positive side, there are more teens getting into the classic, but most seem to have a preference for the 70s.

Anyway, sorry to ramble on here. It's getting late, and I'm pretty tired. I'm so happy to have found this website, though.

If you think that the book is depressing, the movie 1984 is even more so.

Yeah, I was really disappointed by how depressing the book was. I guess at least that book makes us really appreciare the real 1980s. Speaking of futuristic stories, it's hard to believe that we're only less than ten years away from the 'future' in Back to the Future - and already more than 20 years away from the 'present' in Back to the Future. I wonder if we'll be seeing hoverboards and flying cars in ten years. I kinda doubt it, though. Video games did definitely get more advanced, though - which, to me, is not a good thing.

I haven't read 1984, but I know a bit about it, and I thought that was more like a warning statement of, "This is what the year 1984 COULD be like, if the totalitarian government/big brother get control over everyone." In other words, I'm not sure they were trying to be accurate, but then again, the World Fairs in the 1930's and 40's for instance, tended to view the future as being this big, mythical sci-fi place.

I guess I can see how they'd think that way if you look at it from the present -- look at the changes from, say 1890 to 1915. Electricity, cars, plumbing, paved roads, etc. It was a totally different world, so I could see someone from 1940 going, "Hey, look how we've changed in the last fifty years. By 1980, I know we'll have colonized the moon!" ;D

But yeah, the future never turns out as radically as people predict. Aside from pop culture, fashion and technology, I would say the world in general (how we live, occupations, etc) has not dramatically changed since the early to mid 1970s.

(It still takes us the same amount of time to drive to work, clean our house and go shopping in 2006 as it did in 1976!)

I don't think the world will have an "instant look"-type difference until at least 2030-40. Things will advance for sure, but it'll be in "normal" ways we couldn't predict.

Yeah, I was really disappointed by how depressing the book was. I guess at least that book makes us really appreciare the real 1980s. Speaking of futuristic stories, it's hard to believe that we're only less than ten years away from the 'future' in Back to the Future - and already more than 20 years away from the 'present' in Back to the Future. I wonder if we'll be seeing hoverboards and flying cars in ten years. I kinda doubt it, though. Video games did definitely get more advanced, though - which, to me, is not a good thing.


As the name implies, I'm kind of a BTTF geek, so of course, I've got to comment on this. ;)

Much as I liked "their 2015", I always thought it looked like a fantasy/alternate future. Even as a kid I knew the real 2015 wouldn't be like that.

(Back then, I tended to use the "logic of years" way of looking at things. So in 1991, I woud've thought to myself: Compare 1967 to now, that's how different 2015 will look from '91. Of course, I now realize that's not always accurate, LOL - but I had the same general idea I do now.)

I don't think hovercars will exist for commercial use anytime soon. Pollution, not to mention a gajillion things that could go wrong in the air (accidents, etc) would make it really dangerous, and time consuming to develop. Many drivers aren't that great anyway - imagine what they'd be like in a flying device. hehe. ;)

Then there's the issue of cost and profit. Exactly how would the oil companies make billions if people used less oil? They simply won't let it happen, and have stamped out any alternatives -- electric cars have been around for awhile, but you can't buy one because development and availability has been stifled.

They haven't been allowed into the mainstream and probably won't be for a long time. So for the forseeable future, we are all doomed to drive cars with regular engines, and to remain on the ground!


Oh, I also agree about video games. The newest system I own is the Super NES. ;)

Oh, cool! I am a huge fan of the BTTF Trilogy! I wish I could have been a teenager in Marty's time - when songs like The Power of Love were the rage. Anyway, I think you're right about books, movies, etc. that try to predict the future. The future just cannot be predicted, it's that simple. I'm a little worried about what the world will be like in 100 years from now. Some believe that we may have had advanced technology way in the distant past, then everything blew up and civilization had to start all over again. I would hate for something like that to happen in our lifetime.

Oh, cool! I am a huge fan of the BTTF Trilogy! I wish I could have been a teenager in Marty's time - when songs like The Power of Love were the rage. Anyway, I think you're right about books, movies, etc. that try to predict the future. The future just cannot be predicted, it's that simple. I'm a little worried about what the world will be like in 100 years from now. Some believe that we may have had advanced technology way in the distant past, then everything blew up and civilization had to start all over again. I would hate for something like that to happen in our lifetime.


Me too. I have scattered memories of 1985, but I was 3 and 4. It would've been great to be in the 13-25 range or thereabouts (Marty was 17).

That's an interesting concept (i.e. if there were "technological" advances way back when, but they were all wiped out without a trace), but sad.

I think we've come a long way now, so at the risk of sounding like an old man (which isn't the intent! LOL) I hope things don't change that much, at least relatively speaking. I've gotten pretty comfortable/used to the way the world is now. Heck, it's funny now, but when the Internet started becoming household (1998-ish) I was kinda worried "online shopping" would put record stores, video stores, supermarkets, etc. out of business.

There's times I do worry about things like that. Of course, when you see people you love getting older and everything getting slowly less familar, that makes the past feel "safe/comfortable" in its own way. Heck, even the things I'm not as fond of (i.e. hip hop slang), if it were to suddenly disappear, I'd miss it just from knowing it for so long.

I would definitely miss the music, as well as the modern conveniences that we tend to take for granted - if they were to suddenly disappear. Well, we don't even know if there was advanced technology in the past - although some believe that you needed technology even more advanced than today to create the pyramids. So, I'm not sure.