Future Imperfect: 1984 by George Orwell

George Orwell’s cautionary tale Nineteen Eighty-Four has had quite a life so far. Its concepts enjoy deep roots in popular culture, with phrases like “Big Brother,” “Thought Police,” “memory hole,” and even “Orwellian” being universally-recognized metaphors in the English-speaking world. It also holds an unusual position in modern culture as a story that seems to satisfy radically-opposed interpretations from radically-opposed groups: Is the guy who says “fake news” engaging in “Newspeak,” the government’s ideology-driven language in the book, or does he believe he is experiencing something akin to the Ministry of Truth, a government department responsible for modifying news and history to serve the wishes of that government? And are we truly free to choose which we believe, lest those who believe differently attempt to harness “groupthink” to make us the subject of a “Two Minutes’ Hate” in order to “unperson” us for our “thoughtcrime?”