As a genre, sci-fi has gotten credit for presenting outlandish worlds that often serve as metaphors for our own. Of the millions penned to paper, the one whose had the most lasting of impacts is George Orwell's "1984." What is it about this book of a dystopian society that has kept audiences returning to the book, finding contemporary allusions almost 70 years later? In some ways, it's a bit obvious on the surface: Winston Smith lives in a society where the individual is frowned upon in favor of a "slavery," or uniformed love for Big Brother. While this would be enough to keep the book relevant to any form of dictatorship throughout the world, what makes the book more timeless and influential is what is done within those limitations. This isn't just a world where everyone has to love a higher power. It's also one where the tactics to get there are barbaric propaganda, but also maybe relevant in subliminal ways.
