and I would argee 1984 had a bigger impact then Animal Farm.

Well i never stated my view yes Orwells books made a huge impact .
But what truly made him great was that he was among the first to see the danger around the USSR he saw beyond the great advance of the Red Army and saw that the Totalitarian style of Stalin was a great danger to the world and this lead to Animal Farm.
Now 1984 has a bit of a sharper sword in that it attack Totalitarianism more so you could say it had a greater impact. But both together might have prevented that gloomy future.So jmo1121109 you are very right.
I created this post for a debate so that the opening post is a starting point for supporters of both sides

attacks

thats a typo

I believe that the particular grim world that he created in 1984 would never come to be. People would rise up much sooner than the situation that the novel portrays. I do believe that the book does have a profound impact though, in that it created skepticism and cynicism toward government. I think that if his books were never written, there would still be no totalitarian government as portrayed in Animal Farm and 1984.

Oh, I must have missed where we live in a utopia of liberty.

Whether the dystopia depicted in 1984 is truly possible is secondary to the fear and dread of strictly controlled, totalitarian societies it creates among common people.

it is interesting because my great grand father was polish and captured in the first days of the war then exchnged from german to soveit hands and sent to a labor camp where after refusing to join the soveit army he was worked to death. so in a way he was involved in the trechery of stalin
but it is ironic in that my grandfather was a colenel in the red army my father a major and my grandmother a major in the red army so although a relitive had been killed in stalins wrath it was still frowned uponthat he refused to fight for the soveit army

this is really weird cause I just wrote an essay about Orwell and 1984.

I think that 1984 was much more a weapon used against Stalinism than an actual state that could be achieved. It may be possible, we may find out if it is possible quite soon, but I'm really not sure. If would take an immense amount of violence to set up a state like that, and an equal amount to hold it in place. Either way though Orwell was a master mind. The attack he made against Totalitarianism still goes on today, which is quite remarkable seeing as most men bring their causes and ideas with them to the grave.

I completely disagree with the last sentence. take any accepted sceintific thoery many such as gravity and that the earth revovles around the sun

Copernicus and Newton are long dead but there ideas live beyond the grave i would have to say many men instead of most would be better because many implies the average man and not a majority while most implies a majority

Newton, Copernicus, and Orwell - not a majority of all persons that ever lived, dawg.

I'll concede that many, rather than most, would have ben a better word for that sentence. ;)

What is a "Pundant"?

Oh and on the actual subject of Orwell, yes 1984 in particular is pretty good. Huxley's "Brave New World" however is better. Try it if you haven't. Or for a better psychological thriller which is also set in a stalinist-style regime, check out Arthur Koestler's "Darkness at Noon" - truly superb.

I honestly didn't really like Brave New World. I thought 1984 was alot better, I enjoyed it alot more.

sorry Mispelling Pundit

@Acomist well it would be an understatement to say that a little fraction of people had an idea that didn't influence the world after there death take any inventors theorist scientist, architect they all had ideas that came to life and live on

Yes it would be an understatement - it's a large fraction of people that had an idea that didn't influence the world. Glad we agree!

While we're on the topic of dystopias, I have to say that Fahrenheit 451 is the most-likely scenario to arise, given today's societal trends.

About 1984. Orwell was right about the amount of information the government has about its civilians.

He was completely wrong about the information civilians have about their government. Information technology, did not only give weapons to the government but also the civilians. And maybe, the latter, a little bit more.

Lucas

Lucas, as a former government worker, all I can say in reply is "that's what you think." ;-)

Maybe you just weren't high enough up Richard.

*Puts on tin foil hat*

In the book you wouldn't allow to say this ;-)

well, at least in the us we don't have to worry about Orwell's prediction coming true for the simple reason that countries like Russia would nuke us before they allowed the US to fall under a dictators reign. Happy Thought everyone.

<thoughts>

so the good news no dictator
bad news millions Dead
Ok and in would be devistating for either country dictatorship or not to nuke the other that would mean certain retaliation and deadly retaliation at that

I love 1984. One thing though - the idea of creating a language (Newspeak) to circumscribe peoples thoughts is impossible (IMHO).

That is very creativity-challenged of you.