Utopia and Dystopia in Science Fiction

Like Prometheus who ignited the first revolution against the monopoly of knowledge, and who infused the fire of knowledge into man’s conscience, Victor Frankenstein, the nineteenth century-romantic version of Prometheus, infuses the spark of life into the motionless matter, celebrates the elimination of disease and establishes for a new species graced with immortality in an attempt to create a utopian world. Similarly, the futuristic society in Fahrenheit 451 represents a utopia where people enjoy the advanced technology in every aspect of life. The welfare brought to humanity by advanced technology makes everybody celebrate relaxed and smooth life, and if one could add, even wars could be resolved in a blink of an eye! However, the system of nature resists granting immortality to mankind, nor inheriting life to a new species as the events in Frankenstein predict. Nevertheless, the glare of the silver screens in Fahrenheit 451 abducts eyes and minds, erases memories and human legacy and creates memory-less generations who replace thinking with entertainment, book with television.