Open any fiction novel about the future. Most likely, you will meet there a conglomeration of all sorts of nightmares: from dying after a nuclear war planet to giant rats-mutants, which have enslaved humanity, - in short, for any taste. A rare science fiction decided on a starry-eyed utopia.
But what is the demand of science fiction?



If the fear is sold, then we will frighten... Another thing, it would seem, philosophers and futurologists - those authors, who are considered to be serious. Let's look at the future (and partly already at present, considering the time of the creation of works) by the eyes of these authors: and serious, and not too

From 1984 to 1985
I think there today, the man who would not read the legendary dystopia of George Orwell's "1984" or at least not heard about this book. Who doesn't known and suspiciously similar to Stalin the dictator's older Brother, and party functionary-the torture O'brien, and the telescreens devices for total surveillance over the people, and "rebels below the belt" Winston and Julia, who lived in terrible society "English socialism" and became its victims?

And perhaps, many will agree that the real 1984 in the history of our country was not so far from Orwellian scenario. Less well known is the sequel to this book, "1985", written by a Hungarian dissident Gyorgy by Delasem 30 years after the death of George Orwell. About what there is a speech? It is easy to guess: "perestroika". The elder Brother dies. O'brien in the company with Julia and Winston (!) engaged in the publication of "progressive-perestroika" newspaper. But in the post-socialist Paradise is not going smoothly. Very soon, he understands it and goes his own way. He again declared a "renegade" and "enemy of the state"...

To list gloomy stories fiction novels hardly makes sense.
Too many of them: from relatively mild ("brave new world" by Aldous Huxley, "the Return from the stars" Stanislaw LEM) to very hard (Kallocain" Karin Boye, "We" Yevgeny Zamyatin).
Those on the other side of the barricades?
The heralds a bright future? That was created in their creative labs?
Let's listen to the other side.

Sun City


In 1598, Italian monk-Dominican Tommaso Campanella was arrested in Naples and thrown into prison. Whom and for what is to clarify will not interested can look at his biography. For us it is important that in prison Campanella has created a landmark work "Sun City"in which he described a society of universal justice, happiness and prosperity.

So where Campanella was the name of the people, and how, in his view, was to look perfect society, the Kingdom of Sciences and arts? Very peculiar.
Solarium (citizens happy city) live in the conditions of the dictator significant alias 0.
The disobedient persons facing the death penalty, and sentenced not executioner executed (in Paradise where the executioners?), and stone happy citizens. Marriage as such does not exist - women and men picks for the citizens of the special Commission on eugenic grounds (much later, this idea is actively pursued Heinrich Himmler in his "racial reserves").

Barren women give in widespread use. Practiced human sacrifice (although ostensibly voluntary, but go and debate with the dictator and his secret police!). Well, the reader? You haven't lost the desire to escape to the Embassy and ask for the visa in campanelli Eden?
And you have not forgotten what we describe not just another futuristic nightmare, and a recipe for universal happiness?
Yes... "Jump in an ideal society" while obviously does not work. So, may be, contact our Soviet authors, recent builders of communism? They certainly will not fail!

"Andromeda" and "the Hour of the bull"

The classic example here, of course, Ivan Efremov with his "Andromeda Nebula" (1957): harmonious, conflict-free, creative, creative society. Real communism in the view of the Soviet people of those times. The author treated kindly by the authorities, the censors are happy, it seems : what else, write itself further in the same spirit. But... is just a few years, and Efremov makes a turn, that is, on the one hundred and eighty degrees.

He wrote the book "the Hour of the bull", which creates a picture is not a "dairy rivers and kiselny coasts, and society, almost indistinguishable from real socialism, with all its plagues and diseases. Of course, Efremov understood that put it this society on Earth of the future, this book will never be released. So he opened the action on the gloomy planet Tormance, as opposed to local ideologists all the same bright personality of the "Nebula".

At first, the trick worked - the book was published, but soon the authorities realized.
What happened! Roman Efremov called "dirty libel, slander socialism", "blacken" and so on in a similar manner. "The hour of the bull" was removed from libraries, republishing prohibited.
Only in 1980-ies opal was removed.

Several other expensive were other classics of Soviet science fiction - the Strugatsky brothers. Remaining within the allowed, they are not idealized "person of our future", moreover, made transparent hints. Here's an example from their novel "Trainees", published in the 1960-ies. On the planet, where there are still remnants of decaying capitalism, comes a certain inspector General of the joint (Communist) of mankind. He quickly moves order there. And how does it work? I quote his order from the story: "...take all the weapons you here.

This I tell you, parasites! From this point, everyone who is found weapons, to be shot on the spot. I clothe the Commissioner appropriate powers..." You do not like it, the reader? By the way, it is curious that censorship without the slightest objection missed this episode in print. Apparently, used to, that's the only way.
But Strugatsky soon dropped the hint and began to talk in clear text, in particular in the book "the Ugly swans". This novel, like "the Hour of the bull", was banned in the USSR.

"The Flight Of The Earth"

Well, and here we could not find a gleam in solid clouds. Maybe switch to Western fiction? No, not to that recklessly intimidates the parties with nightmares - books, and did not count. We want to find optimistic variants of the future. Although that may be for the Earth, optimistic, if in four billion years the Sun, according to scientists, become a "red giant", and burn our planet?
But now before me is a novel Francis Karsak "the Flight of the Earth." Play on this story: the Sun explodes (but not millions of years, as before, but the essence remains the same). Die if the Earth? No! Scientists of the future equip our planet kosmonavtiki engines, and she rushes to other stars.

Hurrah? Found the optimistic scenario? No way... There in the distant worlds, earthlings meet with the three-eyed monsters with huge hypnotic power. These monsters subjugate people to your will. You ask, why? Yes all is very simple. Cut into slaughterhouses and eat.
Don't be upset. Valiant heroes, armed to the teeth, of course, will overcome evil monsters. I remembered the old joke: "Good always wins evil. Will catch up, put on her knees and brutally kill".

"Tomorrow never dies"

Not much optimistic we succeeded to find the forecasts, projects and scenarios of different times and different countries. Of course, this small survey cannot claim to be complete. But after all knowingly say that a pessimist is a well-informed optimist.
Only needs to look at the history of the twentieth century (not getting on!).

All these bloody social experiments, the "evil Empire": socialist Russia, Nazi Germany, Maoist China, Khmer Kampuchea... anyone can add to this list dozens of points.
Two world wars, continuous local conflicts... Probably human nature itself does not have to create a too rosy models of the future. And yet I would not like to finish on a black note.
"If tomorrow comes" was the title I (after Sidney Sheldon) these notes.
Come, that's for sure.

And this is a reason for optimism. And what it will be depends on us.
Andrey BYSTROV