For more than half a century science fiction writers have thrilled and challenged readers with visions of the future and future worlds. Theseauthors offered an insight into what they expected man, society, and lifeto be like at some future time. One such author, Ray Bradbury, utilized this concept in his work,Fahrenheit 451, a futuristic look at a man and his role in society.Bradbury utilizes the luxuries of life in America today, in addition tovarious occupations and technological advances, to show what life could belike if the future takes a drastic turn for the worse. He turns man's bestfriend, the dog, against man, changes the role of public servants andchanges the value of a person. Aldous Huxley also uses the concept of society out of control in hisscience fiction novel Brave New World. Written late in his career, BraveNew World also deals with man in a changed society. Huxley asks hisreaders to look at the role of science and literature in the future world,scared that it may be rendered useless and discarded. Unlike Bradbury,Huxley includes in his book a group of people unaffected by the changes insociety, a group that still has religious beliefs and marriage, things nolonger part of the changed society, to compare and contrast today's culturewith his proposed futuristic culture. But one theme that both Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 use incommon is the theme of individual discovery by refusing to accept a passiveapproach to life, and refusing to conform. In addition, the refusal ofvarious methods of escape from reality is shown to be a path to discovery.In Brave New World, the main characters of Bernard Marx and the "Savage"boy John both come to realize the faults with their own cultures. InFahrenheit 451 Guy Montag begins to discover that things could be better inhis society but, sue to some uncontrollable events, his discover happensmuch faster than it would have. He is forced out on his own, away from...
