The Parahuman Complex(?) [Dystopia]

[cptsimms]

Good morrow, noble Westwoodians!

So my most recent project has been a sci-fi dystopian epistolary-ish novel (meaning it's made up of a series of documents, such as recorded interviews or phone calls or email conversations) inspired by a Nine Inch Nails album, reading Brave New World, and also slightly by Portal 2.

I have some characters and a little bit of an idea as to where I'm going, but no idea how to get there so far.

I've got a main character (Isaac Newberry, codenamed Mr. Ronavo) who is an ex-senator that resigned from the federal government after trying unsuccessfully to reveal secrets and corruption. He's on the run from the feds after they've learned of his possession of the sensitive information. However, Newberry is aided by a mysterious person known to him only as his "friend."

A parallel plotline (that I hope to have intersect with the other) is a group of police officers from a small suburb that are involved in an investigation of a highly classified subversive incident which turns out to be the discovery of a highly advanced artificial intelligence that has been plotting against the federal government (or perhaps aiding it, haven't decided yet.)

[Victor Ng]

I was Dreaming of Dystopia last night. That sounds like a book title. . Maybe I shouldn't read the forums before I go to sleep.

Anyways, I was thinking that the mysterious friend could be the artificial intelligence who has been pulling the strings for him while resisting the police? Or perhaps they could both be pawns of a third party that they have no idea exists.

I also have a question. What do codenames have to do with the characters?

[cptsimms]

Actually, that's exactly where I was planning on going to make the two stories intersect, would be to have the AI(s) be controlling the resistance. I just need to come up with some background, such as who created the AI(s) or what their original purpose was.

The codename Mr. Ronavo is simply an alias given to Isaac so he can more easily evade capture or detection as he escapes.

[gennadygorin]

Cody, watch A Scanner Darkly. It's by Linklater - the creator of Waking Life. Seriously, the movie will be pretty relevant.

As for the machines' creators, they could have been a third party, revealed later. I can't quite think of the specific implications of that scenario, but it's a possibility.

[cptsimms]

Gena, you need to make me a list of things I need to see!! But I'll definitely look into that! Also, Schaack told me to watch The Network or something like that.

I like the third party idea, it would give the story an interesting evolution. Thanks for the ideas, guys!

[James]

Umm, well, in a normal (dystopia/Utopian) (novel/ manga/movie/anime), the creator always has good intentions and has left the reins of the country in the form of large room of super computers or extra-terrestrial technology. These reins are normally swayed from its goal by a successor with a grudge or greed and thus controlling everything from behind the scenes.

Or you can try something random such as by making the build up to the moment of realization of some huge secret room to actually be just a coffin of the creator of the dystopia and realize that they were living in anarchy the whole time.

[cptsimms]

Those are both interesting ideas! I'm definitely considering something to that effect...

[Victor Ng]

Dystopias are always fun to write about. I like the sense that the whole world is corrupt.

[cptsimms]

Yeah that's how I feel! It's the best way to write social commentary, too. Or at least the most fun way haha.

[gennadygorin]

OOoooon the other hand, I've always felt that a dystopia taken to its extreme is just as irrelevant and unrealistic as a straight-up utopia. There are plenty of ways to do social commentary.

[cptsimms]

Very true! It's an art I suppose.