I’ve read and watched more than my fair share of dystopian science fiction, and the thing it always gets wrong, it seems to me — based on the latest evidence — the thing that’s missing — is the relentless fucking mediocrity of it all. Admittedly there’s probably not much market for a YA trilogy about a dumb world of dumb shitbags who are, yes, evil fascists as well, but mostly just boring, charisma-free and so so so dumb.
None of the awful, witless oligarch caricatures currently attempting to carve up the modern world into medieval fiefdoms would make the C list of Bond villains. They’re rubbish. Rubbish. To the last man Jack.
Hannah Arendt identified the banality of evil, but Eichmann was fucking Hannibal Lecter in comparison to Trump and Musk. They are evil, but that word gives them too much credit. It glamourises the contemptible motherfuckers. Really they epitomise the banality of banality, the tautological ghastliness of the ghastliest people alive.
Still, it’s early days. There’s probably so much worse to come.