Since 1982, the annual Banned Books Week has raised awareness of literary censorship and recognized authors who have suppressed their writing.
This year, it is especially timely. In New Zealand, a country generally known for its liberalism and easygoing. way of life , Family First (a social conservative group) was able to attract the award-winning Ted Dawes On the River Off the shelves of the island nation, due to its depictions of drug use and sex.
But not only juvenile fiction is under threat. Everything from political treatises, books on religion and faith, and iconic novels have been banned at some point, including some geek favorites.
Here's a list of five books, banned at some point, somewhere in the world, that all geeks should read.
George Orwell (real name Eric Arthur Blair) is perhaps the greatest English-language writer the world has ever seen. Although he died at the age of 46 after a battle with tuberculosis, he indelibly changed the world of literature for the better and forever..
One of his greatest skills was exploring the darker side of human nature. In Animal Farm He looked at greed and ambition through a parable about animals usurping human control on a farm. In 1984 (often stylized as 1984 ), he observed totalitarianism and the human capacity to subjugate others.
One of the remarkable things about Orwell's writing is his ability to drag the reader into a world of unforgiving desolation. From the beginning of the book, he paints a picture of a monotonous life, stripped of any individualism, and dulled with lots of noxious substances. "Gin of victory". General surveillance. A world where you can't even trust your own memories.
1984 It became the benchmark for dystopias. And often people find parallels between the book and our current circumstances.
Many of the things Orwell imagined eventually came true. Take the Telescreens, for example, which broadcasts propaganda non-stop while monitoring its viewers. This became a reality recently, with Samsung launching Smart TVs that actively kept an eye on its users. The latest Samsung Smart TVs are within reach 1984. George Orwell. The latest Samsung Smart TVs are in the light of 1984. George Orwell. A new feature in the latest smart TVs from Samsung has put the Korean. Giant in some hot water. Turns out they've been listening to everything you've been saying... Read More
Orwell's masterpiece is widely considered one of the greatest books ever written, but it was not well received by everyone. Stalin's government banned it in the 1950s, as it was seen as an allegory for the repressive communist regime.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein It's another literary masterpiece, which at one point found its way to censorship.
It tells the story of a young Dr. Victor Frankenstein who, in an illicit scientific experiment, creates another sentient being. But Frankenstein was rejected by his own creation, and he rejected him, causing him to turn bitter and murderous..
It's a brilliant story. One that teaches us about the dangers of "playing God." It could also be interpreted as a critique of transhumanism. How technology can influence human evolution. How technology can influence human evolution. There is not a single aspect of the human experience that has not been touched by technology, including our bodies. Read More
Unfortunately, it was banned in 1955 by the apartheid government of South Africa, for being "objectionable and obscene". After the return of democracy in the 1990s, she was released.
The Anarchist Cookbook It's a mess. And we're not going to link it for obvious reasons.
He talks about some really dangerous topics. Most notably, it teaches the reader how to make explosives and incendiary devices, and has inspired thousands to go out and do just that. It is also discussed. “phone phreaking” In the long run, and it's a fascinating exploration of the vulnerabilities of the telephone system in the 1970s.
Powell has since had a bit of a Damascene conversion, converting to Anglicanism and rejecting his original book. In 2013, he published an article in The Guardian asking the editors to remove it from print..
Due to the controversial nature of the book, it is banned in Australia. And in the UK, people have been prosecuted for possessing it.
To say that Spycatcher:The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer He was explosive on his release he's putting it on smoothly. He made some serious accusations about the British government and the British security services.
Specifically, he accused former MI5 Director General Roger Hollis of being a KGB mole, and speaks of a covert MI6 assassination plot against President Gamal Nasser, the former president of the United Arab Republic (now Egypt). and Syria)..
It's an explosive book, chronicling the life and times of a real-life James Bond, sans the latest gadgets. The best Bond gadgets of all time. The best Bond gadgets of all time. James Bond gadgets are legendary. In this article, we take a look at some of the most futuristic gadgets from the movies and see how they stand out in the era of the iWatch. Read more . Still, despite Q's lack of presence, Counterintelligence Agent offers a geeky look at the world of espionage, which, if the antics of the NSA Surveillance of tomorrow:Four technologies the NSA will use to spy on you - Soon Surveillance of tomorrow:Four technologies the NSA will use to spy on you - surveillance of soon is Always at the forefront of technology. Here are four technologies that will be used to breach your privacy in the years to come. Read More
It was an embarrassing episode for the UK government, which tried to ban it and embarked on a legal battle to ban it in Australia. A year after its release, it was finally released in the UK.
Fahrenheit 451 It is one of the most challenged books in recent history. Due to its "colorful" language, several US school districts have banned it or redacted it to remove offensive material. Which is incredibly ironic, like Fahrenheit 451 it is a world where books are prohibited and burnt .
Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 back in the early 1950s, when most homes owned a radio, and televisions were becoming something more and more people could afford. He feared that these technologies would ultimately pose a threat to the very existence of the written word...
Who knows what Bradbury would have thought of eBooks, a format that means works of fiction can be remotely erased and censored, as was the case with Orwell 1984 in 2009.
The irony, it seems, was lost on those who tried to ban it. Which is a shame, because I like it. 1984 , Fahrenheit 451 It offers another great literary exploration of dystopias.
You can find these books at your local bookseller or on Google Play Books Oyster's Dead:What's the New Netflix for eBooks? Oyster's Dead:What's the new Netflix for eBooks? Popular ebook subscription service Oyster has just shut down, so where are you supposed to get your ebooks? Read more . Bound by time? Then you can listen to them on your iPod. Getting Started With Audiobooks:How To Finally Finish Your "Reading List" Getting Started With Audiobooks:How To Finally Finish Your "Reading List" Audiobooks are a great way to tackle your reading list, but they can be hard to get started with . Let's keep it simple. Read more . Something like Frankenstein and 1984 It's (in some places) out of date in the public domain, and can be downloaded for free from Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg:More Than Just Free Books Project Gutenberg:More Than Just Free Books Sites like Project Gutenberg, which offers over 45,000 books (at the time of this writing, it will ensure that no book ever really disappears. Discovering obscure works of literature is now easier than ever. Read More .
Five books with geek themes. Five books that have all been banned. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below which banned books you can recommend to your fellow MakeUseOf readers.
