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In the last couple of years I've been intentionally cultivating a compassionate perspective. As I've been doing so, my experience is becoming more purposeful and joyful even when things are unpleasant. Lately, I've been examining where my distrust and fear of people and institutions comes from and what comes up is the dystopian fiction that I have been exposed to. 1984 Fahrenheit 451 Brazil Soylent Green Logan's Run They Live Hunger Games Lord of the Flies Minority Report A Scanner Darkly In Time (staring Justin Timberlake totally underrated movie The Walking Dead games Sleep Dealer The Matrix The Stand Cerebus X-Men the Neuromancer series Cloud Atlas With the exception of Cloud Atlas, when I look back on how these works have affected me, I think they have encouraged paranoia and distrust rather than some sort of reasonable and helpful skepticism. It is worth noting that Cloud Atlas has a hope that doesn't rely on individualism and also that I was exposed to it when I was older than the other pieces of fiction I've listed here. I'm becoming more and more confident in pacificism and empathy. I'm starting to wonder if the effects of dystopia fiction in an individualistic, capitalist society is for folks to basically exaggerate their disconnection and trust of others---while adding an attractive spectacle that we tend to want to create in reality---rather than to warn us about something that could go wrong so that we can avoid it. What are your thoughts? As you consider where you are and how you got here, how has dystopian fiction affected you?

Hi Thumbs, This week, we're watching Luis Buñuel's Viridiana. I'll admit that I've never seen it before, but, if his other films are any indication, at least it won't be boring. Sorry for the delay in making the topic. I didn't have (consistent) internet access for a few days, so I'm just getting to watch the film now. I'll update with some initial thoughts and discussion questions later this afternoon. EDIT: By the way, after watching the film, I wanted to go back and add trigger warnings just in case. The film depicts some scenes of sexual violence, poverty, and cruelty to animals. It can be a bit hard to watch at times. I know I'll probably get made fun of for including this, but I thought that maybe I should.