Why Is the Future So Bad?
In almost every futuristic story, life is incredibly bleak. As the story goes, starting today, we made bad choices resulting in ruined environments, no morals, society in complete disarray, mobsters took over, money is worthless, nothing works, zombies are munching on our brains, and aliens are in control. Even an enjoyable movie like Back to the Future Part II painted a bleak future: trash everywhere, lawyers ruling daily life, and awful traffic. But it was not always this way.
In the fifties, authors painted a bright picture of what life would be like. People were going to drive flying cars to the moon, watch smell-o-vision, have an atomic reactor in their basement, and play with robots. Yet, since those uplifting times, something changed.
My theory is that in the fifties, we perceived our lives as better than they really were. Everybody had a big car, a perfect family, and a big house. Let’s go to space! Then our eyes opened to inequality and global problems in the sixties. Now we have full media coverage, and we cannot close our eyes to the issues.
Are our present lives that bad? Medical care is fantastic; we have the internet, and our stylish cars get excellent fuel economy. People are much better at communicating, live healthier lives, and have endless entertainment choices. Want to fly to Hawaii? With a credit card, you can book a flight on your phone in five minutes. Want to get pasta from Italy, kiwis from New Zealand, whiskey from Japan, produce harvested yesterday, dragon fruit, wasabi, tortillas, or Tahini at a reasonable price from your local supermarket? No problem. You can even pay for it using your smartphone.
History has proven that our future will be very similar to our lives now. Granted, there are still some issues. No matter how many precautions we take, there are wars, economic distress, disasters, famine, and ill-conceived politics. While this is true, society has a proven track record for overcoming these issues.
Of course, I have another theory. Writing in a bleak future is a lot of fun. Writers and readers love a challenge—the hero who survives in the wasteland or the meek person who is only trying to get by. Even I am guilty of painting a bleak future, because I am planning not one, but two book series set in a futuristic world where everything has failed. My stories are about how AI will really play out and a world after a massive outbreak. There is so much space to write in.
Why not use the present? The problem is that facts limit us. For example, WWII is over. Readers would lambast me if I wrote it was still going on. But a future war? That’s possible. And how will this war start and finish? Any way my bonkers mind can dream up. My keyboard cannot wait!
The problem is that this bleak future is now widely accepted, taking away our hope. We must remember that life is good, and I hope my readers have a good rest of their day and a great tomorrow.
You’re the best -Bill
August 18, 2021 Updated January 17, 2026
In the fifties, authors painted a bright picture of what life would be like. People were going to drive flying cars to the moon, watch smell-o-vision, have an atomic reactor in their basement, and play with robots. Yet, since those uplifting times, something changed.
My theory is that in the fifties, we perceived our lives as better than they really were. Everybody had a big car, a perfect family, and a big house. Let’s go to space! Then our eyes opened to inequality and global problems in the sixties. Now we have full media coverage, and we cannot close our eyes to the issues.
Are our present lives that bad? Medical care is fantastic; we have the internet, and our stylish cars get excellent fuel economy. People are much better at communicating, live healthier lives, and have endless entertainment choices. Want to fly to Hawaii? With a credit card, you can book a flight on your phone in five minutes. Want to get pasta from Italy, kiwis from New Zealand, whiskey from Japan, produce harvested yesterday, dragon fruit, wasabi, tortillas, or Tahini at a reasonable price from your local supermarket? No problem. You can even pay for it using your smartphone.
History has proven that our future will be very similar to our lives now. Granted, there are still some issues. No matter how many precautions we take, there are wars, economic distress, disasters, famine, and ill-conceived politics. While this is true, society has a proven track record for overcoming these issues.
Of course, I have another theory. Writing in a bleak future is a lot of fun. Writers and readers love a challenge—the hero who survives in the wasteland or the meek person who is only trying to get by. Even I am guilty of painting a bleak future, because I am planning not one, but two book series set in a futuristic world where everything has failed. My stories are about how AI will really play out and a world after a massive outbreak. There is so much space to write in.
Why not use the present? The problem is that facts limit us. For example, WWII is over. Readers would lambast me if I wrote it was still going on. But a future war? That’s possible. And how will this war start and finish? Any way my bonkers mind can dream up. My keyboard cannot wait!
The problem is that this bleak future is now widely accepted, taking away our hope. We must remember that life is good, and I hope my readers have a good rest of their day and a great tomorrow.
You’re the best -Bill
August 18, 2021 Updated January 17, 2026
