I just saw the trailer for the new short film 2081 and it looks really good. The movie is based on the 1961 short story Harrison Bergeron written by Kurt Vonnegut. If you haven’t read it, read it now. The story takes place in the dystopian society of 2081 (hence the name of the movie) where everyone is finally equal not just in the eyes of God or the law but in hard cold fact. This equality is ensured by the Handicapper General who job it is to ensure that no one is smarter, more attractive, stronger, faster, or anything better than anybody else. “The strong wear weights, the beautiful wear masks, and the intelligent wear earpieces that fire off loud noises to keep them from taking unfair advantage of their brains. It is a poetic tale of triumph and tragedy about a broken family, a brutal government, and an act of defiance that changes everything.”

I have always been a fan of stories about dystopian societies. Back in high school we read 1984 by George Orwell, Brave new World by Aldous Huxley, and the 1961 short story by Kurt Vonnegut called Harrison Bergeron. All of which I enjoyed although Orwell’s prose was a little hard to get through at times. I remember Vonnegut’s story in particular really made me think about the direction society was heading for the first time in my life. That’s why I was very excited to hear about 2081 which is based on Harrison Bergeron. The clips I saw showed the typical dark and dirty world common among much of the dystopian society fiction. It look very cool and very appropriate. In our world where political correctness and government intrusion threaten free speech and free thought and where technology has finally advanced to the point that could make these stories a reality they are more important than ever.

Seeing the trailer and rereading the story inspired my to create logo for the U.S. Handicapper General’s Office. I wear it to remind others to remain vigilant lest these fictional futures become our own.