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Books

 

            Since Gutenberg printed his first book more than 500 years ago, there have always been titles that have angered folks to the point of condemnation; to the point where they have thought that the books should be removed from the shelves, or even destroyed. There have always been books that people have believed are so objectionable that others should not be permitted to read them. Books have been condemned for a variety of reasons, and are still being condemned. Perhaps they are condemned because of the way they depict sexuality, religion, the races, political views; or perhaps they are condemned because of the language that the author uses to tell his story. Censorship of literature is not a new concern, but an old one; and it is a concern that will certainly stay with librarians into the new millennium. .
             The book Brave New World is author Huxley's shocking vision of a future utopia, which deals with the philosophical and ethical controversies brought by advances in technology and science. Religion has been replaced by worship of Science; instead of Lord, they have Ford. Human reproduction has become a mass produced, made to order product, carefully programmed and genetically altered to suit the needs of society. Eroticism for self-satisfaction is promoted, while pregnancy and parenthood are abhored and to be avoided at all costs. The family unit is no longer. Childern are raised by the State. There is a strict caste system, from Alpha to minus Gamma, with the Alphas being the best looking and most intellectual, and the minus Gammas being morons. Unlike current-day society, everyone has been programmed and conditioned to fit exactly into their particular position in society, and has no thought of being anything different. Everyone is happy all of the time, thanks to the mood-altering drug, Somma. Reading this novel, it is quite disturbing to see how many of the innovations Huxley first wrote about in 1932 are now reality.


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