I plan on producing an answer to George Orwell’s “1984”. I plan to write about how a well-established propertarian Anarchist society begins to tragically decay and fall apart. How, exactly, I have not planned out as of yet. But does anyone have pointers?
This is an interesting mental exercise. Laymens forget that George Orwell considered himself a democratic socialist, yet essentially backslapped his fellow socialists by labelling the aggressing party “IngSoc”, or English Socialism.
“But does anyone have pointers?”
Here’s an idea. As the economic elites form, they use their influence to maintain their advantages, to preserve the status quo and stymie much of the free market mechanisms that threaten their dominance. This starts the slow creep toward statism. Maybe an engineered catastrophe by the government (potential war, epidemic) could be used as a way to grab more power from the people by the state. Is that the direction you wanted to go?
Bioshock?
I don’t know. I’m trying to think of ways the government could scare people enough for them to give up liberties for implied safety. Protection from invasion is obviously one. Perhaps protection from some epidemic killing millions around the world. That sounds scary. Global warming, but that’s a bit cliche, and I’m not sure how scary that really is. Financial panics worked on us in the past, so that’s a keeper. That’s all I can think of.
I want to find a way to make a well-structured and dynamic Anarchism collapse in and of itself, and simultaneously not bring statism or complete chaos (the stereotypical anarchy) as a result.
Why not a story about the decline of private law enforcement and the rise of monarchy in Iceland during the Middle Ages?
I want to find a way to make a well-structured and dynamic Anarchism collapse in and of itself, and simultaneously not bring statism or complete chaos (the stereotypical anarchy) as a result."
Tough to do. Not many dramatic possibilities as you described it. If you start with an anarchy and it collapses in upon itself, you still have an anarchy. You ruled out chaos and statism, so you’re not left with much to work with (not trying to criticize. I write screenplays for a living - sold 1 outright recently and optioned 3 - and you’re hemming yourself into a premise that doesn’t give you many directions to go).
Maybe an outside force invades this place, causing havoc. Peaceful farmers must become barbarians to defend their land? Or maybe some new kind of religion takes hold and messes up everything for the people, turning their society upside down (seems almost like a State menace, though). Or some interference of a common thing people off, all civility breaks down for some short period of time. Or even a Mad Max type story.
I think you’re still better off taking it from peaceful anarchy to a nasty socialist or totalitarian type state, with the hero leading the way, convinced he’s doing the best thing for his people and himself, only to find out at the end, he’s committed them to a living hell. Make it allegorical and use some of the tactics our own government has been using to sell Social State to us. It’s powerful, resonant, loaded with dramatic possibilities, and timely. If I didn’t write comedies, I’d consider writing a story like this.
Good luck either way.
Thanks for the guidance, it’s definitely good to have a scriptwriter around. Who is your employer? OT OT
So you’re looking for an endgame that does not involve ancap, statism, and/or chaos? Tough one, but if all fails you could always get there by making the Sun explode.
Or Joan Rivers’ face actually moving?
That one’s even tougher (pun intended). I’d stick with the Sun.