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Dystopian fiction has long remained a staple of the sci-fi genre, and for good reason. Who doesn’t like looking at what a possible distant future could look like, especially when it’s depressing and dark? While there is something nice about finding some heartwarming feel-good movies or shows to unwind with, there’s also value in gazing into the abyss of what could be.

So I’ve been watching a lot of dystopian-centered television shows lately, and I’ve come to the conclusion that too many of them are depressingly, uncomfortably realistic. Not only are these shows a look at what could be in the future, some of them are windows into the world we actually live in now. It’s growing more and more difficult to dismiss these particular series as nothing more than fiction when the real world seems to be following a similar trajectory.

Severance

Watch Severance on Apple TV+

Surely a show centered around a corporation that requires its employees to literally get surgery to split their work selves and their home selves is completely far-fetched. Yeah, maybe for now it is. But in a real world where technology is advancing at an alarming rate and corporations become more and more powerful, how much longer will that be the case?

Just look at Elon Musk’s Neuralink chip, which is implanted into the brain. One could argue that chips like this could improve the lives of the disabled, and there’s some merit in that. But the slippery slope of it all is too much to ignore. How long before real-world corporations perform their own versions of the procedure from Severance? The thought alone sends a shiver down my spine.

The Handmaid’s Tale

Watch The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu

A world where a second civil war has resulted in the slavery of women who are forced to give birth to children by the elite men who run the world sounds like a ridiculous concept, but is it really? It’s not that different from actual history, and if we know anything, it’s that we are doomed to repeat history we fail to learn from. The Handmaid’s Tale just seems more and more plausible as a not-that-distant future with each passing year.

With the erosion of rights to bodily autonomy being the norm in 2025, who can really say how long the sort of future The Handmaid’s Tale presents remains a mere fiction? And with the growing political division of the world, a second civil war doesn’t seem so ridiculous either. Whatever beliefs you might hold, The Handmaid’s Tale has to be a scary prospect for just about anyone who believes in the concept of inalienable human rights.

Black Mirror

Watch Black Mirror on Netflix

I would argue that some of the events portrayed in certain episodes of Black Mirror are not only plausible, but they are actively happening. Black Mirror and shows like it are very brain-ruining, and a big part of that is because of just how realistic they are. Concepts of being overly reliant on technology, deepfake tech replacing people, or the advancement of AI all feel extremely prescient and relevant.

Sure, a lot of the more recent episodes are just following trends that actually exist, but it’s clear that Black Mirror understands the modern world and the darkness that exists within it. I can’t wait to see what the show comes up with next, though a big part of me also fears its future, much in the same way I fear the actual future of humanity.

Westworld

Watch Westworld on Tubi

While the first season of Westworld is easily its best, I personally enjoyed the entire series. It’s definitely one of those sci-fi shows that was canceled way too soon, but during its run, it definitely touched on some relevant dystopian subjects. With the invention and advancement of artificial intelligence, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before we have AI-staffed theme parks like the ones found in Westworld.

How will we treat these robots? What will it say of our own humanity and our penchant for brutality? Not only that, Westworld had a lot of commentary on the effects of corporations on modern society, and how that can ruin the lives of the working class. I won’t pretend it all worked flawlessly, but I still think that Westworld had a lot of intelligent takes that are soberingly plausible in 2025.

The best dystopian sci-fi can show you what not to do as a society

While entertainment doesn’t have to be a commentary on the modern world, I believe that the best sci-fi dystopian stories are just that. Not only can these series show us exactly where we may be headed as a society, but they can also serve as a warning about what not to do. I’m not convinced we’re ready to listen to the warning signs, given the state of the world, but I’ve always been sort of a pessimist anyway. Here’s to hoping I’m wrong, and that the dystopian societies in these fictional worlds remain nothing more than that.