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Factory Art

I read Unauthorized Bread recently and found it interesting in a prescient sort of way - much in the manner of Black Mirror. Each time I read or watch tales of near future dystopia, 1984 comes to mind for its sheer brilliance and timelessness. This toaster mayhem which forms the basis of 

Unauthorized Bread is a story told too precisely. All the detail is culled from the state of the art and where technology could logically go next. There is no leap of faith or imagination or deeper thought needed to process anything in this story. You are inundated with facts and supporting facts to the point that you can safely park your brain and be none the worse for it. That to me is also what makes it mundane and forgettable in the endless spill of dystopia. 

This particular story could be swapped with any of the gems that formed episodes in Black Mirror and no one would know the difference. There is a mass production quality to these things that make such productions feel factory-made instead of being the stuff of genius like Orwell's 1984. It is the difference between fast and gourmet food. Fast food can be fun as we know.

Orwell’s imperishable value as a writer is that he provides a template on the character of political power that tells us that we cannot be complacent, cannot leave it to government to fix, and cannot leave it to fate and hope for the best.

It would be great to read something of similar "imperishable value" written by a modern writer.
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