In this second lecture of the Dark Dystopias series we'll look at dystopian stories in television series and how they show a critical reflection of today's society. Dr. Linda Duits will discuss dystopias in television series like The Handmaid’s Tale, The Walking Dead and Black Mirror.
Dystopian societies, futures full of doom and gloom, are everywhere in popular culture. Famous dystopian works like 1984 have shaped the way we think about the future and the present. Today we see many dystopian stories in popular television series, like The Handmaid’s Tale, The Walking Dead, and Black Mirror. The long running franchise Star Trek recently took a break from its positive perspective on the future with the Star Trek: Discovery installment. How can we understand these dark dystopias? How do they allow social criticism of our current time?
In this series we’ll delve deeper into works of fiction (in literature, film and TV series) that are set in dystopian societies. What are the characteristics of dystopias and why do they fascinate us so much? We’ll also discuss what we can learn from those stories and what is applicable to our societies today.
Dr. Linda Duits is an independent social scientist specialized in popular culture. She is an affiliated researcher with the Institute for Cultural Inquiry of Utrecht University and part of the Amsterdam Research Center for Gender and Sexuality. Linda Duits teaches at the department of Media Studies at Utrecht University and the College of Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam.
This program will take place in Blauwe Zaal in Auditorium building at TU/e campus. To find the location check this page for route and map.