“Why read dystopian fiction when you can just watch the news?”

“Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?” is a saying that has been printed on many images. The saying was born during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, when many real life events seemed dystopian.
   
“Why read dystopian fiction when you can just read the news instead?” was posted on Facebook by Cameron Brown on December 17, 2019. “Why read dystopian fiction when you can just look at the news?” was posted on X/Twitter by “Names are hard” on September 14, 2020. “Why read dystopian fiction when you can just watch the news?” was posted on Facebook by Joseph Smith on July 26, 2021.
 
“Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?” was posted on X/Twitter by blackness everdeen on July 22, 2021, and this received over 30,000 likes.
 
 
Wikipedia: Utopian and dystopian fiction
Utopian and dystopian fiction are subgenres of science fiction that explore social and political structures. Utopian fiction portrays a setting that agrees with the author’s ethos, having various attributes of another reality intended to appeal to readers. Dystopian fiction offers the opposite: the portrayal of a setting that completely disagrees with the author’s ethos.
     
Facebook
Cameron Brown
December 17, 2019 at 1:00 PM ·
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just read the news instead?
 
X/Twitter
Names are hard (She/He/They/It)
@JortLover
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just look at the news?
11:29 PM · Sep 14, 2020
   
X/Twitter
blackness everdeen
@traceyecorder
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?
9:13 PM · Jul 22, 2021
   
Facebook
Joseph Smith
July 26, 2021 at 5:51 PM ·
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just watch the news?
 
X/Twitter
NischhalNotNischal
@theNischhal
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?
10:03 AM · Jul 27, 2021 from Nepal
     
iFunny
LateStageCapital2_2021
29 jul 2021
blackness everdeen @traceyecorder Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?
 
X/Twitter
sunnyside ☀️🌻🤍
@sosunnyside
ไปเจอทวิตนึงมา เค้าเขียนว่า “why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?” ก็คือไม่เกินจริง
1:06 AM · Jul 31, 2021
   
X/Twitter
God Is A Tulpa
@kristy_clueless
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just look around and pay attention?
1:42 PM · Aug 30, 2021
   
X/Twitter
Arjun Manjooran
@MrManjooran
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?
4:00 PM · Aug 30, 2021
   
X/Twitter
Sean Of The Living Dead
@kutak
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?
1:24 PM · Sep 3, 2021
   
iFunny
CJ1111
3 sep 2021
blackness everdeen @traceyecorder Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?
   
America’s Best Pics and Videos
hurtJesusoftheday_2020
5 sep 2021
blackness everdeen @traceyecorder Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention?
   
Facebook
Matt Couch
September 20, 2022 at 12:35 PM ·
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention..
(The saying is also shown on an image.—ed.)
 
X/Twitter
E M M A ✨ K A T H E R I N E
@TheEmmapreneur
Why read dystopian fiction when you can just pay attention? 📚💡
8:59 AM · Jun 23, 2024