First published in 1949, "Nineteen Eighty-Four" is a dystopian science fiction novel by English writer George Orwell. His ninth and last book, it centres on the year 1984 when Britain is part of a totalitarian state called Oceania ruled by "The Party". The world is grasped by constant war and propaganda, surveillance, and historical negationism work together to control the population and keep them in the dark. When an illicit romantic relationship fills the protagonist Winston Smith with rebellious ideas, he begins to remember what life was like before the oppressive regime. Modelled on Stalinist Russia, the novel explores the position of the truth in politics and how it can be manipulated with allusions to real instances of totalitarian repression. Eric Arthur Blair (1903—1950), more commonly known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English journalist, essayist, critic, and novelist. His work is characterised by an opposition to totalitarianism and biting social commentary, and remains influential in popular culture today. Many of his neologisms have forever entered the English language, including "Thought Police", "Big Brother", "Room 101", "doublethink", "thoughtcrime", and "Newspeak" to name but a few. Other notable works by this author include: "Keep the Aspidistra Flying" (1936) and "Coming Up for Air" (1939). Read & Co. Classics is proudly publishing this seminal novel now in a new edition complete with the introductory essay "Why I Write".
