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Totalitarian Tales
Dystopian literature, 101
Dystopian literature is a literary genre focused on postapocalyptic, totalitarian, or otherwise oppressive societies (watch 101). Its stories often take place in the future, though its writers often comment on the present.

The word “dystopia” is derived from the Greek for “bad place” (see first use). It’s an inversion of “utopia,” a term popularized by Sir Thomas More in his 1516 book, “Utopia,” which imagined an ideal society free of want. The modern dystopian story does not just take place in an undesirable setting; it also features an oppressive power structure that claims to offer utopia, with one of the earliest examples being Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels."

The international conflicts of World War I and II inspired some of dystopian literature’s most influential novels as writers encountered the utopian promises of fascism and communism. In the decades to follow, more writers would follow the example of those early novels, using the dystopian model to critique artificial intelligence, climate change, and more.

... Read our full explainer on the genre here.

Also, check out ...
> George Orwell's "1984" is one of the most influential dystopias. (More)
> Political scientists weigh in on whether we live in a dystopia. (More)
> Breaking down the five types of dystopias and their role in extremism. (More)



'Shop Like a Billionaire'
An explainer on Temu
Often compared to a virtual dollar store, Temu is a Chinese discount e-commerce retailer that sells a wide range of products, from $2 plastic headphones to $200 couches. Started in 2022, Temu is arguably most famous for its unusually cheap products, and the time it ran the same advertisement five times during the 2024 Super Bowl.

On Temu, shoppers can get discounts and other benefits through playing games (like one game where users help a tree grow, another where they spin a wheel to win, and more). With about 292 million global monthly active users, the Amazon competitor was the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store in the US through 2024.

Temu is able to offer such cheap prices in part because it does not actually own any of the products it sells—the sellers who list their products on Temu maintain ownership instead. Some argue that the company is more focused on rapidly gaining market share than achieving profitability: As of 2024, Temu was losing an average of $30 per order.

... Read our full write-up on Temu here.

Also, check out ...
> Amazon launched a Temu competitor, Haul, in 2024. (More)
> How e-commerce outlets like Temu used the now-extinct de minimis exemption. (More)
> Temu began as a Chinese company called Pinduoduo. (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS