- The new novel by Joe Martin
- With a foreword by Roman Reher (Der Blocktrainer)
- Second manuscript edition
Winston Smith, the tragic hero of George Orwell's bleak vision of the future "1984", had a son - a well-kept secret. He led a carefree life until he unexpectedly came face to face with the merciless surveillance mechanisms of the powerful: cyber weapons like “Pegasus” and the ruthless control instrument of 2024 – central bank digital money.
This is his story. Welcome to 2024 – an updated version of 1984!
It seems we have not internalized the lessons of George Orwell’s dystopian vision in “1984.” Now, forty years later, this frightening idea is becoming a reality. Winnie, the fictional son of Winston Smith, experiences firsthand the horrors of the totalitarian system - a system that takes control of every aspect of daily life with sophisticated and cruel efficiency. A system that is currently gripping each of us with a cold claw.
We all live in an illusion of freedom, which is, however, increasingly restricted. If we are not vigilant, we too could become permanently enslaved, becoming functioning machines in an oppressive, controlling and inhumane system. The year 2024 is not a dystopian fiction, but an urgent warning: we must defend ourselves against the plans of governments and powerful companies that threaten our freedom.
Digitalization offers incredible opportunities for humanity, but it also harbors dangers. It is our duty to ensure that no one - whether intentionally or unintentionally - abuses digitalization as a modern shackles. An ankle bracelet that forces us onto the benches of a punishment gallery, where we have no choice but to row until we drop dead, while being constantly monitored at every moment.
This pervasive surveillance and control makes it possible to immediately detect and punish any wrongdoing or political sentiment, making the idea of defying the system unthinkable.
It is time to fight together for a fair, free and democratic future in which digitalization does not subjugate us, but rather serves us and supports us in our pursuit of happiness and self-realization.
Philosophical framework
In “1984,” only the party members are subject to total surveillance – and yet in the real world, communism, Stasi or not, ultimately failed. In the modern 2024, however, EVERYONE is being monitored.
Winston Smith from “1984” lives in the awareness of omnipresent surveillance and begins to become careless - while his son Winnie in 2024 is completely SURPRISED by the complete control.
In the dystopian “1984”, Winston Smith is always aware of the omnipresent surveillance - but in the year 2024, Winnie is completely UNAWARE of how extensively he is being monitored!
George Orwell depicted a bleak, future world in “1984”. I, on the other hand, depict a reality that within a few years - not decades, but just years - will enslave people and lock them in a prison from which an escape can only be achieved with a high death toll.
While Winston Smith is a fairly tragic figure from the start, Winnie is a successful graduate of an elite university who can still fulfill his potential. This was what Orwell could not have predicted. If the Nazis had remained in power, if Stalin had succeeded, we would also have woken up in 1984. Fortunately, democracy has triumphed.
Unfortunately, we seem to be increasingly forgetting the value of democracy as we live in a world of casino capitalism, where a few people control the system thanks to freely generated money.
The power of these predatory capitalists, who subscribe to the dogma of shareholder value, is beginning to crumble as the monetary system collapses, much like a pyramid scheme. Surveillance and control are seen as the only solutions to this dilemma - and thus “1984” becomes a reality!