Summary

The text presents a dystopian vision of the future in 3087, characterized by extreme climate fluctuations and the narrator's fragmented existence across various forms of life.

Abstract

Set in the year 3087, the narrative depicts a world where the climate is erratic, swinging from extreme heat to freezing cold, akin to a planet suffering from a bi-polar disorder with multiple personalities. The protagonist reflects on their countless reincarnations, each with a different identity—ranging from human to animal and plant—yet consistently marked by ignorance, incompleteness, and trauma. Despite the futuristic setting, the world is far from a typical science fiction utopia; it is grounded in the mundane reality of contemporary life, with references to standing in line to vote and visiting a fast-food drive-thru. The man serving burgers is notably ordinary, lacking the fantastical features one might expect in a space-age tale. This juxtaposition of the extraordinary with the banal underscores the anti-prophecy nature of this future—it is neither glamorous nor alien, but rather a continuation of the present's imperfections.

Opinions

The author conveys a sense of disillusionment with the future, portraying it as an extension of today's imperfections rather than a utopian or even dystopian science fiction fantasy.
There is a subtle critique of the human condition, as the protagonist's multiple lives are all marked by a sense of incompleteness and struggle, suggesting a cyclical pattern of existence without progress or enlightenment.
The use of mundane settings like a parking lot outside of Walmart and a Jack in the Crack drive-thru serves to demystify and ground the concept of the future, challenging the grandiose depictions often found in science fiction.
The narrative suggests a world in environmental crisis, with references to a one-winged bird and a rainforest tree on fire, highlighting the consequences of human actions on the natural world.
The ordinary appearance of the man at the drive-thru, despite the futuristic setting, implies a commentary on the unchanging nature of humanity, regardless of technological or societal advancements.

Writing Prompt — Science Fiction

Bi-Polar Futures

Anti-prophecy

It was 3087, hot one day, freezing the next

like a bi-polar planet with a multiple personality disorder.

I don’t know how many of these lives I’ve lived now — female, male, animal, plant, whatever.

Only one thing remained consistent: I knew nothing, was half-formed, full of trauma, slow like some wandering adagio.

How many rounds could I take of this?

I was comically stunted, like one of Lucretius’ evolutionary accidents.

I was a one-winged bird drunk on red berries, crashing into windows.

A slow sea turtle without eyes, pushing towards the indefinable.

A raging rainforest tree on fire in Bolsanaro’s Brazil

I was die in some avaricious gambler’s hot hands.

Anyway, don’t get any ideas about the year. This wasn’t some bar scene from Star Wars or some posh scene from 2001 Space Odyssey.

This was a parking lot outside of Walmart.

This was standing in line to vote like it was 1956.

This was a Jack in the Crack drive-thru.

And the man who handed you your dead little cow between two buns did not have some alien mug straight out of Star Trek.

He looked like you and me.

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Thanks for reading, and thank you to Sadie Seroxcat for the prompt.

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