Aldous Huxley

Poet, novelist, and screenwriter, Aldous Huxley is best known as the author of Brave New World, one of the few dystopian novels to earn the Wordcandy Stamp of Approval. Huxley was born to a family of famous writers and scientists in 1892, and he originally planned to work in a scientific field. An illness at age 16 left him nearly blind and ended his dream of a scientific career, but his interest in scientific issues continued for the rest of his life and is very evident in Brave New World.

Note: Huxley died on the same day as John F. Kennedy.

Note #2: Huxley wrote the screenplay for the 1940 film version of Pride and Prejudice, a film that I have never understood. Why did he change Lady Catherine’s character from a bitchy snob to a gruff old lady with a roguish twinkle? And why did they use Civil War-era costumes, anyway? Either way, it would be a costume drama, and you’d think all those hoopskirts would be tough to work with.

Aftertaste:
For a man who wrote so disturbingly about a society that depends on a constant diet of soothing drug cocktails, Huxley was apparently very interested in what he saw as the beneficial experiences offered through LSD and mescaline.

Also... I really don't think that Jane Austen would have approved of Laurence Olivier.

Availability:
Everywhere.

Other Recommendations:
1984, by George Orwell

Anything by Kurt Vonnegut

Anything by Phillip K. Dick

Website:
http://somaweb.org/ -