[ WP ] A story set 100+ years in the past of a man writing a dystopian novel , but the dystopia he writes about is identical to the world we live in today .

`` This is never going to sell.'' 
 
 Thomas Jefferson Carter, owner and lead editor at Herald Publishing, set his half-sipped gin and tonic on the desk and shoved the manuscript towards me as if the words themselves stunk. Literally. 
 
 The grandfather clock ticked dutifully. I waited twelve ticks before speaking. 
 
 `` Why not?'' 
 
 `` Some of this technology... it seems far-fetched. Touching pieces of glasses and having images and words come up on them... books read from some sort of electric library, telegraphs appearing in the palm of your hand, being able not only to speak to but SEE another man from anywhere in the world...'' 
 
 `` How is it more far-fetched than Wells or Verne? Than time travel or journeying to the center of the earth?'' 
 
 Carter mumbled to himself, his lips squashing his knee-jerk replies into mush while he chose his answer. 
 
 `` In your story, it seems as if humanity is more connected than ever before, and yet they waste it.'' 
 
 ``'T is the definition of'dystopia', sir.'' 
 
 Carter's eyes hardened. Once more my wit had outrun my wisdom. 
 
 `` Your story proclaims that we will use all of this achievement for nothing but self-gratifcation. We will use these instant telegraphs to argue with each other over the latest showtunes or the proper length of a woman's skirt. We will not use these portable... what did you call them?'' 
 
 `` Tablets.'' 
 
 `` We will not use these tablets like Moses did, to carry down the inspiration of God or show a divine truth. We wo n't even use them to show the greatest wonders of the world to every curious child. In your story, we use them to print pictures of ourselves, to challenge each other to tedious bouts of bantering or to pointless little competitions. It's as if... these people have no real problems.'' 
 
 `` Why would there be, sir? You've read the papers, seen the newsreels. They're calling it `` the War to end all Wars'' over there in Europe. After they're done shelling each other into paste, humanity's taste for blood might finally be sated. Then what will we argue about? Once we see mankind for what it is, one people with the same hopes and dreams and fears, then what is left to divide us?'' 
 
 Carter's chair squeaked as he leaned forward. 
 
 `` So you're saying we make our own problems because all the true problems have been solved?'' 
 
 `` I am.'' 
 
 The grandfather clock ticked thirteen times. 
 
 `` It's as if your story is a utopian one wrapped up in dystopia. Humanity's greatest achievements will bring about it's greatest boredom.'' 
 
 `` I like to see myself as a optimistic cynic, sir.'' 
 
 He took another sip of his drink and considered the manuscript again. He touched the edge of it, testing to see if, as a result of our conversation, the pages had turned to gold. 
 
 `` No, it'll still never sell. Try again.''
