I’m a massive sci-fi nerd who loves a good dystopian space opera full of political intrigue. These stories also scratch my itch as an IR geek for examining big political questions, particularly around the darker political arts of authoritarianism.
As analysts of politics we can gain insights into authoritarian systems by watching/reading dystopian sci-fi books, movies, TV shows, which often explore the mechanics and consequences of authoritarianism in ways that mirror real-world cases.
Sci-fi fiction case studies
Here are some of the insights about authoritarianism we can draw from three of my favourite sci-fi fiction worlds: The Matrix, V for Vendetta, and The Man in the High Castle.
Mechanisms of Control and Surveillance
Authoritarian regimes sustain their power through coercion and surveillance—a theme central to these stories…
The Matrix: The agents within the system embody fear, as personified by Agent Smith, suppressing those who dare to question the illusion. This reflects how fear of retribution can stifle dissent in authoritarian contexts.
V for Vendetta: The Norsefire regime uses fear and intimidation to suppress opposition, exemplified by its brutal enforcement mechanisms and psychological domination of the populace, as embodied by Peter Creedy, head of the Norsefire secret police.
The Man in the High Castle: The pervasive threat of state violence and systemic oppression in the Axis-controlled world is a meditation on how the Nazi and Imperial Japanese regimes would have exported their use fear to control and pacify the American population.
Propaganda and Information Manipulation
Propaganda is a critical tool for authoritarian regimes, shaping public perception through an official ideology and suppressing independent thought…
The Matrix: The simulated reality epitomises an ultimate authoritarian system, using technology to immerse individuals in an illusion that conceals their oppression. The illusion of the matrix itself is a form of propaganda, convincing humans of a false reality that prevents rebellion. It demonstrates how misinformation can pacify and control populations.
V for Vendetta: Norsefire’s regime employs fear, propaganda, and censorship to suppress dissent, tightly controlling media and communication, and using propaganda to maintain power. Its surveillance and psychological control echo Michel Foucault’s interpretation of the panopticon, demonstrating how real-world authoritarian states manipulate narratives and monitor citizens to ensure compliance.
The Man in the High Castle: The manipulation of historical truth and use of propaganda (e.g., the films) illustrate how authoritarian regimes control not only the present but also collective memory and future aspirations. The Axis powers’ use of historical revisionism reflects an emphasis on nationalism as a tool for legitimising authoritarian rule.
Cult of Personality and Leadership
Many authoritarian systems centre power around a charismatic leader, underpinned by a cult of personality that extols them as a god-like saviour figure…
The Matrix: While the system itself lacks a single leader, the Architect symbolises the cold, calculating face of authoritarian design, prioritising order over individual freedom.
V for Vendetta: Norsefire’s leadership centred on High Chancellor Adam Sutler cultivates a god-like image of control, projecting invincibility while masking the regime’s fragility.
The Man in the High Castle: The leaders of the Axis powers rely on propaganda and cult-like devotion to maintain their dominance, demonstrating the role of charismatic authority in sustaining authoritarianism.
Social Inequality and Class Control
Authoritarian regimes often exploit and enforce rigid social hierarchies to divide and conquer their populations…
The Matrix: The division between humans enslaved as batteries in the matrix simulation and the machines that are powered by them, parallels systems of exploitation where elites benefit at the expense of the masses.
V for Vendetta: Norsefire enforces social stratification, marginalising minorities and dissenters to consolidate power and maintain order. Persecution of the queer community is highlighted here, which we see this through the story of Valerie Paige, whose hand-written memoir is discovered on a tattered paper note in a jail cell by the main protagonist Evey Hammond.
The Man in the High Castle: The racial and social hierarchies imposed by the Axis powers in their American colonies, based on the actual practices of Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 1940s, reflect how authoritarian regimes use inequality as a tool to divide and control.
Psychological Impact of Oppression
The psychological toll of authoritarianism on individuals is a recurring theme in these works…
The Matrix: The simulated reality numbs individuals to their oppression, demonstrating how authoritarian systems can erode agency and critical thought. This is personified by Cypher, a disgruntled member of the human resistance who sells out his comrades to the agents so he can be plugged back into the simulation.
V for Vendetta: The pervasive fear instilled by Norsefire leads to apathy and complicity among the populace, reflecting the mental burden of living under constant surveillance and repression.
The Man in the High Castle: Characters grapple with moral compromises and existential despair, raising difficult questions about collaboration and resistance, and illustrating how prolonged exposure to authoritarian control can fracture identity and hope.
Resistance and Civil Disobedience
It’s not all doom and gloom; dystopian sci-fi often explores the dynamics of resistance…
The Matrix: Neo’s journey as “The One” symbolises the awakening of political consciousness and the power of collective action. The underground resistance reflects the secrecy and decentralisation essential for survival in authoritarian contexts.
V for Vendetta: V’s revolutionary acts and characteristic Guy Fawkes mask inspire the populace, demonstrating the role of symbolism and narrative in mobilising resistance against authoritarian rule.
The Man in the High Castle: The resistance movements in this narrative are ideological and fragmented. However, it’s the role of subversive media, in this case the films from the alternate timeline depicting an allied victory in World War Two, which serve as a rallying point for dissent and mobilisation against these oppressive regimes.
Design Your Dystopia
Examining these themes in dystopian sci-fi can help us to understand how authoritarian systems work in the real world, as well as highlight the vulnerabilities and fragilities of these regimes.
Building on this relationship between sci-fi fiction and authoritarianism, let’s conduct a thought experiment to expand our understanding of the mechanics of authoritarian controls.
Question: If you were tasked with creating a fictional authoritarian regime for a book, movie, or video game, what would it look like?
Think about the tools this regime might use to maintain control: propaganda, surveillance, fear, or something more innovative. Would your regime rely on technology, perhaps through AI-controlled social credit systems? Or would it be more old-school, with a personality cult and secret police?
Your dystopian regime doesn’t have to be entirely grim—many fictional dystopias reflect something absurd or exaggerated about the real world. For example, would your regime ban all forms of art to ensure “productivity”? Or would it enforce happiness through mandated therapy and entertainment?
The point of this thought exercise is to understand the inner workings of real-world authoritarian systems by imagining them in a fictional context. Authoritarian regimes often thrive on controlling narratives, limiting dissent, and centralising power. Fictionalising these concepts can make them easier to analyse and critique.
Why it’s important to understand authoritarian systems
Now let’s take our observations from the fictional to the real world. Understanding how authoritarian states work is crucial for citizens of liberal-democratic states for several reasons…
1. Safeguarding democracy by recognising authoritarian tendencies: Authoritarian practices, such as restricting free speech, suppressing dissent, or manipulating elections, can emerge even within democracies. Understanding these tendencies can help citizens in democratic states to identify these threats, resist them, and take steps to remedy their root causes.
2. Strengthening democratic institutions: Learning how authoritarian regimes undermine institutions like independent judiciaries or free media can highlight the importance of protecting these pillars in a democracy.
3. Combatting disinformation and hybrid threats: Authoritarian states often use propaganda, cyberattacks, and influence operations to destabilise liberal democracies. Recognising these tactics can equip us to critically assess information, defend against manipulation, and support resilience in our own political system.
4. Strategic engagement: Liberal-democratic states, including Australia, often interact with authoritarian regimes in trade, diplomacy, and security. Understanding the internal dynamics of such states—how power is centralised, maintained, and exercised—enables more effective foreign policy strategies for engagement or confrontation.
5. Promoting human rights: Ideally, a solid understanding of authoritarian systems can help us as citizens advocate for foreign policies that support global human rights and democracy, avoiding complicity in oppression. Understanding authoritarianism can also foster solidarity with people living under such regimes.
6. Identifying shared interests around global challenges: Issues like climate change and economic stability demand cooperation between all states, democratic and authoritarian alike. Understanding the motivations and constraints of authoritarian governments can help us identify areas of potential pragmatic collaboration.
7. Mitigating conflict: Misunderstanding or misjudging the actions of authoritarian states can lead to avoidable crises. Informed perspectives can help navigate tensions through appropriate policies of diplomacy and/or deterrence.
8. Learning from historical and cultural contexts: Many authoritarian states arise from specific historical, cultural, or geopolitical conditions. Studying these factors enhances a deeper understanding of the challenges in achieving and sustaining democracy.
9. Seeing through divisive rhetoric: In increasingly polarised democratic states, political rivals across the spectrum are increasingly labelling their opponents as “communists” or “fascists” in political discourse. By understanding how authoritarianism actually works, citizens can soberly evaluate these claims, recognise actual threats to democracy, and call bullshit where appropriate.
As authoritarianism is increasingly challenging liberal democracy as the dominant political system worldwide, understanding and recognising the mechanics of authoritarianism is important knowledge for citizens and officials in democratic states.
Questions to think about
- What sci-fi books, movies and/or TV shows have you consumed that had authoritarian themes/settings?
- What did these works have to say about the tools and techniques of authoritarianism, as well as its social and psychological consequences?
* This posting is a thought activity shared with students in the Security and International Relations program at Swinburne Online.
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