5 ideas from Victor Pelevin's novels that came true

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The ironic science fiction writer tries to write about the present day, but sometimes looks into the future.

Victor Pelevin is one of the most popular Russian writers. In his books, in the form of fantastic works, he talks about current problems, while not forgetting about the philosophy of Buddhism. But it so happens that the author's fantasies come true. And there are more and more such predictions.

1. Advertising slogans and new tastes of drinks

In the famous book "Generation P" "Pelevin sarcastically on the topic of modern marketing, coming up with unusual advertising for famous products. In particular, the main character Vavilen Tatarsky was given the task to compose a slogan for promoting the Sprite drink in Russia.

Translated into Russian "Uncola" will be "Nekola". By its sound (similar to the name "Nikola") and evoked associations, this word fits perfectly into the aesthetics of the probable future. Possible slogan options:

SPRITE. NOT COLA FOR NIKOLA

(It makes sense to think about introducing "Nikola Sprite" into the consumer's mind - a character like Ronald McDonald, only deeply national in spirit.)

"Generation" P "" Victor Pelevin

Despite the obvious parody, years later, a real advertisement appeared with a very similar slogan and hero Nikola. True, this time it was not Sprite that was advertised, but kvass.

In the same place, Viktor Pelevin predicted the emergence of local tastes of various drinks.

In addition, it is necessary to think about changing the design of the product sold on the Russian market. Here, too, it is necessary to introduce elements of the false Slavic style. The birch seems to be the ideal symbol. It would be advisable to change the color of the can from green to white with black stripes like the trunk of a birch tree. Possible ad text:

“I'm in the spring forest

Saw a birch Sprite."

"Generation" P "" Victor Pelevin

This soda never got a birch flavor, but Cucumber Sprite was released later.

2. Virtual celebrities

All in the same book "Generation" P "" Pelevin presented that all politicians and other celebrities may not be real people at all, but only their digital copies that exist only on TV screens.

By its nature, any politician is just a TV show. Well, we'll put a living person in front of the camera. All the same, a team of speechwriters will write his speeches, a group of stylists will choose jackets, and the Interbank Committee will make decisions.

Victor Pelevin "Generation" P ""

The matter has not yet reached politicians (although who knows), but virtual media celebrities already exist. For example, popular Japanese singer Miku Hatsune, created by Crypton Future Media. She sings in the voice of the real Saki Fujita, which was processed with the Vocaloid program. The artist's appearance is completely created on a computer, which does not prevent her from performing in the form of a hologram, accompanied by live musicians.

3. Development of the sex doll industry

In the provocative novel S. N. U. F. F. the writer fantasized about the development of sex androids. In the world of the book, some people live exclusively with dolls that have their own character.

I, of course, have nothing against biological partners and have even tried them several times in my life. But this is simply not mine. My choice is surah. I really like the word itself. So, it seems to me, a song, prayer or some bird of paradise color should be called. But this is just an abbreviation of the Church English "surrogate wofe", which has come down to us from a time when the pupparas could still be publicly humiliated. Only I am not sure that it is correct to call surrogate women (all the more "rubber", as we ourselves sometimes say in slang).

"S. N. U. F. F." Victor Pelevin

The sex doll industry is developing every year. Of course, they do not yet possess intelligence, but in Spain, already in 2017, the first hotel with artificial women opened. And in 2018, a similar institution appeared in Moscow.

4. People's affection for virtual assistants

Much of the action of The Love for the Three Zuckerbrins takes place in the future, where people spend a lot of time in virtual space. Special assistants who have developed into a full-fledged interlocutor and even a friend help them navigate the computer world. And it is with this part of the program that the main character Kesha has a connection.

Kesha had a good idea of Little Sister's origins and evolution. Just two or three hundred years ago, she was a painted paperclip with sad and wise Semitic eyes. Or a yellow dog wagging its tail amusingly. In the swamps of Microsoft Windows warmed by the prehistoric sun, where this kind of life once originated, an amazing variety of funny and kind forms reigned … It was believed that the appearance of the assistant reflects the personality of the owner of the feistop. And this, of course, was the case. Little Sister, the most flawless mirror of the soul and mind, could point out to an attentive observer Keshin's secret sin.

"Love for Three Zuckerbrins" Victor Pelevin

At the time of the book's release, Siri and other voice assistants already existed. But over time, more and more people began to emotionally become attached to such programs and even fall in love with them. Which, of course, affects their real life.

5. Neural networks that surprise

The 2017 novel "iPhuck 10" is completely filed on behalf of a neural network that investigates crimes and immediately writes detective stories about it.

My algorithm does two things. The first is to solve crimes, punishing evil and affirming virtue. The second is to write novels about it, imperceptibly mixing bright splashes and colors from the cultural palette of mankind into the dry police protocol. In fact, these two functions are combined in me into one: I investigate crimes in such a way that the report about it is built from the very beginning in the form of a highly artistic text, and I write the novel in such a way as to analyze the progress of the investigation and determine its further steps.

IPhuck 10 Victor Pelevin

Both components are already gradually becoming reality. Artificial intelligence can already solve a crime. This happened in China, when the facial recognition system determined that the client had been killed, after which they tried to take possession of her bank account. And in parallel, AI is already starting to create works of art: stories and even paintings. His work sometimes looks crazy, but neural networks are getting smarter every year.