Sunday 28 May 2017

You are being watched...

Surveillance is a major factor of modern dystopian futures, omnipresent in The Handmaid’s Tale and several alternate world characters’ job in the current Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Cameras, checkpoints, and informants are recurring threats. Getting around it is a vital step in fighting back.

How possible that is can determine how playable the specific dystopia is, along with how bleak the tone is. (A setting as oppressive as The Handmaid’s Tale would be a hard sell for this reason alone, if not for various other concerns.)

The need for secrecy is common in urban fantasy as well, with the Masquerade in the title of the original Vampire. Demon: The Descent bridges the two with Cover rules for when characters act unlike the people they’re supposed to be. And yes, Person Of Interest starts with that title line...

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