Nineteen Ninety-four

by William Osborne, Richard Turner

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1986

About the author

Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Budge Burgess · Rating 2 out of 5]

More provenance than review ... I came across mention of this as being first broadcast in 1985 on BBC Radio 4. I couldn't find a recording, but it had an impressive cast - so I found a cheap copy of the book online. I am a fan of Orwell's "1984", this "1994" seems to have been inspired by it (Orwell being much talked about in 1984, it doubtless inspired the writers to put finger to keyboard and the BBC to pick up the radio show for 1985). A spoof on future history, some excellent actors engaged to deliver six episodes. Being a serious fan of "Hitchhiker's Guide" - which began as a radio broadcast - I had great hopes for this one ... well, everyone is entitled to the occassional delusional moment.
That's the provenance.
The review?
The book is shite.

[Dave Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this was ostensibly a follow-on to George Orwell's "1984", it's really more of a typically British nutty and hilarious adventure in the spirit of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "Monty Python". I listened to it as a full-cast BBC radio production and it's quite hilarious, exploring the ramifications of a future England where marketing people have taken over and everything's focused on consumption. There are hints of Orwell here, but it's mostly just goofy fun!