Writing under the pen name George Orwell, Eric Arthur Blair (June, 1903 – January, 1950) was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. He studied briefly under Aldous Huxley and was also a keen observer of culture. Disturbed by social injustice, he was committed to democratic socialism and opposed to totalitarianism.
Orwell is widely known for his 1949 novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) and his novella, Animal Farm (1945). His work continues to influence popular culture, whose works typify the genre of Dystopian Fiction and Realism. Words he’s credited with introducing to popular culture include: cold war, big brother, thought police, Room 101, doublethink, and thoughtcrime. “Orwellian” is an adjective describing a situation, idea, or societal condition which is destructive to the welfare of a free and open society. We feature Orwell in our Science Fiction Study Guide and collection of Dystopian Stories.
We find these Orwell quotes very compelling:
“To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”