You hear talk of the categories the last few generations have been put into, boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and now Gen Z. In fact, people seem to happily put themselves into the categories sometimes, finding it gives them a sense of being in a certain ‘time’ perhaps, or a generation they can identify with, discussed briefly in A lost generation. But I can’t help wonder about it from other angles, in my usual way.

A wild theory was put out there recently, that that they have added a third strand to the standard double helix structure of the human make-up, and was speculated upon in the grand scheme of symbolising ceremonies that was made public. So, have they added to X and Y, to bring Z into our composition?

Generation Zombie. Suddenly the idea of Gen Z not sounding so cool. And maybe it isn’t the zombie apocalypse we thought it would be, where they become the real undead and want for brains (although ironically that does still kind of fit). Instead, they become the drug addicted half dead, wanting more of the chemicals and entertainment being dispensed and drip fed to them from above. Or perhaps it is the other original meaning, a will-less and speechless human, as is said in Voodoo folklore and fictional works. Not quite so yet, because although ‘free speech’ may be under attack in the online forum, there is no shortage of people who have something to say, on both sides, myself included. And for now, technology permits us to be able to share, save and reproduce those words, thoughts and ideas on various mediums almost instantaneously. But are we really talking from a place of ‘free speech’ anyway? There are those who say we lack free will already, so whose words and ideas are we talking here? Have they been planted within us through various forms? My articles Films, real life twisted or just fantasy? and Planting the seeds, look at that a bit and I have also written a few on the zombie topic before – The zombie thing, Zombies perhaps and Not quite in control, if you are interested in further ones on that.

But it does seem that something is changing, with people, society and what we know as being human. Changing into what exactly? touched upon it, but as it continues and they talk of putting chips in our brains, assisted suicide, a virtual metaverse, smart cities and various other changes to what we are and how we live, it’s no wonder many people aren’t happy. Because those things do not ultimately benefit the masses, and is not meant for the betterment of the ‘little people’, it’s for the entrapment and containment of them, in the most efficient and hassle free way, for them. And while I point out the difference between us and them, I am aware that they wouldn’t be them, unless they were allowed to become so. We know certain things are bad and line corporations’ pockets, but we do it anyway. We eat the sugar laden foods, we drink the fizzy pop, we take the medications – like good little Eloi.

Because while the book The Time Machine looked at the far future, and how things had become split between the Morlocks and the Eloi, who were just being bred and fed, for the ultimate purpose of being food. I realised maybe that’s where we are now, and it’s not in the future at all, that’s where the story tricked us. It is now, and the Morlocks work hard with their underground world to make everything appear as they need it, so that the above ground Eloi will just go about their daily lives, laughing, eating, not worrying about a thing until they are told to. Hypnotised by the siren when it is their time to step forward. Sound kind of familiar? Maybe it’s just me that sees it that way…

(c) K Wicks