Beginnings and endings
I was given the synopsis to Brave New World as follows:
Set in the 7th century AF (After Ford). Brave New World paints a grim picture of a future world in which human embryos are hatched in incubators and conditioned to collectivism and passivity. Bernard Marx, an unorthodox and unhappy 'alpha-plus' returns to London with a 'savage' from New Mexico. Having educated himself by reading Shakespeare and the like, the savage believes in individual freedom and in this new world goes berserk and kills himself.
and asked to choose a style of writing (SciFi/Comedy/Horror/etc) and create an opening. I'd never heard of Brave New World which probably helped because I only had the synopsis to go on. I chose Science Fiction and here's my beginning:
New beginning of Brave New World
"What's the current percentage split?"
"55% male."
"Ok, we'd better make this batch female then, pass the oestrogen supplement injector." Jones leaned over the counter and passed a thick hypodermic contraption to Doctor Marx who squeezed the contents into the vat and gave it a stir.
"That ought to do it. Set the timer for 6 hours and we'll call it a night."
Dr. Bernard Marx had been working at Fry's People Farm for 12 years and the crushing responsibility was slowly getting to him. Each batch could only be pushed towards a gender and it was tough keeping the balance. Only a few millilitres out could result in a wasted generation. He needed a break. Science was a single man's game and he needed something to distract him from the monotony of the Farm.
"Goodnight Jones, see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight sir".
Marx was tired. His head was hanging like a puppet with broken strings. He dragged himself into the airlock separating the sterile laboratory and entered the Aplha's locker room.
Next we had to create an ending to The Living and the Dead. I'd never heard of this book either, so I had no pre-conceptions. Didn't have time to copy the synopsis but I'm sure you can find it on the inter-web.
New ending to The Living and the Dead
Eden wept. Tears rolled down her face. It had been 10 years since her mother had died, but the grief was still as real now as it was when the bombs dropped. Eden still had her mother's name so from that respect she was different but she couldn't help feeling like a failure. She had made her choices and she had to accept them now. It looked like another war was coming but in spite of everything she was happy.
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