A remake of the 1979 post-apocalyptic action flick "Mad Max" hits theaters today. It's being billed as one of the largest releases for the summer of 2015.
The original "Mad Max" was filmed by a doctor who staged the violence by tapping into the knowledge he gleaned from treating car crash victims. It had unknown actors, rusty police cars, people named "Toecutter" and "Nightrider," and motorcycles and hacksaws.
"Mad Max" became a cult classic, and it was the world's most profitable film for decades. Director George Miller wanted it to have the feel of a silent film, but unlike the apocalyptic Fritz Lang classic "Metropolis," the machine would control nothing—it would be humanity's dependence on machines and what happens when they break down that would ultimately drive this end of the world film.
As we look at the challenges of today's world and the current crop of dystopian books and films on the market, it's hard not to notice that a lot of these fictional futures bear a striking resemblance to the very real world we currently live in.
Adam Sternbergh is the author of the novels "Shovel Ready" and "Near Enemy," which imagine a future New York ravaged by terrorist attacks, corruption, and climate change. He reflects on the new "Mad Max" film, and the growing market for dystopian books and films.