Among the seminal texts of the 20th century， Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real。 Published in 1949， the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare vision of a totalitarian， bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality。 The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life--the ubiquity of television， the distortion of the language--and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell。 Required reading for students since it was published， it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written。