Dystopian literature is a sub-genre of the larger speculative fiction, which is an umbrella genre that sits atop well-known genres such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, post-apocalyptic, and magical realism. You might notice that all of these categories are not based in reality but have non-real elements to them.
Like its name suggests, it allows writers to speculate what might be, asking “what if?” questions until they are able flesh out a plot and setting that can be bleak, terrifying, and not one you’d want to live in. As one of the most popular dystopian novelists, Maragret Atwood explains:
“If you’re interested in writing speculative fiction, one way to generate a plot is to take an idea from current society and move it a little further down the road. Even if humans are short-term thinkers, fiction can anticipate and extrapolate into multiple versions of the future.”
What does dystopian mean?
Merriam-Webster defines this sub-genre as “an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives.” These stories tend to take place in a near future where you’ll recognize some elements, but they are twisted into the future to demonstrate a decline in society. For example, writers might pull from current headlines—like rising sea levels, political divisions, or artificial intelligence (AI)—and expand on them.
Generally, you can identify a dystopian novel by certain themes that appear in the plot. These include:
Economic inequality that leads to dehumanization, isolation, a struggle for survival.
Strict government, religious, and/or technological oppression of citizens. This often means a loss of individuality (conformity is strong) and creates an us vs. them dynamic.
Environmental destruction such as dwindling natural resources or sick/dying nature that impacts the day-to-day lives of humans.
A pervasive sense of fear, either of those in power, bodily safety, economic or environmental collapse, etc.
The opposite of dystopian is utopian, a near-perfect and peaceful society. In fact, the concept of a utopia came first (around 1516) and highlighted a society with minimal violence and poverty. Dystopian fiction was a reaction to these ideas of a perfect society.
Why read dystopian fiction?
Based on this, you might be wondering: why the heck would you want to read something so bleak? Or even: is dystopian good or bad?
The answers to both of these questions are complex. As explained above, dystopian novels allow not just the writers to explore possible futures but us readers too. They take a negative future view of society, highlighting class disparity, the corruptibility of governing bodies, and a bleak outlook on the environment.
But these stories can also show resistance, sacrifice, and ask readers to consider our own values—an important thought exercise. It also allows reader to consider these ‘possible’ futures from a safe distance, allowing us to close the book if the plot becomes too intense. And, because of how these stories build on, magnify, or distort current trends (hello climate change!) you might notice you begin to think differently about current events or even act to support causes in the present. And that is some powerful literature!
Best Dystopian Books
Here are some of the top dystopian novels to add to your TBR list! I’ve included a variety of authors and publication dates so you can try out a few. Keep in mind that they will all be slightly different, but get ready to dive into big questions.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases—at no additional cost to you.
Comments