What’s your favorite dystopian novel? Why are we drawn to this genre?
What’s your favorite dystopian novel? Why are we drawn to this genre?
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What’s your favorite dystopian novel? Why are we drawn to this genre?
The girl with all the gifts and the boy on the bridge.
Loved both of those.
I quite enjoy (is this the appropriate word for such a subject?) Fahrenheit 451 and the brilliant idea at the end (oops, almost spoilt it)
Good read.
Never Let me Go by kazuo Ishiguro. I was never drawn to dystopian fiction and had no idea that this book is a dystopian science fiction. First dystopian novel I read and I ended up loving it
It’s so different from his other novels. I liked it better the second time I read it.
I have to read the entire Octavia Butler canon after reading Parable of the Sower and Talents. She is legendary.
Agree, Butler was a real mold breaker.
Gender Game
Don’t know that one. What’s it about?
It’s a young adults book so fairly easy read. It’s about a society that’s divided into two groups based on gender views. One is where women rule and the other the men rule. Mix in a spy and cross culture romance and you’ve got a full series.
It’s by Bella Forrest
@Joanna Sounds interesting. I’ll check ot out.
There’s a whole series and then theirs a breakaway series. Loved it.
I enjoyed it.
@Delynda have you read the girl who dared to think ?
@Joanna No, dont believe so. Author? I’m reading Margaret Atwood, The Heart Goes Last, now.
it’s by Bella Forrest. It’s based on the outlands that they talk about in the Gender Game series.
I just finished The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. It’s about Jesuits in the near future traveling to a planet where sentient life has been discovered. It’s an amazing and sometimes heartbreaking book.
Wow, never heard of it, it sounds interesting! I find it really weird that the “future” in this book is so close to our time though 😀 But the book was written in 1997, so I guess I get it.
@Denise she is one of my favorite authors. I have read everything she’s written. A Thread of Grace and Doc (about the American West) are also wonderful.
Be sure to read “Children of God” which finishes the story. Absolutely loved the books!
I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for nearly 20 years, and still haven’t read it!
This is a FABULOUS one for how we could make missteps. I love this book.
@Barb I’m reading it right now!
@Elle It’s a good one.
I don’t care for them at all.
@Wendy have you tried reading them?
Alessandro LOL. Of course. I can’t form an opinion on what I don’t know. Off the top of my head I have read 1984, A Clockwork Orange, The Handmaid’s Tale, Ember City. However, I do not enjoy Fantasy or Science Fiction, either.
@Wendy well, I don’t enjoy fantasy either but decent, proper science fiction is kind of a different world, and star wars is not part of it. It’s got, well, lots of science in it. Why was 1984 so bad to you?
Its been many years since I read it, so I can’t be specific. I am not being critical of those who like this genre. I have mentioned before, there would be many authors unable to make a living, if everyone liked the same type of books. While I still taught MS I read a wide variety of books as I encouraged my students to do. Now that I am retired, I prefer to read books of a historical nature. I don’t think I have enough years left to try to like the genres of books I have never enjoyed. ?
@Wendy well, I sincerely hope 1984 was among the books you recommended to your students, because it makes for a rather mind-opening experience
I know my rec is not new in any way, but I feel it’s one of the least appreciated dystopian series out there – the Unwind series by Neal Shusterman. It’s my absolute favourite.
I don’t know this one either. How many books are there in the series? My max is three.
@Denise Well, I strongly recommend you make an exception for this one 😀 It’s 4 books in the series, plus a collection of short stories, but you’re not obligated to read that one. However, it’s a good addition to the unwind universe, you get more background on the characters. The books are Unwind, Unwholly, Unsouled and Undivided. The short story collection is Unstrung. The writing style is very accessible so it’s easy to fly through the series. I read the third book in a day because I wanted to get to the end to see what happens so badly. I promise, you won’t regret picking these books up. There are some gory descriptions and violence, but since it’s a dystopian, you kind of expect that. I strongly recommend you give this a try. What I loved most about this series was how realistic everything felt. It was scary, actually, how close to this we could become, if we allow our society to do this. It incorporates some real life issues as well, like terrorism and the black market for organs and trafficking, quite a few moral issues to be discussed. Really good series!
i love series! the longer the better!!!
@Elizabeth Yes, in most cases. Unfortunately, in some other cases, some books (usually in the middle) lack substance… not the case for Unwind, though 😀
i just got it!! thanks!
@Hincu I just bought a used copy of this book. It has a very interesting (disturbing) plotline. I can’t wait to read it
@Hincu I’ll put that on my tbr. Your recommendations have never led me wrong! 🙂
@Sylvia Wow, appreciating the praise, but talking about pressure… 😀 Now, in all seriousness, I’m glad you’re considering reading the series. In this author’s case, Unwind is his best writing so far. People have been praising Scythe, which has recently come out, but it’s still inferior to Unwind. If you like Unwind, you should check out Scythe as well, it is enjoyable, but just not as awesome. Hope you like the series!
@Hincu haha, no pressure, we just seem to have similar tastes. 🙂
@Stacey Yay, I’m glad you’re giving him a chance! And yes, it is disturbing – wait until you get to read about how they actually do the whole procedure. It is mindblowing. So, I hope you like the series!
@Sylvia Yes, yes, I kow 😀 However, I have had a friend who said the same thing and once I recommended something they hated and they didn’t fully trust me again afterwards ?
that can happen. I wouldn’t worry about it. 🙂
I mean, I don’t have your address, so can’t egg your house
@Sylvia I guess, but words hurt more than eggshells, so.. Nah, I’d be cool with whatever. I hope you’ll enjoy it though.
Sooooo good! Definitely a top 2 for me, and I’m so surprised not more people have read this series. especially considering how topical it is.
@Elle I knoooow! It drives me mad to see so very few people know about it! I guess it’s because it’s a bit different than the more popular dystopians out there, and much less promoted/talked about. But that’s exactly why I continuously recommend it, to spread the good word 😀
@Hincu this happened to me. But it wasn’t because they hated the book, they loved it. The book was Time Traveler’s Wife and my friend was mad that I hadn’t warned her that she would ugly cry.
@Hincu no hurtful words here!
@Hincu I’ll look into it! 4 is okay.
After looking at this on Goodreads, I’m definitely checking it out!
Hunger Games
Silo trilogy
This ones on my list.
@Amanda They were very good!
I’m currently on the second book. I really liked the first.
Fahrenheit 451
The Road
Mine too.
The Stand by Stephen King.
One of the best!
THE HANDMAID’S TALE BY MARGARET ATWOOD
I’m not much for this genre but this is a masterpiece. I ran out and bought it when it first came out and it’s stayed with me all these years. Would like to reread it in light of our world at this moment in time.
@Phyllis This book is such a profound look at issues that are frighteningly possible again! I’m 67 and watching what is happening makes the book more possible than ever.
@Leslie Have you read the The book of The Unnamed Midwife. I think it is by Megan Elison.
@Anita I read it too, and thought it was quite good.
@Denise Next year is when the next installment of the saga is coming out. I checked. Have you ever read any Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel Legacy or Ammonite by Nicola Griffith. Not dystopian, but different. The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez also not dystopian.
@Anita No, can’t say that I’ve heard of any of those. What kind of books are they?
I really enjoyed the maze runner trilogy actually. Then there are a whole bunch of others like Tracy Ward’s Within these walls series, or any of Jacqueline Druga. Druga has a bit of an unedited feel to her books though, but I still enjoyed them as light read books. Alexandria Clarke has an interesting series called Black out. Then there’s World war Z by Max Brooks. It’s a bit hard to read for me because of his choice of dividing it the way he does, but it’s a really good story nonetheless. There are more, but these are the latest ones I’ve read and enjoyed!
I haven’t read the maze runner yet. It’s on my list.
@Joanna I watched the movies as well, at least the first two, but I never got into them as much as with the books. They’re really good!
@Julia Books are always better
Loved WWZ! Much better than the film. One of my favorite zombie apocalypse reads. (Along with The Girl With All the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge.)
A Clockwork Orange, Brave New World, Anthem. I’d also include the MaddAddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood – the present-day stuff in the books are more post-apocalyptic, but the flashback stuff is definitely dystopian
Liked all of these but Anthem. Couldn’t put her politics aside.
The Giver is a good one
Seconded!
The Giver one of my favorite books for the last 24 years. I can’t even count how many times I have read it. I was SO disappointed by the movie!
MaddAddam trilogy, by Margaret Atwood
Great one.
Oryx and Crake
1984.
The Giver by Lois Lowry is the only one I can think of offhand right now.
The Passage series by Justin Cronin. Oh, and Station Eleven. And SevenEves.
I’m reading Station Eleven now and enjoying it very much. I think I like this genre because I like to see an author’s take on the future.
Love these especially Seveneves
I rated The Passage series 5 stars. Unusual for me. I also liked Station Eleven a lot. Haven’t read Seven Eves.
@Kat Tell me more.
I likes Seveneves because it combines sci-Fi and dystopia and took a long view.
@Kat I’ll check it out! Thanks.
@Denise, the first half takes place as the impeding apocalyptic event is approaching and tells of the preparations to save some of humanity, the second half takes place long afterward and reveals what the results were. It’s a very ambitious novel, almost two separate books.
The 5th Wave
I read the first few books in this series; definitely interesting!
Sounds really good on Goodreads. Adding to my list.
Age of Miracles
Read this one. It was pretty good.
The Stand by King
OP asked why some of us are drawn to the genre. I read dystopian, post-apocalyptic, survival etc. books not only to better understand human potential but oftentimes The
extent of man’s inhumanity. (And heck, to prepare for the zombie apocalypse!)
I’ve always believed that our society is headed for some kind of dystopia. My initial draw to the genre was trying to figure out what kind we’d be plunged into, and how to subvert/survive such a cataclysm. 😉
Have you read Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven? A very different approach to the after
I just picked it up a couple weeks back but haven’t yet cracked it open. I know it is one of the genre’s classics.
@Robbie Read this a long time ago. I still remember the carp!
Heather Cogswell, I read them also as warnings about how the future may turn out if we keep heading in the wrong direction, especially regarding environmental catastrophes.
There’s a really great lecture series on dystopia in the great courses if you’re interested!
I’m going to check it out. My husband listens to Great Courses series on his commute.
yeah the author discusses utopia and dystopia and how they relate and differ. Each lecture focuses on a different author/work and discusses the different utopian or dystopian themes. A lot of discussion about the evolution of the genre too. REALLY fascinating and the lecturer is really good.
@Missy Sounds great. Great Courses are always fascinating.
my recent favorite is end of the world running club. rang true.
Love that book!
Sounds good. Adding to my list.
Because Americans can’t imagine a better world than this?
But we’re sure good at imagining worse ones.
We’re not all Americans here though.
@Jane True, but they do dominate the cultural industries like film at this time.
Maybe they just think they do @David? ?
@Jane You may indeed be right.
The Girl with all the Gifts
One of my favorites.
Oryx and Crake, Unwind series, Enclave series
Who is the author of The Enclave? Looking it up on Goodreads, there are four different novels that have this title for a dystopian future! ?
Sherri S. Tepper has some great books in this genre. I loved The Gate to Women’s Country.
Also if you’re going to read The Giver, I highly recommend reading all the books from that series. My favorite is Gathering Blue.
Im teaching The Giver to my Middle Schoolers right now ?
Oh, I think another good one of hers is the The Fall and Rise of Gibbon or something like that. Loved the Gate to Women’s Country.
I’ve heard of Tepper’s book, but haven’t read it.
@Denise Start with the Gate to Women’s Country. It is not super long, and if you like it you might like other of her books. I really like some of her books, but there are toward the end her books got different then where she began.
@Anita I have a good friend who loved Gate. Definitely going on my list.
Station eleven
I’m reading this now and like it so far.
@Robbie get ready for a book hangover ?
Very good book!
The Stand
The Handmaid’s Tale.
I don’t know why I’m drawn to them but it’s my favorite genre. The Rule of One, written by twins, is my most recent read. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin hasn’t been mentioned yet and it’s a good one.
Forerunner to 1984 and Brave New World? Banned in the USSR? I’m going to have to look for We!
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
One second after.
Was this made into a TV series a few years back?
@Denise oh I don’t know! I’ll have to look into that though !!
vox was okayish . im currently reading the handmaid tale .
Vox has mixed reviews. I follow Ron Charles on Goodreads and he only gave it two ??
@Denise yes I feel mixed as well . Great story idea but poorly excuted. I was very disappointed.
It became very anti climatic
@Niki Thanks for the heads up.
@Denise you’re welcome . There are free copies online . But don’t let the frost few chapters fool you . That’s what got me lol
The Unnamed Midwife, Swan Song, The Stand, I loved the first several books by S.M. Stirling about using the electric spark, and then it got a little too complicated. Into the Woods/Forest about two sisters who are left to fend for themselves in northern California and I am not sure who the author is.
I’ve read all but the Sterling books and they’re among my favorites.
Into The Forest by Jean Hegland (?) was excellent…read it about 18 years ago. They made a movie of it that wasn’t.
@Barb Yeah, that is it. I seem to find these really unusual books and I was going, “Oh!” about it.. I didn’t see the movie. Sometimes if I really love a book, and they make a film I don’t necessarily see it. Have you read Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.
The Passage series by Cronin, the Wool series by Howey, and The Stand.
loved The Passage!
Loved The Passage trilogy, and The Stand; Wool series is on my Kindle Waiting.
@Denise Have you read Swan Song.
@Anita Oh yes! My favorite McCammon. Better than Boy’s Life, imho.
Scythe and Thunderhead by Neal Schusterman (YA) are my most recent favs!!!
Awesome to see Shusterman recommended! Have you also liked Unwind?
@Hincu yep and I liked these even better!!!
@Hannah Ooh, interesting! I liked the Scythe universe, but somehow I feel the characters aren’t as strong / well fleshed out as the ones in Unwind. I still liked the books, but I cared more about the main characters’ mentor scytes than I cared for Citra and Rowan. I’m waiting for the final book to see how I feel about the series overall.
@Hincu good point! I was so fascinated with his choice to have this weird semi-omniscient point of view in the Thunderhead. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Going to look into these.
The Giver
Radix by A.A. Attanasio. Nominated for the 1981 Nebula Award for Best Novel. Not for everyone, but I loved it. Recently reprinted, it might be worth checking out if you’d like something new.
Hadn’t heard of this one. I’ll check it out.
Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdich
Love everything by Erdrich. It’s on my list.
The UnWind series. There are dystopias that are better, newer, maybe more plausible, but these books are absolutely GRIPPING, and I’ve never heard anyone recommend them (except YA author Tammy Pierce on Goodreads, which is why I even picked it up). And I don’t know if there’s another dystopia more relevant to today’s troubles, although The Handmaid’s Tale comes closest.
@Elle my kids & I loved them!
Already added this to my list!
I have a super hard time picking a favorite, but I have taught the following in my dystopian literature class over the last three years:
Utopia
1984
Super Sad True Love Story
Ready Player One
Handmaid’s Tale
The Hunger Games
Divergent
Never Let Me Go
Parable of the Sower
And probably one or two others that I’m forgetting right now.
Love Super Sad TLS!
I’ve read all of these except Ready Player.One. The year SSTLS came out, it was the book I raved about and tried to get all my friends to read.
My students HATE that book!
@Kathryn What age are your students?
The Dog Stars.
This one’s especially humane. Loved the characters, including the dog.
I’m on the second book of the Passage series by Justin Cronin right now and it’s really good. I’ve read the first book of the Unwind series and want to get back and finish the others in that series. The YA Match series was pretty good too, very easy reads.
Yay Passage series! I just loved it.
Octavia Butler’s Kindred duology, Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents. Excellent, award winning and all too believable.
Butler was the first black woman scifi writer. So talented!
@Denise I believe she died this summer. She will be missed. N.K Jemisin has risen to be one of the top sci fi writers. Just won her 2nd or 3rd best novel Hugo. Nnedi Okorafon’s Binti is so good.
@Karen I think it was a while back. I certainly miss her writing. Will check out the others. I also liked Children of Blood and Bone. Sequel next year?
Whoops, that was le Guin who died this year. Another grand lady of science fiction. Children of Blood and Bone is waiting in line on my Kindle. Maybe I’ll let it jump the line. ??
The Handmaid’s Tale
Station Eleven
I recently read this and really loved it.
Handmaids Tale or The Road by Cormac McCarthy!
1984 was not bad
The Giver – Lois Lowry
Wool (part of the Silo Trilogy)
The Maze Runner
Haven’t read this one.
Its awesome! Its action packed and dangerous and it might make you cry
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis – it’s very realistic for a dystopian, very easy to believe. It imagines what would happen if our drinking water was gone. The setting is very intimate/small scale and really focuses on what humans are capable of when mere survival becomes the only priority.
That sounds really interesting!
Try The Water Knife, by Paulo Bacigalupe. It addresses a similar future.
I was just about to add The Water Knife.
Sounds good!
Lord of the Flies
Brave New World, Hunger Games books, and Handmaids Take
The ebook of “Book of M” is on sale today for $1.99 🙂 I haven’t read it yet but it’s on my TBR list! “”Eerie, dark, and compelling, [The Book of M] will not disappoint lovers of The Passage (2010) and Station Eleven (2014).” –Booklist” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LLY3H3/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=bookperk-20
Hey, Georgina, I just bought this!
Denise Walsh me too!
I just recently read The Suicide Collectors by David Oppegaard and it was fabulous! I loved the Hunger Games and just haven’t found anything I like as much as I enjoyed those books. Still hopeful! lol
This one’s Goodreads reviews were all over the place. I’ll try a sample before deciding. Thanks.
I don’t have a favorite dystopian novel. Hunger games came close, but it was disturbing for me as a parent.
I’m sure someone has said it… 1984, Orwell
1984
Unwind
The maze runner. The gender games. Delirium books, although I hated the ending ☹️
I love delirium. I have the gender games on my kindle waiting to be read. I’m a little scared about the maze runner. I can’t decide if I should read the books or watch the movies first. I don’t want to be disappointed
Read the books first! I’d still recommend the films though x
I LOVED the gender games!
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel
I think we are drawn to the genre because it gives us hope that even when the world seems to have changed beyond recognition, crumbled around us, humanity will have the strength and courage to endure.
I think that’s a large part of the appeal. I also think these books often warn us about the future if we don’t make changes in our thoughts and actions. This is especially the case when dystopias are brought about by current ecological decisions (or lack thereof.)
Not in all of them of course ?
Dhalgren
That’s been on my list for awhile and I have it on my kindle. Having a hard time getting over the Delaney is/was a NAMBLA member angle. Worth it?
@Sarah I didn’t know that about Delaney. Worth the read, though.
Do not know if t is strictly dystopian, but The Crystal World by J. G. Ballard is pretty good. He sort of skips dystopian for something equally disagreeable. Good book though.
Sounds weird, and that’s a good thing.
Always.
Probably 1984, but I also love Brave New World, Darkness At Noon, The Man In The High Castle, The Plot Against America – ooh, so many.
Why are we drawn to the genre? I suppose because it simultaneously explores our fears while warning us where we might end up if we’re not too careful.
I have always wondered about Darkness at Noon. Is it good, or really good?
Totally agree with your reasoning.
Darkness at Noon sounds like an Ur text for dystopias. Adding. Didn’t care for the TV series of Man in the High Castle. Was it close to the book? Liked the Roth book a lot.
@Karen It’s superb – much more realistic than most dystopias, which tend towards scf-fi. You should read it, then, after, George Orwell’s essay ‘Arthur Koestler’ which praises it.
@Denise yeah, I’m ambivalent about the series, but the book is different – and better, of course!
Steven Brake I got interested in it reading Langston Hughes’ memoirs. He was traveling with Koestler when Koestler wrote the book and Hughes spoke admiringly of what Koestler had accomplished.
@Karen oh, must read them myself! Koestler may have been a nasty character, but he could be a wonderful writer at times.
@Steven Langston Hughes memoirs are fantastic. He has two, The Big Sea, and I Wonder as I Wander. I particularly recommend them on audio.
I loved divergent yet I hated the other books in the series. I really liked how they took your fear and made them tackle their fears.
I agree. Liked the first book, not so much the others.
Station 11 and Hunger Games, but this is a genre that I’m NOT generally drawn to.
Queen of the tearling by Erica Johansen : )
Sounds interesting.
First of all, I had to look up the meaning of dystopian.
Me too ☺️
I liked The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I think dystopian books allow us to look at things from a different vantage point, that allowing us to view our situation in a different light.
Just read it and have started the sequel. Great book. I think most good books lend to seeing the world through different perspectives.
so true
One of the five top books I’ve ever read.
FWIW, recently read Child 44 by Tom Robb Smith. Set during Stalinist rule in Russia, a Federal policeman finds himself and his family in peril when the tables are turned. Good mystery on top of the paranoia!
I love that series!!!
@Bethany are the other books worth a read?
Another interesting suggestion, Jed. Will add to my list.
@Jed I loved all of them but I’m a sucker for anything Stalinist Russia, it just really interests me. It’s terrible the circumstances people had to live with.
@Bethany I had no idea, until about half way in, that Child 44 is fairly historically accurate. Blew me away – stunning.
Dog Stars by Peter Heller. Wolf and Iron by Gordon Dickson.
Love Dog Stars. Wolf and Iron has a great premise.
Divergent love it. And hunger games
Battle Royale
Sounds like Hunger Games meets Lord of the Flies. I’m curious about a Japanese take on dystopia. I’ve read several Japanese horror novels, and liked them lots.
I thought it was much better than HG personally.
@Savana Good to know.
A canticle for lebowitz.
Just bought this. Been meaning to read it forever.
@Denise you won’t regret it
@Mre I just finished The Sparrow and I’m reading Children of God. I’ll read a few books that aren’t in the genre, and then read Canticle. I’m definitely reading it this year.
I remember hearing about this book in high school and recently picked it up at Goodwill. Have heard mixed reviews on it.
@Jed it’s a tough read the first few pages until you figure out what’s going on. It gets better.
It’s an escape! An affordable escape, and an adventure. I love dystopia. Some of my favorites include The Hunger Games, Divergent, Game of Thrones, Fablehaven, the Iron Fey series, Vampire Academy and the Mortal Instruments collection. Love me some YA.
Have you read Gender Game or Shade of Vampire? I’ve read and loved most of those you’ve listed so thought you might be interested in these
@Joanna I tried Gender games but didn’t get far. May try again since your recommendation.i will check out the shade of vampire
@Kathy I found the first gender game hard to get into but after that I found the following ones an easy read
@Joanna excellent.
Brave New World.
Shades of grey by Jasper Fforde, I’ve been waiting for the promised sequel for years.
Z for Zachariah.
Me too, Jane Smith
twat basket
Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven was excellent too!
Whoa, I read that a looong time ago. Agree it was good.
Foundation because it’s my sentimental favorite. It was my first dystopia novel when I was a teen. The Road is my adult favorite. The writing is top notch!
I loved The Road!
The Passage series by Justin Cronin, The Red Clocks, Vox
Wool by Hugh Howey. The Passage was amazing as well.
I keep hearing how good this is. I’ll give it a try.
Lone City trilogy is good too
The first one I ever read was about a comet coming at the world. Anyone know the one I’m talking about? {Hoping it wasn’t just The Comet so I look like an idiot}
Lucifer’s Hammer?
Was this Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle? Think I read this
@Jed yep!
The Stand by Stephen King.
Divergent, The Program series, Matched, and Delerium series. Oh! And Scythe. Other than historical fiction dystopian is my favorite. ❣️ it restores my faith in humanity that if we call go sideways someone will have the guys to call us out.