5 Dystopian Novels To Think About The Future

Dystopian novels are a subgenre within science fiction literature. Usually these novels present a society of the future that has fallen into a deplorable or totalitarian state for a variety of reasons. In short, it presents a world of nightmares and oppressions in which characters must survive as they can, accepting it or transgressing it.

For this reason, dystopian romance is the complete opposite of utopian stories. The dystopian societies presented are totally opposite to ideal societies, where everything is peace and harmony.

The aim of dystopian novels is to reflect on the current state of Western society. About destructive and self-destructive behaviors and the consequences they entail. It is a way of calling the attention of readers to warn about the path that Western humanity could follow in the future if due care is not taken.

Dystopian novels began to be created in the late nineteenth century. However, the best known dystopian classics are those written in the mid-20th century. Some of them will be discussed below.

Dystopian Novels Worth Knowing

1984 (George Orwell)

Among all dystopian novels, this one is the most recognizable of this literary subgenre. It presents in its history all the distinguishing characteristics: totalitarianism, persecution of the different, warlike conflicts, fanaticism, etc. It was written by Orwell in 1949, imagining what might happen in the distant year of 1984.

The author envisioned a society that is incessantly watched by Big Brother, an ubiquitous ruler and owner of a large part of planet Earth. The protagonist is Winston Smith, a Ministry of Truth worker. His obligation is to rewrite history to fit Big Brother’s political interests , eliminating documents, modifying newspaper headlines or altering research results and statistical studies, among other atrocities.

Winston does his job until he realizes he is helping to preserve the farce that keeps Big Brother in power. Therefore, they decide to rebel against the totalitarian government, which keeps them controlled and monitored. A task that is not simple, as the regime keeps the population under control thanks to the ministries of Love, Peace, Abundance and Truth. All these gears keep in perfect working order the totalitarian state presented by George Orwell.

The novel was a success and to this day continues to sell steadily. Many consider that Orwell predicted many things that are currently happening in the world, such as the manipulation of information, the practice of mass surveillance and the social repression of some governments.

Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)

In this dystopian novel, Western society reached its peak. Everyone is happy, wars and poverty are eradicated, humanity is healthy and technologically advanced. It’s almost a utopia, were it not for the fact that to achieve happiness, they had to renounce many things: family, science, literature, religion and philosophy.

The author anticipated the reproductive technological development we are currently experiencing, but he took it to the extreme. All babies are fertilized ‘in vitro’ and, in the process, the work they will do when they grow up is genetically determined. Furthermore, adults are drugged with a pill that gives them an illusion of happiness and utter optimism.

Aia’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)

This novel follows the same tone as the two previous ones, but adds a social critique of the unfair treatment of women. After an attack on the White House, a theocratic and puritanical government is installed in the United States. In this way, it diminishes social freedoms and rights, with the aim of reducing violence and guaranteeing human reproduction.

All of this was established because, for unknown reasons, the world’s fertility rate has declined exponentially, meaning that a very low percentage of women can conceive offspring.

Women are devalued and classified according to their usefulness. The “wives” are the heads of the family unit together with the commanders. The “marthas” are those who carry out household chores. “Midwives” are fertile women who are important only because of their reproductive abilities. The “aunts” are responsible for caring for and instructing the maids.

The story of this novel follows Offred’s life as “aia” in this dystopian society: a life full of humiliation and injustice towards women.

Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

This is one of the most famous novels by the prolific Ray Bradbury. In this dystopian novel, the author presents a society in which the reading of any kind of book is censored to keep the inhabitants ignorant and therefore easier to control by the government. For this reason, there is a group of firefighters whose objective is not to put out fires, but to burn books.

The title of the book refers to the temperature of paper burning in degrees Fahrenheit. The government orders to burn all existing books and arrest readers, because reading generates social inequality, anguish and unhappiness.

The story is starred by one of those firefighters who, instead of using hoses, uses a flamethrower to burn everything that stimulates critical thinking. A combination of factors and occurrences makes this firefighter rethink if he is really happy. That thought makes you want to read a book and see if what the government says is true.

The Road (Cormac McCarthy)

This is one of the most recent dystopian novels that presents a post-apocalyptic context. Due to an undefined catastrophe, possibly a nuclear war, the United States is left desolate and infertile. As such, there are no laws or social institutions and there is almost no food for the few survivors. A terrifying, desolate and depressing context.

The story follows the journey of a father and his son through the destroyed landscape, seeking a purpose for living. On their way they encounter other survivors, many of whom are murderers and cannibals. In addition, the father is sick and needs to teach his son to survive on his own. The image presented by this novel will leave the reader with great anguish about the future.