5 Dystopian Novels That Will Leave You Thinking About The Future

Dystopian novels are a subgenre within science fiction literature. These novels generally present a society of the future, which has fallen into a deplorable or totalitarian state, for various reasons. In short, it presents a world of nightmares and oppressions where the characters must survive as best they can, either accepting it or transgressing it.

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

The goal of dystopian novels is to reflect on the current state of Western society. About destructive and self-destructive behaviors, and the consequences they bring. It is a way of drawing attention to readers to warn what western humanity could look like in the future if care is not taken.

Dystopian novels began to be created at the end of the 19th century. However, the best known dystopian classics are those made in the mid-20th century. Some of them we will address below.

1984 (George Orwell)

Among all dystopian novels this is the most recognizable of this literary subgenre. For having present in its history all the distinctive characteristics: totalitarianism, persecution of the different, war conflicts, fanaticism, etc. It was written by Orwell in 1949 imagining what could happen in 1984 .

The author imagined a society that is incessantly watched over by Big Brother, the omnipresent and full ruler of much of planet earth. The protagonist is Winston Smith, a worker for the Ministry of Truth. His obligation is to rewrite history, to make it square with Big Brother’s political interests. Eliminating documents, modifying newspaper headlines or changing results of surveys and statistical studies, among other atrocities.

Winston does his job until he realizes that he is helping to preserve the charade that keeps Big Brother in power. Therefore, they decide to rebel against the totalitarian government, which keeps them controlled and watched. This is not an easy task, since the regime keeps the population at bay, thanks to the ministries of Love, Peace, Abundance and Truth. All these gears keep the totalitarian state presented by George Orwell in perfect working order.

The novel was a success and to this day it continues to be sold 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 has reached its peak . Everyone is happy, wars and poverty are eradicated, even humanity is healthy and technologically advanced. It is almost a utopia, if it were not because to gain happiness they had to give up many things : family, science, literature, religion and philosophy.

The author anticipated the reproductive technological development that we are currently experiencing, but took it to the extreme. All babies are fertilized in vitro and in this process the work they will do as they grow up is genetically determined. In addition, adults take a pill that gives them an illusion of happiness and total optimism.

The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)

This novel follows the same tone as the previous two, but adding social criticism to the unfair treatment of women. After an attack on the White House, a theocratic and puritanical government is established. Which reduces freedoms and social rights, with the aim of reducing violence and guaranteeing human reproduction. All of this was promoted because, for unknown reasons, the world fertility rate decreases exponentially, causing a very low percentage of women to conceive offspring.

Women are undervalued and classified according to their profits. The “wives” are the heads of the family nucleus together with the commanders. The “marthas” are those who do the housework. The “maids” are fertile women who are only important for their reproductive capacities. The “aunts” are in charge of caring for and instructing the maids. The story in this novel follows Offred’s life as a “maid” in this dystopian society. A life full of humiliations and injustices towards women.

Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

This is one of the most famous novels of the prolific Ray Bradburry. 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 thus make them easier to control by the government. For this reason, there is a firefighting crew whose objective is not to put out fires, but to burn books.

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

The story stars one of these firefighters who instead of using hoses, uses a flamethrower to burn everything that encourages critical thinking. A conjugation of factors and occurrences make this firefighter rethink whether he is really happy. Thought that leads you to want to read a book and see if what the government says is true.

The Highway (Cormac McCarthy)

This is one of the more recent dystopian novels that presents a post-apocalyptic context. By an indefinite catastrophe, possibly a nuclear war, the United States is left desolate and infertile. Due to this fact, there are no laws or social institutions and there is hardly any food for the few survivors. A terrifying, bleak and depressing context.

The story follows the journey of a father and son through the destroyed landscape, searching for a purpose to live for. On their journey they meet other survivors, many of whom are scavengers and cannibals. Also, the father is sick, so he must teach his son how to survive alone. The image presented by this novel leaves the reader with great anguish towards the future.