Check out these dystopian novels!
1. 1984 by George Orwell
You might have read this in school, but if you weren’t as lucky, or unlucky to have to write various essays after each chapter, you definitely want to pick this up when you go to the library next. The novel is set in Airstrip One, formerly Great Britain, a province of the superstate Oceania, whose residents are victims of perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, and public manipulation. Oceania’s political ideology, euphemistically named English Socialism is enforced by the privileged, elite Inner Party.This book centrals on the protagonist Winston Smith, who is a member of the Outer party and works for the Ministry of Truth. The ministry is overseen by a mysterious leader known as Big Brother, whose main focus is to alter personalities. Smith is a diligent and skillful worker who does not initially understand the manipulation of of the Party, but soon learns about how him and the others are being controlled. He starts his short-lived rebellion, but gets caught and is tortured until Big Brother takes control once again. Join Winston on his journey through this dystopian novel!
2. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Atwood’s famous late-twentieth century novel features a dystopian world plagued by infertility. The novel follows the story of the handmaid Offred and her journey to escape this dystopian society in effort to reunite with her husband and daughter. Not only is The Handmaid’s Tale a great read because of Atwood’s exquisite writing style which envelopes you into the depths of Offred’s thoughts to offer a glimpse of her world, but the novel was also recently adapted into a show. So if you have the time, you can definitely binge watch the show after you finish reading.
3. The Giver by Lois Lowrey
A classic! I can’t imagine writing a list of dystopian novels without adding The Giver. This classic dystopian novel features a structured society with no diversity, no color, no emotions; “Sameness”. I was acquainted with this book in middle school. As a young adult, the novel resonantes with many themes reflected in current society such as the need for self-expression and individuality. One of the best things about this novel is its ability to resonate with readers of all age groups. Individuality does not cease to exist as one gets older and one should always be encouraged to express their own individuality.
4. Animal Farm by George Orwell
If you’re in the mood for a political allegory, then Animal Farm is the perfect dystopian novel for you to read. Orwell offers an insight into life if political power goes unchecked. Orwell may have based Animal Farm on events related to the Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union under the control of Stalin. “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”- Animal Farm. As one of the most famous quotes from the novel, this quote does a pretty decent summary into providing first time readers with what may be in store in the plot if you so choose to read this novel.
5. Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (If you’re seeking a modern twist on dystopian themes)
Written in 2005 by Kazuo Ishiguro, this dystopian science fiction follows the life of three protagonists that have been cloned in order to become organ donors upon reaching adulthood. Unrecognized by the world they live in as fellow humans with souls, the only chance of survival for their kind is to prove that they indeed have a soul through the art that they create. Unable to fully accept their fate yet lacking the power to oppose their destiny, their only source of escape is through the love they feel for one another. Followed by a twist of jealousy on the part of the unloved and deception by those they believed they could have trust, this book follows a chain of events that are both heartbreaking and tear-jerking.