This month’s genre to share starts much earlier in history than most we examine here. But don’t worry, we won’t tarry long in the long ago and will get to recent and current times quickly.
In his best known work, Sir Thomas More envisioned a bright future for we humans on a tranquil island with the same name as his socio-political satire, Utopia (published in 1516). It appears to have taken about two hundred years for a response to the novel, which came from the great satirist, Jonathan Swift, in what is considered by some to be the first dystopian novel, Gulliver’s Travels (published in 1626). (Note of Caution: Swift is often accused of misogyny, but Gulliver’s problematic statements are themselves satire about Gulliver’s misogyny. That’s how satire is supposed to work. Also, it was published almost four hundred years ago. Still, not to everyone’s taste. This is not a recommendation to run out and get copies of either of these works).
So, what does this have to do with those of us reading today, four and five hundred years later? Plenty.
Sharing Great Stories
One of the benefits of knowing other readers of a genre you like is sharing some of the stories and series you have loved and some you are checking out. The genre of this month’s, binge-worthy series I want to share is dystopian fiction, which is a sub-genre of speculative fiction—often, though not exclusively, science fiction and often, though not necessarily, combined with post-apocalyptic events.
Dystopian Fiction
Dystopian fiction is a major element in much of near- and far-future fiction, and is the primary genre of some of the most recognizable fiction titles and the movies they inspired. Since the start of this century, the genre has been especially popular in the young adult category.
Although most dystopian fiction is far more serious than humorous, with its strong roots in satire, classic and popular dystopian fiction explores possible futures where a current concern is taken to an extreme. Those concerns are usually popular socio-political ideologies about which the author wants to give warning. So, discussions about the specific motives or lessons associated with these works can become political and politicized.
Let’s not do that here.
The examples of classic and current dystopian fiction I’m sharing here, are selected based on their importance in literature, popularity among readers of the genre, and my enjoyment of them as fiction. I’m not prescribing any of them as remedy to any perceived political issue. The best in this genre explore the human condition, and I enjoy them regardless of their political bent.
As predictions of a less than perfect future, dystopian elements are often critical to apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic, and plain-old future fiction that are not primarily dystopian. Most listers of these works I found didn’t seem to be purists in their definition, but the works listed would generally scratch the dystopian itch.
On to those great works of fiction.
Classic Dystopian Fiction
Once the dystopian concept was invented, it seems all the famous authors of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were predicting horrible futures, including: Shelley, Verne, Dostoyevsky, Dodd, Wells, London, Forster, Kafka, Rand, Nabokov, Heinlein, Steinbeck, Lewis, Dahl, Vonnegut, Asimov, Golding, Clarke, Dick, Ellison, Zelazny, Silverberg, Le Guin, King/Bachman, Gibson, Hogan, Harrison, Stephenson, and so many more. Those were just the ones I’ve read.
Wikipedia has a convenient list of works.
Now for a quick overview of the classic works of dystopian fiction from the twentieth century. No discussion is necessary for most of them since they were required secondary school reading for most English speaking students. So, I’ll just mention my own experience with them.
Here, in publication order with links to Goodreads are some of the most recognized.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1932. I was surprised when I assembled this list how much earlier than the others it had been published. New respect for Huxley.
1984 by George Orwell, 1949. Probably the most well-known on this list, with a title that has become an icon of dystopian governmental practices.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, 1953. Probably the most socio-scientific on this list. I’ve read everything by Bradbury and most twice, so reading this for high school was not a chore.
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, 1959. Probably my favorite on this list, but also the most difficult to read (i.e. how’s your Latin?) If you read this, listen to Neil Young’s “After the Gold Rush” and let me know if you think Neil read this classic.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, 1962. Probably the most bizarre on this list and therefore, the most entertaining to me in high school. Stanley Kubric’s 1971 movie adaptation is a must see for anyone who is interested in this genre AND who is comfortable watching some brutal crime scenes. If that isn’t you, steer clear of the “ultra-violence.”
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, 1985. The most recent and for many, relevant, on this list. Though, published after I graduated high school, I’m sure it has been required reading since its publication. From comments by Margaret Atwood in an interview at the back of her recent autobiography (which I recommend): She was surprised by the TV series, but happy to see her ideas (if not her exact story) reach a new audience.
Modern Dystopian Young Adult Fiction
Dystopian fiction remained popular throughout the twentieth century and has only gained strength in the twenty-first. Ever aware of injustice, and loving the young underdog’s fight against it, young adult readers have gorged on YA dystopian fiction series and flocked to the movies based on those series. Topping their popularity are series like the following. I’ll skip any descriptions since these are such huge successes.
The Hunger Games* by Suzanne Collins
Divergent* by Veronica Roth
The Maze Runner* by James Dashner
(Personal note: I worked for a Lionsgate Media company at the time they produced the Hunger Games Movies).
Now, on to the bingeworthy series you may not have read yet.
Red Rising Saga
The Red Rising Saga* by Pierce Brown follows the life of Darrow, a member of the lowest caste, the Reds, in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.
Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.
But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.
Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.
What’s to love about this series? The Red Rising saga is a modern classic dystopian story in epic form. The dystopian society and Darrow’s dedication to fighting it against all odds and at high cost are central to every chapter. The use of the word “brutal” in the publisher’s description is no understatement, though, so be aware that the series doesn’t gloss over this brutality and violence.
Gaming Note: Red Rising is also available as a card game from Stonemaier Games. I haven’t played it, but with Jamey Stegmaier as one of the designers and Jacqui Davis as one of the artists, it is certain to be a beautiful and solid game. Definitely on my “want to play” list.
Here are a few Links to help you find the series:
Boardgame Geek (the card game)
Dystopian Gaming
Although I enjoy playing and designing tabletop games, I usually don’t include game options in these articles, but I couldn’t resist. Dystopian themes are popular in roleplaying games and some social deduction board games. But one of the most satisfying dystopian games I’ve played is the dice placement game Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia from Stonemaier Games. I had the pleasure of being one of several editors for its original production back in 2013.
If you would like me to include game recommendations that fit the theme in these articles, let me know.
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Cover image by 80’s Child/shutterstock.com. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.
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