Dystopian novels

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Vexr

Vexr

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The big two seem to be 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

I'm now coming to the end of Jack London's 'The Iron Heel', which was written far earlier than the above and seems to be credited as the first dystopian future novel ever written, and was apparently a big inspiration for George Orwell's 1984.

Despite being so old, the Iron Heel feels like a book that realistically fills in a few gaps that I wasn't previously aware the 'big two' dystopian novels had.

Are there any other excellent dystopian novels that those on this forum would recommend?
 
The Wall by John Lanchester is a new one, and not one I've yet read, but plan on doing so shortly.

Earthworks by Brian Aldiss is also great.

The lines between dystopian and post--apocalyptic novels have become more defined in recent years, so don't just keep your criteria to that term as you might miss out on some great books.
 
Paul Carter is a dead Man. Not bad, feels a bit teenish. Can't remember if I've read the rest now. England is it's own country, ruled by people voting etc. Like something out of a black mirror episode.

Wool (wool trilogy). The second book kinda sucks as it distracts from the story you know want to read about. But the worlds ended, americans have stored a ton of people in Silos. I throughly enjoyed these. Not sure if I enjoyed the idea of it, or the book itself. But I read all three pretty quickly. Supposedly getting made into a TV series. But It'll be awful I reckon.

Not sure if they're Dystopian or post-apocalyptic though?

I'd say more towards Dystopian.
 
Fahrenheit 451 - short but excellent.

Philip K Dick has a few dystopian books - bit Si-Fi and odd, but I'd recommend the novel that inspired Blade Runner - Do androids dream of electric sheep. A scanner darkly is also popular, but a bit odd for me.

I am legend - book very different from the film but I liked it.

JG Ballard has a good collection of dystopias - particularly like Kingdom Come
 
In no particular order:

* Brave New World
* Nineteen Eighty-Four
* Fahrenheit 451
* When The Sleeper Wakes
* The Caves of Steel
* Alas, Babylon
* The Chrysalids
* Logan's Run
 
The Circle by Dave Eggers is a recent one. It’s set in the not-too-distant future and while it’s not extremely dystopian, it is a cautionary tale about technology and social media.
 
Ahleckz said:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Cormac-McCarthy/dp/0330468464
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Good shout.

I was going to suggest this but thought it was more ‘post apocalyptic’ rather than dystopian in the same sense as the suggestions in the OP. However, it’s a great book.

McCarthy is a fantastic author and No Country for Old Men is also a good read (although doesn’t really fit with the theme of this thread).
 
Good shout for The Chrysalids - superb book.

I think Brave New World is a particularly great book. Using John Savage to expose the shortcomings of what appears to be an organised, improved, logical model for society is a clever device.
 
Irish_Tom said:
McCarthy is a fantastic author and No Country for Old Men is also a good read (although doesn’t really fit with the theme of this thread).
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I'm no book nerd, but Blood Meridian is a complete masterpiece and although it's not fitting for this thread everyone should read it. (It's a western). Especially if you liked his writing in The Road.

I read a book called Station Eleven a little while back. Not bad. I also read Cell by Stephen King which was better. Better still is The Stand. That's fantastic.

PS: Surely there's a thread in this in the Books forum?
 
Depends really on what you mean by "Dystopia"

Edward Bellamies "Looking Backward " (Probably the most influential book that nobody has ever heard of!) is described as a Utopian dream of the future.

But actually, I think Bellemies world would be a truely horrible one to actually live in.

Like my Dad always used to describe working for <Large-Multinational-Corperation> "It is a plush lined Mousetrap!"

On the surface it looks wonderful, but underneath, the brutal level of social conformity and lack of individual freedom that would be required to make it work would be intolerable.

Kind of like the way China is going! :/
 
I would agree with most in here but a few that haven't been mentioned which I enjoyed;

Clockwork Orange
We (bit strange but I liked it)
The Drowned World (relevant with global warming)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (blade runner)

Also The Windup Girl I'll admit I've not read it myself yet but had a lot of people who I speak with regularly and we exchange reading ideas recommend this as very good.
 
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