There are tons of great dystopian books to read. But choosing the right ones is not always easy. That is why we created this list of the 25 must read dystopian novels of all time. Keep reading to find out which books made our list!
The dystopian genre has something for everyone. There are darker and grittier stories as well as lighthearted adventures. Some books will have many books in the series while others may only have one book. With so many variables, it is impossible to be bored.
While this list includes only the 25 must read dystopian novels, that doesn’t mean you should after reading them. There are hundreds, if not thousands of great dystopian novels out there. Hopefully, this list encourages you to give more books in the genre a read. You can see the full list below!
The 25 Must Read Dystopian Novels of All Time
- The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
- The Trial by Franz Kafka
- The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
- Zone One by Colson Whitehead
- The Children of Men by P.D. James
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
- Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
- The Stand by Stephen King
- Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
- The Iron Heel by Jack London
- The Power by Naomi Alderman
- The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
- Year One By Nora Roberts
- Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
- Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Must Read Dystopian Novels
One of the most popular dystopian novels must be The Handmaid’s Tale. Some people may have read it in school while others read it for fun but either way, it is an impactful novel. Another classic dystopian novel that is up there is 1984. They both tackle serious issues and make us imagine the worst-case scenarios.
The dystopian genre wasn’t always aimed towards younger readers. It tackled series issues like the world ending after World War II as people began to imagine the worst possible outcome. After seeing the nuclear bomb, you can’t really blame them.
Some of my favorite books in this genre are books that haven’t gotten the love they deserve. Station Eleven is a modern classic and a novel that more people should read. The Iron Heel by Jack London is another great novel that was published over a century ago. It is credited as one of the first dystopian novels ever written.
Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver was a dystopian novel that was written for a younger audience. And that opened the floodgates and led to novels like The Hunger Games. It is hard to ignore the impact of The Hunger Games as that novel led to many dystopian novels releasing soon after. And while they didn’t capture the magic that Suzanne Collins had, they still made a name for themselves.
Conclusion
That wraps up this list of the 205best dystopian novels of all time. What did you think of the list? What novels should we have included? Let us know in the comments below!
I’d add A Clockwork Orange, I think.
I would delete The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins is a terrible writer. Plot and character development is poor, as is world building. The reader is expected to accept an implausible premise, a MarySue lead character, and overall this is a book that will NOT stand the test of time.
Looking for I am legend.
“The Power”? Are you kidding? Great premise, but completely unrealized as a novel. It does not belong on any “Best…” lists.
Where is Logan’s Run trilogy here? The movie didn’t hold up to the books but still at the time was good in itself. The books however are great visuals of a future dystopian society.
What about the very first one – “We” by Yevgeny Zamyatin?
Atlas Shrugged by far is good and a way to see Corporate/Government overall crush of society vs individual leaders.