Reading dystopian novels is one of my favorite things to do. But there are a lot of dystopian novels out there. That is why we made this list of the ten must read dystopian novels of all time. Keep reading to find out which books made the list!
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 eeffects of a nuclear bomb, you can’t really blame them.
The dystopian genre is filled with amazing novels. By choosing only ten novels, we are going to leave some amazing novels. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Dystopian novels have gone through a lot of change and have come to define the younger generation.
But before there was The Hunger Games, the genre was in good hands with authors such as Lois Lowry and Ray Bradbury. And even today, the genre is going through changes. That is the beauty of new authors using old books as inspiration and giving it their own spin. You can see the full list below!
The Ten 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 Handmaid’s Tale
Even if you aren’t always reading books, there is still a good chance you have read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. It is taught in most schools across the United States. The brilliant dystopian novel tackles heavy themes which has made it one of the most censored books in the world.
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
A sci-fi novel that has risen to popularity in modern times is 1984 by George Orwell. When some ideas in this sci-fi and dystopian novel came true, people’s interest in the novel rose. The novel touches on issues such as mass surveillance, a controlling regime, and disinformation. And when Edward Snowden leaked documents about the NSA and its mass surveillance program, the novel became relevant again.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A classic novel that is taught in schools and worth reading is Fahrenheit 451. It is a dystopian novel that imagines a world where books are outlawed and burned. Guy Montag is a fireman who burns books but ends up questioning the system in place and rebels. This novel imagined the worst possible future regarding books and has stayed relevent over the decades with books always being banned all over the world.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Emily St. John Mendel’s novel Station Eleven is one of the best dystopian novels ever written. It is about a band of actors and musicians who travel around the Great Lake region in a post-apocalyptic word. But the band runs into trouble when they encounter a self-proclaimed ‘Prophet’ who uses violence to get whatever he desires. A popular TV show has renewed interest in the boom and bringing it back to relevance.
The Hunger Games
It is hard to ignore the impact of The Hunger Games as it led to many dystopian novels releasing soon after. Collins novel captured everything that made a dystopian novel impossible to put down. A multi-billion-dollar movie franchise followed soon after. But what is most telling is that no other dystopian novel released around the same time had the same effect on readers like The Hunger Games did.
The Giver
The novel that changed the core audience of dystopian novel is The Giver. It is about a society that has no memory of the past except for a few people known as the Receiver of Memory. The citizens don’t have freedom or choice which is determined by the elders to prevent any negative consequences such as war or poverty.
Conclusion
That ends this list of the 10 best 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!
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Thomas More Utopia….mic drop
How about Margaret Atwood ‘s trilogy?
Riddley Walker has clearly been overlooked (in my opinion).
You didn’t put the red rising series by pierce brown.
The best I’ve ever read.
Hail Reaper!!!
Divergent trilogy had an interesting beginning but the end was disappointing in my view
Orwell and Huxley both acknowledge the influence of Zamiatin. “We”. Period.
It’s a great list. I’ve read all of them except Brave New World. I’ve loved the ones I read except 1984 which I thought had some major flaws. I’d like to add Earth Abides by George Stewart. I think he does a great job envisioning how the world rebuilds. Station Eleven is just a fantastic book.