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The Anatomy of Dystopian Literature

The origin of the word "dystopia" can't be pinpointed due to its broad range of semantic use. However, it is believed to have come from the Ancient Greek words δυσ- ("dus", meaning "bad") and τόπος ("tópos", meaning "place"), meaning a "bad place" or "unhappy country." It is known that up until 1844, "dystopia" as a medical term was used to mean "displacement of an organ." In fact, it was English philosopher John Stuart Mill, who first used it as an antonym for "utopia" in the speech he gave to Parliament of England in 1868 to denounce the British government’s Irish land policy. Mill was inspired by Utopia (1516), Sir Thomas More’s satire that depicted a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean, free of social class and marked by its ideal living conditions to condemned King Henry VIII's authoritarian rule.

A Timeless Dystopian Masterpiece

Author	Margaret Atwood
Language	English
Genre	Dystopian/Speculative Fiction
Published	1985
Publisher	McClelland and Stewart
Publication place	Canada
Media type	Hardcover
ISBN	9780385539241

"Dystopia" as portrayed in literature, movies, or other media refers to an imagined state or society where humanity is subjected to suppression, control, and widespread violence, injustice, and poverty. Typically set in a totalitarian or post-apocalyptic world, a dystopian state is often the result of malignant social flaws reaching climax to collapse into a degraded, oppressive, and frightening condition. It is often the unfortunate side effect of society attempting to rearrange its structure around the idealistic qualities of order, equality, justice, and fairness, but taking the implementation of these qualities to an absolute extreme, the effort of creating a perfect society ends up taking on a sinister turn. It is a convention of dystopia to explore the darkest facets of the human mind and its nature instigated by the misuse of scientific advancements as means for control and intimidation to enforce submission and conformity. Dystopian narratives are the reflections of what takes place around us today. A master of dystopian narratives Margaret Atwood once said, “Nothing that I’ve written hasn’t already happened. And nothing that we build doesn’t already exist." Atwood alludes to the fact that dystopian novels, while fiction, can also resoundingly echo our own past, present, and future. At its core, dystopian fiction is a cautionary tale, foretelling the consequential ramifications of unchecked power, unremedied societal problems, or unchecked scientific advancements in the present time.

Common Characteristics

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)

Here are some common characteristics found in dystopian fiction:

• Oppressive Control: A dystopian society is often ruled by a totalitarian government/state, a despot, a powerful elite group, or non-conforming grassroots that control every aspect of people's lives. This control is enforced through intimidation, propaganda, surveillance, or even technology.
• Loss of Freedom: Freedom, privacy, self-expression or self-identity are the forbidden luxuries in the nightmarish societies of dystopian literature. But every dystopian story hinges on hope, on an individual wanting to break free of the oppressive reign and pursuing higher ideals now lost, such as liberty, privacy, and the ability to think for oneself. However, for change to be possible, there needs to be a dynamic force alongside in support of the individual.
• Surveillance: In dystopian societies, citizens are subjected to constant surveillance as a means of intimidation and suppression to effect conformity. Surveillance uses cameras, spies, or even technology that is implanted in people's bodies.
• Propaganda: Propaganda is also a common tool to suppress the masses and make them believe that the ruling entity, whether it be a government, a figure elevated to a divine status, a concept, or even technology, is acting in their best interests.
• Conformity: Individuality is discouraged and often systematically obliterated from dystopian societies. People are expected to dress, think, and behave in the same way.

• Environmental Degradation: Dystopian societies often give haunting portrayals of a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by pollution or an unknown cataclysm that renders the environment inhabitable. Eco-dystopian narratives are not mere fictions, they are allegories imbued with warnings about the real consequences for the Earth's future generations if we continue on our current path.

• Loss of Hope: Dystopian societies can be very depressing places. Reflecting along the sentiment, British author and environmentalist Olivia Laing wrote in a September 2022 column for the Sydney Morning Herald, “Enough with Dystopian stories. We need more hope and less gloom.” In it, she reports feeling “increasingly skeptical about dystopias as a tool for political change,” and observes that “sounding a warning does not necessarily change behavior.” That may well be. But one can argue while most dystopian stories take place in worlds of hopelessness, the citizenry is not convinced or forced to forsake its humanity by those who wield power. The quintessential marks of humanity—individuality, empathy, bravery, and yes, hope for a better world prevails in the end. In fact, hope is the catalyst for all dystopian stories. Without it there is no consequential action, and without consequential action, there is no story.

Themes and Settings

The Stand by Stephen King (1978)

The underlying theme of dystopian fiction is found in the warning it gives about all the ways society can go wrong, and the examples are plenty—The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Good Place, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Maze Runner. In their narratives, the portrayals of dystopian societies are grand as they are grotesque and explore common themes of authority, isolation, conformity, surveillance and degraded humanity. Dystopian stories urge readers to consider the importance of freedom, individuality, and hope that we often take for granted in a likely event where we lose any or all of them. That said, in the dystopian genre, certain tropes and themes abound, including: good against evil, oppressive totalitarian control, the disparities in wealth and power between grassroots and the ruling class, disinformation and surveillance for control, unchecked technological advancement, rebellion, escape and rebirth, and more.

• Good against evil: In dystopias, humanity's capacity for evil is dramatized as seen in The Handmaid’s Tale, which explores the extent humans will go to oppress one another as well as our capacity to survive adversity. In the same vein, The Hunger Games evokes the question, as humans, “What are we capable of?” As illustrated within both works, there always is a tiny flame of hope that cannot be suffocated, however dark and sinister situations get. Another example of dystopia that focuses on good and evil is The Giver. It muses that the experience of humanity is neither good nor evil, but it is the range of emotion. After all, what is happiness without sadness? What is good without evil? John Milton would argue that we cannot know one without knowing the other. These facts of life, like the light and the dark, must operate in tandem to create the dimensionality of human experience, and the meaning found in it.

• Oppressive totalitarian control: Totalitarianism is defined by Webster as “centralized control by an autocratic authority” and “the political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority.” In totalitarian dystopias, liberty is eradicated by an "omniscient" power. Citizens are robbed of their freedom, unable to foster any independent thought. Every innate human impulse is oppressed, and every action scrutinized. Amid the competing opinions voiced and advocated today, the idea of such a society, albeit fiction, may sound bizarre. But it became a fast approaching reality during World War II as the quick spread of totalitarian regimes propagated forced repressions of individuality. According to George Orwell’s novel 1984, it is impossible for individualism to flourish in the presence of a totalitarian government; Orwell enhances his point through the psychological manipulation of the people via propaganda and torture.
• Class conflict and poverty: Class conflict often exists in dystopian fiction, stemming from the disparities in the distribution of resources and wealth between the ruling class and citizenry. Life in a dystopian society is often a struggle for those in the common class. Again, The Hunger Games provides a great example of this theme.
• Disinformation is defined as “Intentionally false or misleading information that is spread in a calculated way to deceive target audiences.” James Dashner's The Maze Runner (2009) offers a great example of protagonists who are harmed and controlled by a disinformation campaign, and the story prompts readers to ponder the questions of how the digital revolution today is impacting the use of disinformation and if today's technology make it easier or harder to deceive the public.
• Science and Technology: Dystopian novels often feature advanced technology used against humanity to enforce conformity, suppress dissent, and distract with artificial pleasures for thought control, as seen in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 (1953). In the novel, technology is used to condition people to the point where they seem like robots, or to genetically alter babies to create supreme species.
• Rebellion: In most dystopian novels, a shocking disclosure of information causes a protagonist or protagonists to come to a moral, philosophic or political epiphany. The protagonists often take up a fight against the all-controlling omnipresent power and succeed in freeing themselves from the bondage of tyranny.
• Escape and Rebirth: From the ashes of war, a new utopian society emerges. Or, those in the rebellion who survive the conflict then escape to an existing Edenic destination where they can lead lives free from tyranny. Sometimes this escape is more economic than geographical, as in Ernest Cline's 2011 book, Ready Player One.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)

Dystopian settings are set in the near future and undesirable or frightening communities or societies that have experienced destruction and great suffering. They often feature some aspects of humanity that are worse off than today and may include:

• Widespread poverty
• Large wealth gaps
• Major weather events, climate change or pollution
• Overpopulation

• Disregard for the planet's resource

Why Write Dystopias?

Dystopian novels can be a way of extrapolating from current events to show what the future might hold if we don't change course. In fact, many dystopian novels have been written as cautionary tales, including Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932).This novel explores a society where people are genetically engineered and predetermined for their social roles. It is a warning about the dangers of consumerism, genetic engineering, and the loss of individuality, which all can be seen in the world we live. The Handmaid's Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood portrays a future America where women are forced into sexual servitude in order to repopulate the society. It is a frightening look at the potential consequences of religious extremism and the oppression of women.

Dystopian novels are also written to explore the nature of humanity and depict societies that are very different from our own. This can help us to see ourselves and our values in a new light. A notable example is We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1921). This pioneering dystopian novel is set in a future where everyone lives in a glass city and their lives are rigidly controlled by the Benefactor. The protagonist, D-503, is a mathematician who begins to question the system and falls in love with a woman named I-330. The novel explores themes of individuality, free will, and the nature of love.

Last but not least, why not write for fun? Dystopian novels can be entertaining with exciting and suspenseful stories that are also thought-provoking. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins (2008-2010) takes place in a dystopian future where children are forced to fight to the death in an annual televised event. The protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers to take her younger sister's place and becomes a symbol of rebellion. The series is full of action, suspense, and romance, making it a thrilling read. Another fun read is Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (2011). The story is set in a future where the world is in a terrible state, and most people escape reality by spending time in a virtual world called OASIS. The protagonist, Wade Watts, must compete in a scavenger hunt within OASIS in order to win a fortune. The novel is full of pop culture references and the 80s nostalgia, making it a fun and engaging read.

Subgenres of Dystopian Fiction

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)

Dystopian fiction offers a spectrum of nightmarish futures, and within this genre, there are subgenres that explore specific anxieties or mechanisms for control and suppression. Here are some notable ones:

• Totalitarian Dystopia: This classic subgenre features a society ruled by a powerful, oppressive government that controls every aspect of people's lives. Examples include 1984 by George Orwell (1949) and We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1924).
• Environmental Dystopia: This subgenre focuses on the consequences of environmental degradation, such as pollution, climate change, or resource depletion. Examples include Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (2003) and The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006).
• Technological Dystopia: This subgenre explores the dangers of unchecked technological advancement, such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, or virtual reality. Examples include Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (2011).
• Apocalyptic Dystopia: This subgenre depicts a world ravaged by nuclear war, natural disaster, or pandemic. Examples include Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) and World War Z by Max Brooks (2006).
• Dystopian Satire: This subgenre uses humor and exaggeration to critique social or political issues of today. Examples include A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (1962) and Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961, although some might classify this as absurdist fiction).
• Dystopian Romance: This subgenre features a love story set in a dystopian world, often with the couple defying the oppressive society. Examples include Legend trilogy (2011) by Marie Lu and Matched trilogy by Ally Condie (2010-2012).
• Utopian Dystopia: This subgenre blurs the lines between utopia and dystopia, where a seemingly perfect society has hidden costs or controls its citizens in unexpected ways. Examples include The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993) and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932).

The themes of these subgenres can overlap. For instance, a dystopian novel might explore elements of environmental collapse alongside a totalitarian government.

Top 10 Timeless Dystopian Classics

Author	Title	Year	Themes	Summary
George Orwell	1984	1949	Totalitarianism, mass surveillance, the manipulation of people and information	The story takes place in Oceania, a future superstate ruled by an authoritarian government that monitors its citizens and controls their language and history. The Party prohibits free thought, sex, and individuality. The novel's protagonist, Winston Smith, is a low-ranking member of the Party who defies the ban on individuality by keeping a secret diary and pursuing a relationship with Julia.
H.G. Wells	The Time Machine	1895	Class structure, humans, nature and universe, technology and progress, utopia and dystopia	The story follows a Victorian scientist who builds a time machine and travels to the year 802,701 AD. There, he discovers that humanity has devolved into two distinct races: the childlike Eloi and the monstrous Morlocks. The Time Traveler explores the future world, narrowly escapes capture by the Morlocks, and eventually returns to his own time before embarking on another journey from which he never returns.
Ray Bradbury	Fahrenheit 451	1953	Censorship, individuality vs. conformity, Technology	Set in a future society, books are banned and firemen burn them to control dangerous ideas. Guy Montag, a fireman who questions the book-burning policy transforms himself to be a book-reading rebel.
Aldous Huxley	The Brave New World	1932	Individuality and freedom vs. dehumanization, truth vs. self-delusion, industrialism and consumption	Set in a futuristic London, technology and conditioning control every aspect of human life, including class systems, career options, and pleasure. The story follows a few characters from different classes who struggle with similar existential issues, including John the Savage, a boy raised outside of society, now brought to the World State utopia and rebels against its flaws.
Margaret Atwood	The Handmaid's Tale	1985	Power and control, rebellion, religion and theocracy, fertility	Set in New England in a totalitarian America called the Republic of Gilead, fundamentalist Christians have killed the president and Congress and imposed a puritanical theocracy. The story is narrated by Offred, a handmaid forced to procreate on demand for the ruling class of men, the "Commanders." The book highlights a woman's struggles in a totalitarian society where her identity, fertility, and freedoms are suppressed.
Lois Lowry	The Giver	1993	The importance of memory, the relationship between pain and pleasure, the importance of individual vs rules and control	The story is about an 11-year-old boy named Jonas who lives in a seemingly perfect, utopian society that eliminates pain, fear, war, and hatred. The community is based on the idea of Sameness, which ensures equality and happiness, but at the cost of individual freedom.
Yevgeny Zamyatin	We	1924	Individuality, conformity, and freedom	In the future authoritarian society of the One State, the novel’s protagonist D-503 is the chief builder of a new rocket, the Integral, which is designed to integrate other planets into the One State’s mathematically perfect happiness. However, this plan is subverted when D-503 meets I-330, a woman who encourages him to break the One State’s rules.
Anthony Burgess	A Clockwork Orange	1962	Freewill, the battle between the chosen evil and forced good, violence, redemption	Alex and his "Droogs" spend their nights getting high at the Korova Milkbar before embarking on "a little of the old ultraviolence," while jauntily warbling "Singin' in the Rain." Jailed for bludgeoning the Cat Lady to death, Alex submits to behavior modification to earn his freedom; he's conditioned to abhor violence. Returned to the world defenseless, Alex becomes the victim of his prior victims.
Philip K. Dick	The Man in the High Castle	1962	Prejudice and power, fate and free will, society and class, memory and the past, lies and deceit	Winner of the coveted Hugo Award, The Man in the High Castle imagines a world where the United States lost World War II, and persecution and slavery persist under Imperial Japanese and Nazi rule. It's a daring and controversial story that makes readers question the "what-ifs" of historical events in such vivid and jarring detail that it just may feel like reality.
Kurt Vonnegut	Slaughterhouse-Five	1969	The impact of war and pacifism, free will, death and time	Readers are taken on the non-linear journey of Billy Pilgrim, a man "unstuck in time," as his timeline ricochets from early childhood, late adulthood, surviving the firebombing of Dresden in World War II (an event the author actually lived through), and even a stint in an alien zoo on the planet Tralfamadore. Slaughterhouse-Five has since been hailed as one of the most influential anti-war literature ever written.

External Links

1. Parliament of England
2. Sir Thomas More
3. Oppressive Control