So many books, so little time. Here’s a somewhat opinionated list for you. It might ruffle some feathers, but the good thing is any book you pick from here will be worth every minute you spend reading it.
Note: if you decide to buy some of the awesome books below via my Amazon links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you follow these links but then buy a pulp romance novel instead, I’ll also earn a small commission, but it won’t offset my disappointment.
1. Non-negotiables
Let’s get one thing out of the way. If you haven’t read 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451, you shouldn’t be browsing the web for new dystopian reads. Read them and come back a better person.
If you’re still here, trying to move on without having read 1984, at least check out my 1984 book review. Perhaps it’ll make you reconsider.
2. The Handmaid’s Tale
Slower pacing of The Handmaid’s Tale is compensated by exquisite writing. Atwood savors every scene and description, giving plenty of time for readers to reflect and imagine.
3. The Dispossessed
While Le Guin’s famous introduction about the spirit of speculative fiction was written for “The Left Hand of Darkness,” I actually think it fits The Dispossessed even better. This truly is the gold standard: a strange world, explored dispassionately, not to push a message, but to find out the answer, or at least get some insight. Something I aspire to do in my own work.
4. Parable of the Sower
Another classic you can read less for its plot and more for the world and atmosphere. One curious worldbuilding element is that the main character, Lauren, is afflicted with hyperempathy, which makes her suffer when she sees the suffering of others. It’s an interesting flaw that the character has to work around, although as I plan to mention in my upcoming review, I felt that the consequences of her condition were not explored deeply enough. Still, Parable of the Sower a fascinating read that no dystopian fan has a right to pass on.
5. The Giver
If there were such a genre as “cozy dystopia”, this would be it. There is something comforting about the world in this book, which makes it even more terrifying. The quiet lack of conflict, of struggle, a small talk kind of a universe. One of the best contrasts between what is being described (a dystopian world) and how it is described (through the eyes of a child who respects and even loves the place). If you haven’t read The Giver yet, now is the time.
6. Case Study in Empathy
Although you’ll see quite a few reviews putting this one in the same lineup as the greats above, I don’t actually know yet if Case Study in Empathy belongs here. But *surprise-surprise* it’s my own book, and I’m not only opinionated, but also biased.
That said, it took seven years of distilling my heart, soul, and brain, for this work to came into being. If you’ve read and enjoyed the books above, I genuinely think you will also enjoy mine.
I want more!
This is my all-time greats (and one impostor). If you are a die-hard dystopian fan like myself, you’ve probably read all of them already. In such a case, check out these Dystopian Reads For The Initiated (coming soon).