Springfield-Greene County Library District discussion

Our ReadUps topic for May is Dystopian Fiction! For those unfamiliar with this genre, it is a branch of science fiction, or occasionally fantasy, that features a society characterized by poverty and/or oppression--the opposite of utopia. Or, as a recent New Yorker article called 'A Golden Age for Dystopian Fiction' puts it, "dystopia can be apocalyptic, or post-apocalyptic, or neither, but it has to be anti-utopian, a utopia turned upside down, a world in which people tried to build a republic of perfection only to find that they had created a republic of misery."

What are some of your favorite dystopian novels?

A few ideas for those looking for a new dystopian title to read this month:

Dystopian books available on Hoopla Digital (check out from home, with no holds or waiting!)

Post-Apocalyptic & Dystopian Series for Grown-ups via the Library's Books and Authors blog

Feminist Dystopian Fiction via the Library's Books and Authors blog

15 of the Best Dystopian Novels to Add to Your TBR Immediately via Book Riot

20 Dystopian Novels Everyone Should Read via Oprah Magazine

I'll go first! I have a lot of favorite dystopian novels. A few:

In Ready Player One, the world has fallen apart under oppressive government and a huge gap between the haves and the have-nots. The masses escape into a utopian virtual world called the Oasis. This is one of the most humorous dystopias I've read. It deals with some dark ideas, but it feels a lot less heavy than most of the other books in this genre.

Inhuman is a middle-grade novel in which genetic engineering has gone wrong, leaving much of the human population mutated with a variety of animal traits. The few remaining unaffected are quarantined in a small part of the country, while the rest is left to the mutants. Lots of action in this one.

Feed is a young adult novel in which people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains (doesn't seem all that far off, right?). During a spring break trip to the moon, one teen's feed malfunctions and he meets a girl who is fighting the feed and the consumerism that comes along with it. This book gave me a lot to think about and inspired me to be more mindful about the media, social and otherwise, that I consume, and the way that I consume it.

Love this genre! Thanks for the lists, Heather! So many good ones, it's hard to name just one. Handmaid's Tale is high on the list, along with 1984. YA dystopian is ripe with good ones, Divergent, Hunger Games and can't leave out Lord of the Flies.

Handmaid's Tale is a favorite of mine, too, Sarah! Have you watched the TV show? I haven't yet, but I've heard it's very good.

That's a good point, Gregg--there is some disagreement about the definition. I've always thought of dystopia as being created intentionally, or at least a case of good intentions gone wrong, but when you look at the lists, there are a lot of books that don't fit that exactly, so clearly there are other definitions. What does everyone else think? Do you consider a book dystopian even if the conditions are accidental (due to a natural event) rather than intentional?

I agree that the literary definition of dystopia shouldn't be limited to only intentional societal collapse. Some of my favorite dystopian stories involve a collapse that is beyond human control, like Gold Fame Citrus, The Salt Line, and Station Eleven.

I consider books that are related to environmental disasters and such as post-apocalyptic but not dystopian--I'm guessing that the first time I looked it up, the first definition I found was similar to NYT version, and it stuck with me. Plus, I tend to over-categorize! :)

Whatever you call it, "Station Eleven" is one of my favorites, too! "Gold Fame Citrus" is on my list.

Red Rising is the best dystopian I've read since Hunger Games. Most would probably just categorize it under general scifi, but it definitely follows the "features opposite of utopia" definition. Wonderful for YA and Adult readers

A. P. wrote: "Red Rising is the best dystopian I've read since Hunger Games. Most would probably just categorize it under general scifi, but it definitely follows the "features opposite of utopia..."

I read this recently and loved it! Excited to read more in the series.

Miranda wrote: "A. P. wrote: "Red Rising is the best dystopian I've read since Hunger Games. Most would probably just categorize it under general scifi, but it definitely follows the "features oppo..."

It just keeps getting better and better, all three are a total trip! glad you enjoyed the first one!

I really liked the first Red Rising book too, but I read the first one before the others were out and I keep forgetting to read the rest. Time to put them on hold!

Has anyone read anything by Sarah Gailey? One of their most recent books is a dystopian novella called Upright Women Wanted and it was SO GOOD. The story doesn't explain much about what has happened to society, but you know that there are "Librarians" doing a kind of Pony Express book delivery, but they are only allowed to deliver books that are "approved" by some kind of authoritarian government.

I loved it because it blends a lot of things I'm into: dystopia, westerns, queer & POC characters, librarians. The perfect weird storm!

The Earthseed series!
Parable of the Sowerand Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler. The first in the series was published in 1993 and the second in 1998 and the series begins in the year 2025. It was interesting to think about writing something like this in 93/98 and comparing it to the present. She nearly predicts the future in some ways.

How had I not heard of Upright Women Wanted? It sounds amazing and is moving to the top of my to-read list!

I have wanted to read Octavia Butler for a while now. This thread is reminding me of so many I want to read! I know there are books I've read that seemed like they predicted the future, but of course I'm drawing a blank as I try to think of them...can anyone else think of some?

Heather wrote: "How had I not heard of Upright Women Wanted? It sounds amazing and is moving to the top of my to-read list!

I have wanted to read Octavia Butler for a while now. This thread is reminding me of so..."
I hadn't heard of that one either, but have enjoyed Octavia Butler. One of my very favorites in the speculative/dystopian fiction genre is The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy. It's been many years since I read it, but some of the haunting scenes of an abandoned San Francisco have stuck with me. I've enjoyed many of Margaret Atwood's books I recently read Vox by Christina Dalcher, and The Word Exchange
by Alena Graedon; both were pretty good. I guess Rivers: A Novel by Michael Farris Smith would be more in the realm of environmental collapse according to the definitions above, but also has many elements consistent with dystopian writing, and is one of my favorites in recent years.

I have to add one more favorite of years past that has stayed with me for a long time: A Gift Upon the Shore by M.K. Wren is set in the Pacific Northwest, after a nuclear war, then a pandemic, has left a vast wasteland. One woman is determined to save every book she can find, to preserve them, she hopes, for future generations. There are looters and other threats: the author does a great job of creating a sense of possible doom, but writes beautifully.

Janice wrote: "I have to add one more favorite of years past that has stayed with me for a long time: A Gift Upon the Shore by M.K. Wren is set in the Pacific Northwest, after a nuc..."

Thank you for all of these great suggestions, Janice! I am really excited about reading "A Gift Upon the Shore" and "The Word Exchange" since they're book-related. As important as literature is to our lives now, it's interesting to imagine how crucial it would be in a post apocalyptic situation.

I just started reading "Vox" and I'm really intrigued. One thing that's struck me is how quickly things went wrong. Apparently (based on the small amount I've read so far) it goes from a society similar to what we have now to a complete authoritarian disaster in just a few years. This has been the case with a few other books I've read (When She Woke by Hillary Jordan is one that comes to mind). It seems unrealistic, but unfortunately it probably isn't.

Heather wrote: "Janice wrote: "I have to add one more favorite of years past that has stayed with me for a long time: A Gift Upon the Shore by M.K. Wren is set in the Pacific Northwe..."

Yes, that is a very scary aspect of this and other stories, both fiction and true, how very quickly what at first seems innocuous becomes a horror. I enjoyed the way things eventually changed in Vox but that may be the least believable part of the story.

Janice wrote: "Yes, that is a very scary aspect of this and other stories, both fiction and true, how very quickly what at first seems innocuous becomes a horror..."

It's sad and scary how, in the real world, things can get bad really quickly, but it takes a long time for things to get better. Often when there's progress, backlash undoes it quickly (for example, African Americans gaining some legal rights after the Civil War, only to have Jim Crow laws effectively take them all back). Still, I like it when books end on a hopeful note, even if it's unrealistic.

Miranda wrote: "Has anyone read anything by Sarah Gailey? One of their most recent books is a dystopian novella called Upright Women Wanted and it was SO GOOD. The story doesn't e..."
I just finished this a couple weeks ago! I read it as an audiobook through hoopla and really enjoyed it. This is the first for me from this author though, but I've had my eye on some of their other books like Magic for Liars and their new release When We Were Magic. But I really enjoyed the combination of the sort of western regressive setting with a futuristic dystopia, loved all the queer characters, and really wanted to know more about the world, but also loved the short novella format. I'm hoping they write more novellas in this world again. I saw on hoopla that they also had some of their older novellas that take place in like an alternate history western setting in which the 'cowboys' ride hippos instead of horses because of something to do with the alternate history. I might give those a go soon.

On the topic of dystopian and what that really encompases, this made me think about dystopians set in futuristic or fantasy settings versus ones set in alternate history settings. I think dystopians in general have that cautionary tale, societal commentary aspect that is supposed to make you think like if we keep going down this path this is what things could look like or if we abused this or don't start valuing this etc. But alternate histories do it in kind of a different way where it's more of what if this had happened instead and there's something real to extrapolate the fiction from. Do you think that's even covered under dystopia? Do you think there's a nuance in how the different settings approach the dystopian themes?

Heather wrote: "Janice wrote: "Yes, that is a very scary aspect of this and other stories, both fiction and true, how very quickly what at first seems innocuous becomes a horror..."

It's sad and scary how, in the..."

Me, too! I much prefer some element of hope in the ending!

I wondered if anyone has read Red Clocks by Leni Zumas or The Power by Naomi Alderman. I have both on my to-read list, but haven't gotten to either as yet.

One more past read I want to add is Veracity by Laura Bynum. I really liked this one too, and both the title and story seem relevant in today's world of "fake news", and where truth and lies are so intermingled.

Samantha wrote: "On the topic of dystopian and what that really encompases, this made me think about dystopians set in futuristic or fantasy settings versus ones set in alternate history settings..."

That's a great question, Samantha! In my mind, an alternate history could definitely be considered dystopia. With the setting being an alternate version of real-life history, it would probably seem even more creepy. I think a what-could-have-been scenario would feel more realistic and frightening that a super futuristic or fantasy setting would. I don't think I've read any books that fit that category, but now I would like to! I'm definitely going to check out Upright Women Wanted. Does anyone have any other examples of titles that are dystopian and alternate history?

Janice wrote: "I wondered if anyone has read Red Clocks by Leni Zumas or The Power by Naomi Alderman. I have both on my to-read list, but haven't gotten to either as yet...."

I haven't read either of those, but I want to! "The Power" has been on my list for a while. I haven't heard of "Veracity" but it sounds fascinating and very relevant to today's society. With all of the voices and sources online, it's more and more important for people to learn how to tell credible sources from the rest of the noise. Many books demonstrate how misinformation can be a big part of creating a dystopian society; 1984 stands out as a good example. Does anyone have any more examples of dystopias in which propaganda and fake news play a big part?