Dystopian novels are a subgenre of science fiction literature, generally, these novels present a society of the future that has fallen into a deplorable or totalitarian state, for various reasons; in short, it presents a world of nightmares and oppressions in which the characters must survive as best they can, accept it or transgress it.
Therefore, the dystopian novel is quite the opposite of utopian stories, the dystopian societies presented are totally opposed to ideal societies, where everything is peace and harmony.
- The purpose of dystopian novels is to reflect on the current state of Western society.
- Appropriately destructive and self-destructive behaviors and the consequences that come with it.
- It is a way to draw readers’ attention to the path that Western humanity could take in the future.
- Future if the necessary precautions are not taken.
Dystopian novels began to be created in the late 19th century, however, the most well-known dystopian classics are those written in the mid-20th century, some of which will be discussed below.
Of all the dystopian novels, this is the most recognizable of this literary subgenre. It has in its history all the distinctive features: totalitarianism, persecution of different, war conflicts, fanaticism, etc. It was written by Orwell in 1949, wondering what might happen in the distant year 1984.
The author imagined a society constantly observed by Big Brother, an omnipresent leader and owner of much of planet Earth. The protagonist is Winston Smith, an employee of the Ministry of Truth. His obligation is to rewrite history to reflect Big Brother’s political interests. altering newspaper titles or modifying research and statistical studies, among other atrocities.
Winston does his job until he realizes that he is helping to preserve the scam that keeps Big Brother in power, so he decides to rebel against totalitarian rule, which keeps them under control and vigilance, this task is not easy, as the regime keeps the population under control through the ministries of Love , Peace, Abundance and Truth. All these gears keep the totalitarian state presented by George Orwell in perfect working condition.
The novel was a success and to this day it continues to be sold regularly. Many believe orwell has predicted many things that are happening in today’s world, such as information manipulation, the practice of mass surveillance, and the social repression of certain governments.
In this dystopian novel, Western society has reached its peak, everyone is happy, wars and poverty are eradicated, humanity is healthy and technologically advanced, it is almost a utopia, without the fact that to achieve happiness they had to give up many things : family, science, literature, religion and philosophy.
The author anticipated the technological development of reproduction as we are currently known, but took it to the extreme Are all babies fertilized in vitro?And in the process, the work they will do as they grow is genetically determined. adults are drugged with a pill that gives them an illusion of happiness and total optimism.
This novel follows the same tone as the previous two, but adds social criticism to the unfair treatment of women. After an attack on the White House, a theocratic and puritanical government was established in the United States, which in this way undermines social freedoms. rights, with the aim of reducing violence and ensuring human reproduction.
All of this was established because, for unknown reasons, the overall fertility rate has declined exponentially, resulting in a very small percentage of women concerising children.
Women are devalued and classified according to their usefulness. Wives? These are the heads of the family nucleus with the commanders. Marthas? Asias? These are fertile women who are important only because of their reproductive abilities. Aunts are responsible for the care and education of nurses
The story of this novel follows Offred’s life like?Aia?in this dystopian society: a life full of humiliations and injustices towards women.
It is one of the most famous novels by the prolific Ray Bradbury. In this dystopian novel, the author presents a society in which the reading of any kind of book is censored to keep the inhabitants ignorant and therefore easier to control by the government. Therefore, there is a group of firefighters whose purpose is not to put out fires, but to burn books.
The title of the book refers to the combustion temperature of the paper in degrees Fahrenheit. The government burned all existing books and arrested readers, because reading creates social inequality, anguish and unhappiness.
The story is directed by one of these firefighters who, instead of using pipes, uses a flamethrower to burn anything that stimulates critical thinking. A combination of factors and events causes this firefighter to rethink if he’s really happy. This thought leads him to want to read a book and see if what the government says is true.
It is one of the most recent dystopian novels with a post-apocalyptic context, because of an indefinite catastrophe, perhaps a nuclear war, The United States is repentant and infertile, so there are no laws or social institutions and almost no food. for the few survivors. A terrifying, dark and depressing environment.
The story follows the journey of a father and his son through the destroyed landscape, in search of a purpose to live, on their way they meet other survivors, many of whom are murderers and cannibals, in addition, the father is sick and must teach his son to survive alone. The image presented in this novel will leave the reader with great anguish about the future.