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Find out moreCommonly extrapolating elements of current society, dystopian fiction explores the darker side of possible worlds. Discover more than a Brave New World here.
The human race faces annihilation. An alien threat is on the horizon, ready to strike. And if humanity is to be defended, the government must create the greatest military commander in history. The brilliant young Ender Wiggin is their last hope. But first he must survive the rigours of a brutal military training programme - to prove that he can be the leader of all leaders. A saviour for mankind must be produced, through whatever means possible. But are they creating a hero or a monster? This is the multiple award-winning classic ENDER'S GAME - a groundbreaking tale of war, strategy and survival.
May 2013 Book of the Month and eBook of the Month. The Passage was a huge and sweeping thriller telling the story of the end of civilisation and what happened to the survivors. This excellent sequel goes back to tell a different side of the titanic struggle as vampires take over the USA, then tells the continuation of The Passage, picking up the lives of characters we had come to love. A highly enjoyable and engrossing read with a bit more substance than your average monster apocalypse story. The Lovereading view... When the dystopian vampire epic The Passage came out in 2010 it was, deservedly, incredibly well reviewed and The Twelve is the eagerly awaited sequel. A military experiment to create humans with superior fighting capabilities goes horrifically wrong and the fate of the human race hangs in the balance. Can the remaining humans fight back? The compulsive sequel shifts back and forward in time building on the first book but also adding new characters and depth to the story. In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Twelve a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'What can I say about The Twelve except Magnificent...Justin Cronin you have one very happy new fan.' Glynis Elliott - Scroll down to read more reviews.
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A darkly rich and foreboding fantasy which hovers on the frightening edge of a believable future. Set in an alternate England, so very similar to our own, volume one of ‘The Black Dawn’ focuses on two teenagers in two different time frames. Gordon is born at the beginning of an environmental apocalypse and Megan in the future, into a technology free world; both are destined to search for the Crowman. As with all new worlds, it takes a short while to connect to the time and story line. Joseph D’Lacey begins by setting alternate chapters to introduce the pair, however as they walk their dreams and their lives start to intertwine, their tales merge and flow together, into and around you. There are moments of real menace and dread as the Earth hits back against humans, the descriptive writing scorches your imagination. The sequel, ’The Book of the Crowman’ promises answers, although I must admit to being a little worried about what the future holds for Gordon and Megan. So, allow yourself to sink into the deeply unnerving depths of ‘Black Feathers’, to walk into dark places and through past places in this stimulating and captivating read. ~ Liz Robinson December 2015 Book of the Month.
This is a pretty unsettling and powerfully compelling debut, well worth a read for the original storyline alone. The world seems to stop and some people hear the words ‘My Children. Do not be afraid’. Confusion and terror reign and we follow the lives of 26 people not all of which heard the message. This gripping is a high concept dystopian thriller that will appeal to fans of Inception or Flashforward and we look forward to seeing what James Smythe follows it up with.
One of our Books of the Year 2013 Fast-paced, page-turning, moving, yet with a streak of dark humour, The Disappeared is a dystopian thriller from a fantastic new British talent, with shades of Orwell and Huxley. In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Disappeared a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title. Scroll down to read their reviews.
A powerful, gripping and tense futuristic novel about a world which has gone mad, a world where life is forever except for the likes of Peter and Anna (who shouldn’t be there at all according to the declaration) who are struggling to escape the past in order to find a better future. The Declaration is a chilling, dystopian view of how life may be in the not too far off future, reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and PD James's The Children of Men but written for a young teenage audience. It’s a novel that highlights many issues which affect us today in modern Britain: the obsession with youth and beauty; our pill-popping culture where each ailment can be remedied with some unknown chemical cure; the over-population of the earth; our age-old fear of teenage culture. The author, Gemma Malley has expressed quite brilliantly and concisely these many different issues in this ground-breaking, mesmerizing and compelling novel. To find out even more about this series click here to visit a site created by the publisher. Click here to download a document where Gemma talks about the inspriation behind the Declaration series.
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The fully restored fiftieth anniversary edition foreward by Martin Amis first published by William Heinemann in 1962, A Clockwork Orange is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. This special edition, compiled and edited by Andrew Biswell, Burgess' biographer, restores the text of the novel as Burgess originally wrote it, and includes a selection of interviews, articles, reviews and other previously unpublished material.
A shocking and stunning dystopian thriller from the Richard & Judy selected author of Mudbound. The story is set in a very right-wing near future America, where criminals are released back into society, injected with a colour and where abortion is classed as murder. If you liked The Handmaid's Tale this is definitely worth reading and it’s a perfect book for reading groups, as we can imagine some very heated discussions.
August 2012 Debut of the Month. A clever, well thought out, young adult sci-fi adventure. Set on a future Earth that is only inhabited by people with dysfunctional immune systems that mean they can’t live anywhere else. These people are seen as throwbacks and are called, and treated like, ‘apes’ but Jarra our feisty heroine is out to prove them wrong. Great for fans of The Hunger Games – just not so grim and dystopian.
Kevin Garvey, Mapleton's new mayor, wants to bring a sense of hope to this traumatised community, but his family has fallen apart in the wake of disaster. His wife has joined a homegrown cult, and his son is a disciple of the prophet Holy Wayne. Only Jill, Kevin's daughter, remains, and she's no longer the sweet student she once was. Written with a rare ability to illuminate our everyday struggles, The Leftovers is a startling novel about love, connection and loss.
July 2012 Debut of the Month. This stunning debut has a fascinating premise that 'The earth is slowing down' and it provides a unique framework for this memorable, haunting and bittersweet coming of age novel. It is seen through the eyes and experiences of Julia, an 11 year old girl whose turbulent life, seems to mirror the changes in the world outside. Reminiscent in part to The Time Traveller’s Wife this science fiction like idea doesn't get in the way, and shouldn't put you off for reading this book is a pretty special experience.
Dystopia - The opposite of Utopia.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: from dys-‘bad’ + Utopia. An imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.
H.G. Wells was the first popular dystopian writer with the Time Machine (1895) in which the future doesn’t bring continuous improvements in human kind, rather its demise to the baser darker side of our nature. Through Metamorphosis (1915) by Franz Kafka, Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) by George Orwell and on to The Handmaid's Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood dystopian fiction continues to probe the darker areas of the human condition.
Perhaps all the end of world prophecies have fueled the demand, never the less the contemporary dystopian offerings are proving popular reading – especially among a younger audience. We hope you enjoy the selection.
