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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.
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.
A welcome return to the world first encountered in Matched. It’s a world in which society decides who you should love – and everything else about your life. When Cassia broke the rules because she found her own true love, everything went into meltdown. Now Cassia must try to take control again. Bravely she heads off in search of Ky. Can she save him and can she stay safe herself? Told sometimes by Cassia and sometimes by Ky the story twists and turns with danger lurking never far away. An exciting and passionate story set in a bleak and uncompromising world which raises many questions about why freedom to choose matters.
We found this an utterly compelling debut novel. It is set in a disturbing near future where society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed towards mental illness. There's a real passion for dystopian fiction at present and this one is one of the best.
Winner of the 2013 Leeds Book Awards 14-16 age category. This is a debut novel not to miss. It's an original and haunting psychological thriller that's packed with intense mystery and secrets that will have you gripped from the very first page. It's the story of Kyla whose mind has been erased; every single memory gone, living with a new name with a new family to get a second chance. But is this a second chance or is everyone around her lying ? She thinks so and is determined to prove it. Fans of Sophie McKenzie and Suzanne Collins will love it.
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.
