Last week, we crowdsourced your favorite space opera.
And this week, because I’m totally shameless (seriously, the Martians destroyed my Shame Gland in the Second Mars-America Temporal Freedom War of 2018), I feel like we should talk about your favorite dystopian reads.
From adult (Handmaid’s Tale!) to young adult (Hunger Games!).
So: your top three dystopian reads.
Drop ’em in the comments. Let’s make some recommendations.
(And I might just have my own dystopian tale coming out tomorrow, hey, huh, weird.)
Troy L says:
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Blood Skies series by Steven Montano
Honorable mention to Divergent. Just the first book.
July 29, 2013 — 1:21 PM
mwebster76 says:
I liked Divergent but haven’t had a chance to read the rest of the series. Is it not any good?
August 4, 2013 — 7:05 PM
bloodofareptile says:
The last one isn’t out yet. I’m not the original commenter, but I didn’t think the second one was bad – it’s just middle book syndrome – building up the conclusion.
August 5, 2013 — 9:14 AM
Troy L says:
I just couldn’t get into book 2. It might have been the backstory. Sometimes I get Reader’s Block. I will read the rest of the series someday.
August 8, 2013 — 2:52 PM
Jake Rossman says:
The Road, Cormac McCarthy
The Massive (Graphic Novel), Brian Wood
July 29, 2013 — 1:26 PM
Elizabeth Stadtmueller says:
1) “The Fifth Sacred Thing” by Starhawk
2) “Divergent” by Veronica Roth
3) “V for Vendetta” by Alan Moore
July 29, 2013 — 1:33 PM
Alice says:
The Breeders by Katie French
Armageddon’s Children by Terry Brooks (it had a lot of promise)
Handmaid’s Tale By Margaret Atwood
July 29, 2013 — 1:40 PM
Monique M. Insalaco says:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
July 29, 2013 — 1:44 PM
Chuck Regan says:
Has anyone mentioned ‘This Perfect Day’? Pretty sure Ira Levin was inspired by the mind-fuck that is Scientology.
July 29, 2013 — 1:59 PM
Wylie Snow says:
For my #1, I can’t choose between Brave New World (Huxley) and Slaughterhouse Five (Vonnegut), because they were my introductions into futuristic societies and a huge influence on my rebellous teen-age years. Of the newer generation, I’m going with Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Deviants by Maureen McGowan (YA).
July 29, 2013 — 3:47 PM
Tammy says:
Divergent by Veronica Roth.
Delirium by Lauren Oliver.
The Giver by Lois Lowry.
July 29, 2013 — 6:10 PM
Debbie says:
The Hunger Games
Wool (though I have to say I didn’t care for Shift at all, and think it’s a good example of why prequels are often not a great idea).
Also love This Perfect Day, though there are some retro aspects to it that are very problematic for me (i.e. a rape where the victim subsequently falls in love with her rapist). Really odd, considering one could interpret some of Levin’s other books, Rosemary’s Baby and The Stepford Wives in particular, as a patriarchal nightmares.
July 29, 2013 — 8:00 PM
Michael says:
Oh man, there’s some good ones on this list.
For me:
1.) The Stand
2.) The Dark Tower series (specifically for this, “The Wastelands”)
2.) I Am Legend
July 29, 2013 — 8:42 PM
Melanie Marttila says:
I have this thing for Sherri S. Tepper. So: The Gate to Women’s Country
Ursula K. Le Guin: The Dispossessed (though it’s listed as a utopian novel, I disagree)
Robert C. O’Brien: Z for Zachariah
I like Hunger Games, too, but thought I’d offer some of the classics (IMHO).
July 29, 2013 — 9:21 PM
Nikki Blakely says:
The Gate to Women’s Country and Z for Zachariah! Two of my very favorites I’m surprised to see here! 🙂
February 18, 2014 — 9:52 AM
WeS says:
Fahrenheit 451
1984
Handmaid’s Tale
“It was a pleasure to burn.”
July 29, 2013 — 9:33 PM
Kathy O says:
I’m reading Feed by Mira Grant right now and it’s great. Also, another vote for Fahrenheit 451.
July 30, 2013 — 4:49 AM
Sarah Buhl says:
Fahrenheit 451
1984
Divergent and The Maze Runner are tied for third. 🙂
July 30, 2013 — 8:12 AM
PJ Sharon says:
Since no one has mentioned it, I loved Meg Rossoff’s HOW I LIVE NOW. Lois Lowery’s THE GIVER was awesome, and yes, I did enjoy the HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY. James patterson’s MAXIMUM RIDE series was also notable. Thank you Rhonda Hopkins for the shout out for WANING MOON:-)
July 30, 2013 — 8:24 AM
Liz Blocker (@lizblocker) says:
– The Handmaid’s Tale (always my #1 for this list; no other book has scared me quite as much as this one, although Oryx and Crake is also up there)
– Animal Farm (just because everyone else has already said 1984,which is definitely one of my top favorites)
– The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas (I know, it’s a short story, but Ursula Le Guin is one of my favorite authors, ever, and she always seems to be missing from the top lists. I have a bad feeling that it might be because of her gender… but I’m open to debate on that)
July 30, 2013 — 9:11 AM
June Weiss says:
Justin Cronin’s THE PASSAGE and THE TWELVE (and Justin, hurry up with that third book, pretty please!). My son-in-law insisted I read it when I insisted he read WOOL by Hugh Howey which is also a favorite.
And of course the classic THE POSTMAN by David Brin. I lived inside that book for months, re-reading it twice immediately after finishing it the first time.
July 30, 2013 — 9:20 AM
FanGirl says:
I will certainly be saving this list for later!
I especially love Dystopian teen novels favourites include:-
The ‘Noughts and Crosses’ series by Malorie Blackman
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro
July 30, 2013 — 3:57 PM
FanGirl says:
Oh I just remembered another one – How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (the film is coming out this year staring Saoirse Ronan)
July 30, 2013 — 4:10 PM
Poppy says:
Mira Grant’s Newsflesh series starting with FEED.
Ann Aguirre’s Razorland trilogy starting with ENCLAVE (the third book doesn’t come out until this fall though)
Bethany Girffin’s Red Death Saga which starts with MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
July 30, 2013 — 4:29 PM
Wesley says:
“Meat” by Joseph D’Lacey
“The Land of the Headless” by Adam Roberts.
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood.
July 31, 2013 — 4:25 AM
Rhonda says:
The Stand by Stephen King / The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. Runners up are Animal Farm, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, The Running Man, A Scanner Darkly, Logan’s Run and The Long Walk. Can’t go wrong with any of them.
July 31, 2013 — 10:41 AM
Rhonda says:
If you’re going with novellas and shorts, then my top would be The Machine Stops by EM Forster, still a convincing future more than a hundred years after he wrote it. Then the oft filmed ‘Second Variety’ by Phillip K Dick. Inspired everything from Terminator to Scanners. Finally, The Golden Man, by Phillip K Dick.
Can you tell I really like Phillip K Dick? 🙂
July 31, 2013 — 11:00 AM
Andy says:
Farnham’s Freehold, Heinlein.
August 1, 2013 — 12:08 AM
elizabethtwist says:
An excellent dystopia-via-utopia is “The Country of the Kind” by Damon Knight. It’s also a short story.
August 1, 2013 — 1:06 AM
lauriegienapp says:
While my first impulse was to list Justin Cronin’s The Passage, and The Twelve, they’ve already been listed.. But I am astonished that no one has listed S. M. Stirling’s Dies the Fire, and The Protector’s War.
August 2, 2013 — 11:36 AM
yellehughes says:
The Stolen-two short stories (The Meaning Wars) by Michelle Browne. I really enjoyed her writing.
August 3, 2013 — 11:17 AM
mwebster76 says:
The Handmaid’s Tale is also one of my faves. Two others: The Road and Pandemonium.
August 4, 2013 — 7:04 PM
mwebster76 says:
Oops, I meant Delirium, not Pandemonium. The first book was way better than the second.
August 4, 2013 — 7:07 PM
pamelacreese says:
I am certain next time this list is made… Under the Empyrean Sky will be right up there!
August 5, 2013 — 12:26 AM
janinmi says:
I chose to list these books as multi-volume stories (not series) because it makes more sense that way. So sue me.
1. Holdfast Chronicles (Walk to the End of the World, Motherlines, The Furies, The Conqueror’s Child) by Suzy McKee Charnas.
2.Parable of the Sewer and Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler.
3. The Rifters “saga” (Starfish, Maelstrom, Behemoth: B-Max, Behemoth: Seppuku) by Peter Watts.
They’re all SF, but there’s a very prominent dystopian ribbon running through all of them as well. I have copies of all of them because re-read. I’d like to thank our generous host for the impetus to view these stories from another perspective. Yes, I really do talk like this IRL. 🙂
August 5, 2013 — 10:09 PM
janinmi says:
#2: Should be “sower” (dammit).
June 9, 2014 — 10:48 AM
David Starkweather says:
Motorman by David Ohle
The Road and Clockwork Orange
August 18, 2013 — 9:29 PM
Nora says:
1. The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
2. Battle Royale, Koushun Takami
3. The Immortal Rules, Julie Kagawa
August 19, 2013 — 11:34 PM
pamelacreese says:
I have to say, I am terribly saddened to see almost NO dystopian novels for adults on this list… virtually ALL YA. (shaking head) Surely there is some great dystopian out there NOT for teens? Please?
August 25, 2013 — 11:53 PM
R. N. Wright says:
My book’s brand new, out this week. A short story, a play, and a novel, all in one. Adults welcome!
http://tinyurl.com/kaxnzhx
September 17, 2013 — 9:58 PM
Nikki Blakely says:
Yeah I know I’m very late to this party, and it is unlikely anyone will read my comment – but what the hell. I thought I’d throw one up there that no one mentioned: Earth Abides – by George R. Stewart. Anybody read? And well .. Handmaids Tale is mentioned quite a bit. It was always one of my favorites, but I recently got it out for a re-read after many years (as I do w/ my faves) and for some reason I didn’t like it as much as I had before. I found it lacking at certain points that as I had not before. Perhaps it was one re-read to many. 🙂
February 18, 2014 — 10:05 AM