Dystopia, or when everything goes wrong

People have probably always dreamed of a better life. Even the Greek philosopher Plato dreamed of an ideal world where everything is beautiful and just. These utopian ideas were very popular, mostly because everyday life was far from ideal. But humanity also loves to pick at its wounds and find entertainment in misfortune—ideally someone else's. This gave rise to the opposite of utopia: anti-utopia, better known today as dystopia. Dystopia certainly includes the post-apo subgenre, with which it shares many common elements.

The typical fantasy and sci-fi fan is the ideal consumer of dystopia. After all, what would the future be without a zombie apocalypse, a robot uprising, or a mad ruler to make things interesting? We enjoy stories where everything goes wrong and society takes a nasty turn. It forces us to think and serves as a cautionary tale—in theory, at least.

Dystopia came to the forefront in the late 19th and throughout the 20th century, producing some of the best literature ever written. This era birthed iconic works like the 1920 novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, which inspired George Orwell himself when writing 1984. Other masters of the genre include Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451), William Golding (Lord of the Flies), H. G. Wells (The Time Machine), and our own Karel Čapek (War with the Newts).

Selecting and recommending the most interesting titles in this genre isn't easy. It's hard to find a work that doesn't contain at least some dystopian elements. But I'll give it a shot anyway.

1984, George Orwell

What kind of list would this be without this classic? When you say dystopia or anti-utopia, Orwell is usually the first association that pops up. He was the one who brought us Big Brother, Newspeak, and thoughtcrime. It is a truly unique work that shows the true face of absolute totalitarianism and the attempt to control every thought, the future, and the past. I don't like the term "required reading," but if I had to force someone to read at least one book, I would choose 1984. A truly timeless piece.

The Road, Cormac McCarthy

McCarthy's The Road is a classic example of a book that begins with a catastrophe. In this case, a very mysterious and ambiguous one. Something just went horribly wrong. A father and son travel through this dark world. They are looking for hope and fearing the worst—desperate people capable of anything. This slim book won the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 and holds a very high place in my personal book ranking. I have never been so scared while reading a book! It hits you in very sensitive places, especially if you are a parent.

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

Thanks to the film adaptation, this trilogy quickly became one of the most famous dystopian works, even though it is primarily young adult fantasy—entertainment for younger readers. In an unspecified future, a totalitarian society is entertained by a twisted reality show where teenagers fight to the death. And things get even more complicated when love enters the game. The Hunger Games is deceptive. On one hand, it's fairly straightforward entertainment about love; on the other, it's a probe into a society where everything is controlled and human life has minimal value.

Metro, Dmitry Glukhovsky

When something truly ugly happens to the world, literature often suggests that humanity will inevitably go stupid and start tearing itself apart rather than trying to solve the situation together (a bright exception being the excellent World War Z). In Glukhovsky's world, a nuclear apocalypse occurs. In Moscow, many people survive in the vast metro system. Each station lives in its own closed world, while mutated monsters roam outside. The hero, Artyom, sets out on a difficult journey through the metro, trying to save it from destruction. The Metro series is raw, full of surprises, and offers a look at the darkest sides of humanity.

The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood

The famous novel by the Canadian author became a global hit practically overnight after receiving an equally successful TV adaptation. The America of the near future is not a pleasant place at all. Democracy is dead, and society is led by a clerical-fascist regime that does not recognize human freedom. Moreover, an ecological disaster has caused infertility in most of the population. The few women capable of bearing children become handmaids—slaves serving one purpose: procreation. The Handmaid's Tale is a novel about the search for freedom. It is raw, challenging, and unique.

Silo, Hugh Howey

Having to live locked in a huge bunker for generations—that's what you call a misfortune… Hugh Howey wrote about one such misfortune, and he did it as a whole trilogy! Life in the bunker called Silo has been running on autopilot for years. People go to work, have children, and die. However, the balance of the established system is fragile, and it only takes one individual spiraling out of control for it to collapse. Why is the Earth's surface uninhabitable? Do the inhabitants of the Silo know the truth? Only the chosen ones know… and you will too, once you get through this massive trilogy. Those who aren't discouraged by the slow start will be rewarded with a gripping post-apo thriller.

author Karel Krajča