Books to prepare you for
a dystopian future
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THE HANDMAID’S TALE
Margaret Atwood
The closest after 1984 in terms of life imitating
fiction, Atwood’s book speaks of a theocratic
society that dictates the life and function of its
population based on gender. A commentary
by Offred (meaning “she belongs to Fred”)
on the defined role of woman – as breeding
machines to ensure the growth of human
population, a terrifyingly real and possible reality- ensures it’s on our dystopian list.
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
Anthony Burges
The future as envisioned by Burges is surreal
and nightmarish. Criminals enjoy a free run
after dark, gangs run riot, and the state
authorities use physical force and psychological
triggers to restore order to a crumbling
society. A more depressing imagining of
our future could not be written.THE MAZE
RUNNER SERIES
James Dashner
Thomas wakes up in
an elevator with no
memory apart from his
name. He is greeted by
strangers, all boys, who
tell him the tale of the
maze, terrifying in its
appeal and dangerous in
its function. The only way
to reach the ‘world’ on
the other side is to try
and remember who he is.THE HUNGER GAMES
Suzanne Collins
Katniss Everdeen’s world consists of 12 districts
all ruled by the rich and powerful Capitol, under
President Snow. She volunteers to participate
in a death-to-finish fight, the Hunger Games
a reality show for citizens of Capitol, and starts
a rebellion against Capitol and its governance.
One worries that a time when one majority
superpower controls weaker powers doesn’t
seem to be too unimaginable.1984
George Orwell
It’s almost like Orwell was warning us about
our future from his present (he wrote the book
in 1949). Words from the book – “1984”
and “Big Brother” – have entered the
modern-day lexicon with ease and are
synonymous with media, truth and news being
controlled and manipulated by the government.32 June 2017