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Dystopian LiteratureDystopian literature is a literary genre focused on postapocalyptic, totalitarian, or otherwise oppressive societies. Its stories often take place in the future, though its writers often comment on the present. The word "dystopia" is derived from the Greek for "bad place." It's an inversion of "utopia," a term popularized by Sir Thomas More in his 1516 book, "Utopia," which imagined an ideal society free of want. The modern dystopian story does not just take place in an undesirable setting; it also features an oppressive power structure that claims to offer utopia, with one of the earliest examples being Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels." The international conflicts of World War I and World War II inspired some of dystopian literature's most influential novels as writers encountered the utopian promises of fascism and communism. In the decades to follow, more writers would follow the example of those early novels, using the dystopian model to critique artificial intelligence, climate change, and more.Explore Dystopian Literature

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Dystopian literature is a form of speculative fictionThe classification includes any fiction that "speculates" about how society might operate in the future or in contexts different from the present reality. The genre is an umbrella term for science fiction, fantasy, alternative historical fiction, dystopian and utopian fiction, and apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction. JSTOR DailyWhy dystopian literature remains popularYale English professor Joe Cleary argues that dystopian literature’s continued relevance is due to a torrent of additional societal anxieties and that the streaming adaptations of dystopian classics "The Handmaid’s Tale" and "The Man in the High Castle" have expanded the genre’s popularity, introducing new audiences to its tropes. Yale UniversityDystopian literature is focused on oppressive societiesThe subgenre can come in many forms, but its shared traits are the way it reflects the anxieties and satirizes the utopian thinking of its writers’ societies. One of the earliest examples is Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels." TED-EdScience fiction or new technology?Dystopian literature is no longer relegated to the page, with innovations like the Tesla Cybertruck and Meta virtual reality headsets mirroring the aesthetics of texts like "The Running Man" and "Neuromancer." In this essay, Casey Michael Henry argues that the images from these works remain while their messages have faded. The New York TimesSci-fi writer Jeff VanderMeer writes dystopian fiction about the environmentNoted science fiction writer Jeff VanderMeer discusses his 2014 novel "Annihilation," which uses climate change as a dystopian frame. VanderMeer notes that he’s not interested in cynicism, even though that’s how most people view dystopian literature. “I’m not a fan of fiction that’s totally hopeless,” VanderMeer says. “You find ways of documenting the world as it is and you wind up redefining utopia and dystopia.” The Atlantic'Fahrenheit 451' is a perennially banned dystopian storyThis late-in-life interview with Ray Bradbury, author of “Fahrenheit 451,” details the book’s origins, providing background for one of the most popular titles in dystopian literature. As a book lover, Bradbury was horrified by the book burnings of Nazi Germany and imagined a version of the United States where firemen were censors, protecting their fellow citizens from literature’s harmful ideas. “We are a democracy of readers,” Bradbury explains. “And we should keep it that way.” National Endowment for the ArtsWhy school boards ban dystopian booksJournalist Ali Velshi analyzes the lasting appeal of Lois Lowry’s "The Giver" and George Orwell’s "1984," two dystopian novels that have courted controversy since their publications. Beyond his interpretations, though, Velshi wants to understand why school boards perennially ban these books—and what makes them so fascinating for adolescent readers. In his search, he talks to Lowry about the lasting influence of her novel and to Orwell expert James McCallister about the prescient political portrait in "1984." Velshi Banned Book ClubDystopian satire became more prominent in the 20th centuryAlthough "anti-utopian" stories have always existed, the international conflicts of World War I and World War II inspired some of dystopian literature’s most influential novels, like Yevgeny Zamyatin’s "We," Aldous Huxley’s "Brave New World," and George Orwell’s "1984." In the decades to follow, more writers would follow the example of those early novels, using the dystopian model to critique artificial intelligence, climate change, and more. Electric Literature

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