A dystopia is a community or society that is undesirable or frightening (Wikipedia.) An imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives (Merriam-Webster.) A dystopia is a fictional world where people live under a highly controlled totalitarian system. (Vocabulary.com)
There is a lot of discussion on what is or is not a dystopian society, and what fits into the genre. Today I’m throwing the net nice and wide. Seems like a good time to take a look at what’s out there in dystopian stories with all the COVID-19 craze (our state closed schools for the rest of the month.)
All of these stories (note: I’m including movies in this list) have societies that have frightening aspects, and they all have B-I-G dysfunctions. In my mind, that’s what defines a dystopia, it may look like a normal society or utopia, most of the people living there may be unaware of the dysfunctions, but when you get to the heart of it “things are rotten in the state of…”
Note: I’m only including titles I’ve read or watched. If your favorite dystopian story didn’t make the list leave me a comment!
- Blade Runner – Cyberpunk dystopian
- By the Feet of Men – Climate dystopia (see my review)
- Holes – Juvenile Detention dystopia
- Deus Irae – Post-apocalyptic dystopia
- Starship Troopers – Military dystopia
- Uglies – Beauty dystopia
- Numbers Game – Everybody has a score dystopia
- Logan’s Run – Society of Youth dystopia
- Firefly – Space Totalitarian dystopia
- The Matrix – Reality dystopia
- Partials – Near-extinction dystopia
- Hunger Games – Competition dystopia
- Divergent – Faction dystopia
- The Maze Runner – Puzzling dystopia
- Fury Road – Dystopia dystopia
- Unwind – teenagers aren’t real people dystopia
- Ender’s Game – Kids at war dystopia
- Fahrenheit 451 – Reading dystopia
- The Dark Tower – Wandering Gunslinger in a dystopia
- 1984 – Party line dystopia
- Powerless – Power = Privileged dystopia
- The Lunar Chronicles – Moon Mistress dystopia
- Mary Poppins – Gaslighting Nanny dystopia
- Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said – You’re forgotten dystopia
- Venom and Vanilla – Mythical Monster Segregation dystopia
- City of Ember – Escaping dystopia
- The Running Man – Cash Grab dystopia
- A Series of Unfortunate Events – No one cares properly for children dystopia
- The Door in the Wall – Plague caused dystopia
- Seventh Tower – Sun-Starved dystopia
- Ready Player One – Real world dystopia/ Virtual world paradise
- The Lathe of Heaven – Dream to dystopia
- Titan A.E. – Post Earth dystopia
- Lord of the Flies – Children run this dystopia
- Fight Club – Making a dystopia
- Equilibrium – Feelings dystopia
- Gattaca – Genetic dystopia
- Snowpiercer – Dystopia on rails
- NeverSea – Flooded dystopia
- The Scourge – What you can’t see dystopia
Whew! What a list to put together. I know I’ve left of quiet a few. What’s your favorite dystopian story? How would you define a dystopia?
Are you stuck at home because of COVID-19, if so what are you reading? Leave me a note in the comments section to let me know. ☺
4 replies on “40 Sub-Genres and Types of Dystopian Society”
What about the movie, “The Island”? What kind of dystopia is that? Farming humans for parts dystopia?
Mary Poppins – Gaslighting Nanny dystopia, haha!
This is a great list – I see some of the ones I’ve watched before like The Matrix, Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, and Gattaca. I remember after watching those films, my mind was literally blown away. I’ll check out the others on your list. Thank you and please stay safe!
This was a fun list to read! #23, haha. Although I didn’t really care for the book, The Giver is one I always think of when I hear dystopia… I think because of the slow reveal to the fact that it is a dystopian rather than utopian society. I don’t read a lot of dystopian novels myself, I think. If anything, I read more post-apocalyptic fiction which I have learnt is not always the same as dystopian!
Hello,
coming from a literary studies background, I didn’t find your list helpful as I am looking for the sub-genres’ terms to narrow them down more.
But anyways, funny way of describing the dystopias 😉