I’m working on a dystopian literature class, and I’m looking for one more book to add to the curriculum. The kids are about 13, and somewhat sensitive to more adult topics. That’s one of the reasons I’ve chosen not to assign 1984.
I had thought to assign The Maze Runner, but after reading it, I was underwhelmed, especially as a standalone book.
The other books we’re reading are:
The Giver The Hunger Games Lord of the Flies Matched Ender’s Game Fahrenheit 451 The Minority Report
Any thoughts? Thanks!
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Cory Doctorow’s ‘Little Brother’ only has 1 sex scene and it’s a pretty good model for sex positivity, I guess. That aside, it’s definitely near-future dystopia. Not far off the mark from today.
Octavia E. Butler’s ‘Parable of the Sower’ may be a bit above their level, but I could see 13 and 14 year olds devouring it none the less. Hmmm… there might be a steamy sex scene in this one too.
Technically Ender’s Game is a dystopian sci-fi novel. The film omits some insanely important content like a video game that the cadets all use during downtime that explores their psyche.
It’s old, but was my first introduction to dystopian concepts: The Time Machine by HG Wells
Oh, my wife loved Z for Zachariah at that age and reading it as an adult was enjoyable for me. A classic post-nuke young adult book.
Little Brother is pretty good!
Parable of the sower does have some pretty graphic violence in it though from what I remember, if 1984 is considered not age appropriate I think that one would not be either.
Oh yeah… there is that, lol. It’s weird being from America where violence isn’t viewed through a puritanical lens, but the human body very much is. I easily forget where the line is drawn with what level of violence is acceptable. The message of Parable stuck with me now more than 20 years more so than any memory of the specific gruesomeness they endure during the travel north. Thanks for reminding!
Brave New World, maybe? It’s tough to discuss dystopia topics without also discussing adult topics.
Wool (Silo series) is a great book. It has a TV show adaptation too.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein is a short/funny book that might be palatable for the students
I think Brave New World is really a cut above most of the other dystopian novels. The themes of conditioning and being overwhelmed with work, games, drugs and sex so much you don’t care about anything else are incredibly relevant in the current era.
Wait, minority report was a book before it was a movie??
It’s a novelette, coming in at about 15,000 words. It’s usually published as part of a collection of short stories.
Divergent
Divergent is closer to a hunger games x harry Potter crossover than anything else.
Ray Bradbury also has a good array of short stories, at least one or two of which are sort of precursors to Fahrenheit 451
Edit: its been too long since i read Fahrenheit 451… just started (and finished) re-reading it for the second time in my life, in the last couple hours. i still think it might be one of the more likely dystopias that await us.
It feels appropriate, somehow, that my first read through was a pirated PDF copy of it from some random corner of the internet.
I’m left feeling oddly… hopeful. Like I’ve been reminded of a part of being human that is good.
Ender’s Game for sure was my first thought.
The more you learn about OSC’s politics, the more you realize that Ender’s Game is genocide aplologia. https://redsails.org/creating-the-innocent-killer/
