5 dystopian novels that will keep you up at night

Indian Express

3 days ago

(Written by Taniya Chopra)
The streets are empty, the air is heavy. People live under strict control. No one is allowed to speak freely. Smiles are rare. Hope is slowly dying. This is dystopia where society is rife with suffering and injustice.
Stories that are set in a dystopian world have always fascinated readers because they offer haunting tales that question society and human nature. They blend suspense and drama with socio-political issues such as inequality and loss of free will, and offer catharsis. Here are five must-read dystopian fictions that dive into disturbing futures and make us question the world we live in.
Set in a world where human cloning has become standard. It shows the perspective of clones created for the sole purpose of donating their organs. The book forces readers to confront the uncomfortable reality of a world where individuals are stripped of agency. It poses the question of what it means to be human. Though labelled as a dystopian sci-fi, it's actually a deeply human story about love and loss, and the way we come to terms with our fate.
Shows a future where books are banned, and firemen, instead of putting out fires, are responsible for burning them. Burning books is a strategic way to suppress knowledge and control people. Without books, people remain ignorant and unable to think for themselves. As there is no written record, people believe whatever the government tells them about their lives. When knowledge disappears so does the power to think and question. The story follows Montag, a fireman who begins to doubt the oppressive society that he supported. This book makes us question if we stop reading, what kind of future are we choosing? 'A book is a loaded gun in the house next door…Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?'
Delves into the human conditions in a dystopian world where women's rights have been completely stripped away. It shows how easily freedom can be taken away and how people can become part of the very system that oppresses them. Atwood has stated that every rule and punishment in The Handmaid's Tale is drawn from real events that have happened in the darkest chapters of history. This book is truly as unsettling as it gets, in the best possible way. It is not just a story of fiction, it's a warning rooted in truths we've already seen.
A totalitarian government, the Capitol, controls the oppressed districts in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. The story displays a huge gulf between the wealthy Capitol and the poor districts. The Capitol forces two children every year from each district to participate in The Hunger Games, which is a televised event for Capitol's entertainment. The irony is that this is no game, it is a merciless battle where losing doesn't just mean defeat, it means death. 'Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.'
As a woman gives birth, the city of London drowns in water. The story of new motherhood is shown in Megan Hunter's debut novel, The End We Start From. It's about an unnamed protagonist and her newborn son as they navigate displacement and survival in a world that no longer feels stable. 'We are told not to panic, the most panic-inducing instruction known to man.' Even as the world falls apart throughout the book, love and hope ignite a fierce fight in this family to survive and to begin again.