18 Dystopian Novels That Will Definitely, 100% Blow Your Mind
The future is dark, disturbing, and thrilling to read.
We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us their favorite dystopian novels, as part of our Page Turners reading group. Here are some of the best responses:
1. Uglies by Scott Westerfeldt
"This book deals with a society where, when you turn 16, you're required to get surgery to be completely perfect and pretty — and before that, you are considered an 'Ugly.' Really makes you think about the price of beauty. This is seriously still one of my favorite books to this day."
Get it from Amazon for $8.76+, Barnes and Noble for $8.44+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
2. Blindness by José Saramago
"A mysterious 'white plague' sweeps through a city, causing everyone to go blind except for one woman — the wife of an eye doctor who the blindness affected early on. It's gripping, haunting, and seems to be telling us something about the society we live in."
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+, Barnes and Noble for $9.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
3. All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
"In near-future New York City, where chocolate and coffee are contraband and cell phones and clothes are rationed, a teenage girl ends up as heir to a crime family... that deals in chocolate. There are a ton of interesting characters, settings, drama, family secrets, and twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. It's the first book in a trilogy and I loved it in middle school."
Get it from Amazon for $7.09+, Barnes and Noble for $7.09+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
"I love The Handmaid’s Tale. I watched the show last year and immediately read the book after. The book is incredible with many wonderful layers. I have taught it this year in my classroom and students have been captivated by it!"
Get it from Amazon for $10.55+, Barnes and Noble for $10.57+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
5. The Power by Naomi Alderman
"I've heard it called The Handmaid's Tale for a new generation. (Atwood was Alderman's mentor.) It's a powerful story of a shift in power from men to women. Absolutely beautiful and thought-provoking."
—Rachel Bandock, Facebook
Get it from Amazon for $13.99+, Barnes and Noble for $13.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
6. The Giver by Lois Lowry
"I read it in fifth grade, and it has been my favorite book since then. I re-read it at least once a year! Most people don’t know it is part of a quartet (The Giver, Gathering Blue, The Messenger, and Son). Lowry hides Easter eggs in the other books, and finally brings the story of Jonas and Gabe full circle in Son. The Giver changed my life at 10 years old, and helped shape me into the book lover I am today!"
Get it from Amazon for $7.01+, Barnes and Noble for $7.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
7. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
"I read it when I was a teenager. It absolutely opened my eyes to the idea that the truth always has two sides and that it's worth evaluating if what you believe matters more than what society tells you."
—Amanda Axman, Facebook
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+, Barnes and Noble for $12.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
8. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
9. 1984 by George Orwell
10. The Atopia Chronicles by Matthew Mather
"It takes place in a not-too-distant future where the world has been ravaged by wars over dwindling resources, on a man-made floating habitat for the rich called Atopia. Everyone has tiny computers embedded across their nervous systems that allow for a totally-immersive virtual reality, and the total integration of mind and computer. The book really explores the consequences — both good and bad — of humans merging with technology."
Get it from Amazon for $10.99+, Barnes and Noble for $11.21+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
11. Proxy by Alex London
"In a future where the rich take no punishments, they have a proxy (who is poor) who takes their punishments for them. When a boy named Knox gets into a car accident that kills the girl he’s with, Syd (his proxy) is sentenced to death. It is amazing — plus, it is the rare dystopian series that features a gay lead!"
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+, Barnes and Noble for $9.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
12. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
"It's my all-time favorite dystopian novel. I never wanted to put it down and was left at the end constantly thinking about the nature of people, lies and the truth, and the nature of how our world works based solely on morals. The movie Blade Runner is based off this book, too!"
Get it from Amazon for $11.99+, Barnes and Noble for $11.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
13. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
"It's about children all over America either dying from a disease or gaining powers from it. It centers on a girl named Ruby, and she narrates her life in the crazy new world. The writing is incredible, and you will feel as though you are in the book yourself."
Get it from Amazon for $7.99+, Barnes and Noble for $7.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
14. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
"I read it in just a couple of days because it is so engrossing and beautifully written. I am a big fan of the way McCarthy develops characters, and I couldn't help falling in love with the man and the boy in the book. I teared up multiple times reading it and then ugly-cried for a while when it was over. So sad, but so beautiful."
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+, Barnes and Noble for $9.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
15. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
"For me, this graphic novel is just as much a classic as 1984 and Brave New World, but it's so painfully believable that it scared the hell out me. V is a warning about the fascism and the acceptation of authoritarianism for all of us."
—Carlos Bertazzo, Facebook
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+, Barnes and Noble for $12.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
16. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
"It's about a world that loses 99% of the population after a terrible virus and tells the story of before, during, and 20 years later. It highlights the importance of love and art amidst adversity, not just survival. It's a beautiful book."
—Lucía Mateo, Facebook
Get it from Amazon for $8.96+, Barnes and Noble for $9.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
17. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
"I read it initially at 14, and I love that the whole point is that there isn’t a good guy. Every person in the book: Alex, his parents, the government, and society have all critically failed. I just finished my master’s in criminology and I contribute this book to my lifelong passion of research on criminal pathology."
—Becca Stanley, Facebook
Get it from Amazon for $7.96+, Barnes and Noble for $10.96+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
18. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
"It's a less obvious Atwood book, but an incredible one! It's the first in what is my favorite trilogy of novels! Beautifully written and hauntingly accurate about the way today’s society is heading."
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+, Barnes and Noble for $9.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Page Turners is our reading group where you get to suggest and choose your own books each month. Join the Facebook group to get in on the discussion, or tell us what you're reading in the comments below!
