Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

Anyone recommend a good dystopian novel?

117 replies

anunlikelyseahorse · 29/08/2023 16:29

I need a new book, and you lot are ace at recommending a good book, so please can I request your aceness again and ask for a good dystopian read.
I've done Orwell, Huxley, Wyndham, Atwood, Herbert, and a few others. I couldn't get on with Atwood, or The power by Naomi Alderman. James Herbert was a bit hit and miss, some of his books were great, others I gave up reading. I've read Suzanne Collins and think her book are really good.
My three criteria for a good read; gets straight into the story; written in third person (can't stand first person novels) reasonably believable story line. I don't have an issue with stereotype characters. TIA

OP posts:
Riverlee · 01/09/2023 13:27

Margaret’s Ark - Daniel Keohane
On the Beach - Nevil Shute
The Wall - John Lancaster
The girl with all the gifts - M Carey

I thought it would be a genre I’d hate as I usually hate depressing storylines (and avoid watching the news), but since covid, quite enjoyed them, after stumbling across Margaret’s Ark on the kindle.

clowniform · 01/09/2023 10:15

I don't think these have been mentioned yet:
M.T. Anderson, Feed (YA)
Alexandra Kleeman, Something new under the sun
Yoko Ogawa, The memory police
Yoko Tawada, Last children of Tokyo
Walter M. Miller, Last canticle for Leibowitz (if you like Station Eleven)
Jack Womack, Random acts of senseless violence (why is this so little read?!)

ShellySarah · 01/09/2023 08:06

The Chrysalids

Coffeetree · 01/09/2023 08:06

Ohhh! A chance to recommend my all-time favourite: "We" by Evgeniy Zamyatin. The novel that inspired Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Dollmeup · 01/09/2023 08:05

I'm going to recommend the Wool trilogy by Hugh howey too. I'm excited to watch the series.

CrepuscularCritter · 01/09/2023 08:03

Alas Babylon by Pat Frank. Very dated/of its era, but the account of nuclear engagement is chilling.

FunnyAngel · 01/09/2023 07:57

The Flame Alphabet. Is seriously the most dystopian thing I’ve ever read. I’ve never known anyone else read it.

ButterRoad · 01/09/2023 07:53

Sarah Hall’s The Carhullan Army — about a group of renegade female freedom fighters set in a near-future Lake District under an authoritarian government after a ‘collapse’.

MadamNoo · 01/09/2023 07:40

Patrick Ness is very good (I think classed as YA). -The Knife of Never Letting Go series

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 01/09/2023 07:37

Tygertiger · 29/08/2023 22:54

The Girl With All The Gifts is good. I also enjoyed The Pharmacist.

The Girl with all the Gifts is good as is the sequel.

MadamePickle · 31/08/2023 13:47

After Dark Jayne Cowie, or anything by Christina Dalcher.

Tygertiger · 29/08/2023 22:54

The Girl With All The Gifts is good. I also enjoyed The Pharmacist.

Costacoffeeplease · 29/08/2023 22:54

The last one at the party. Can’t remember the author

Iloveanicegarden · 29/08/2023 22:52

Another vote for Children of Men P D James. Dystopian or prophetic?

WonderingWanda · 29/08/2023 22:47

The Children of the Mountain series by R A Hakok is for teens but I enjoyed reading them.

mrsfeatherbottom · 29/08/2023 22:20

Children of Men by PD James is a great book.

Also Station Eleven as mentioned already

1vandal2 · 29/08/2023 19:22

Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi.

amylou8 · 29/08/2023 19:20

Silo trilogy. Apple have just (loosely) done the first book as a TV series, but the whole trilogy is definitely worth a read.

MaudGone · 29/08/2023 19:08

There's a book by Dorian Lynskey, "The Ministry of Truth", about Orwell's novel. It will give you lots of recommendations - it has details on novels which influenced, and were influenced by, Orwell's book.

musicinspring1 · 29/08/2023 18:31

Another YA book series you might like is the Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Cotswoldmama · 29/08/2023 18:31

Z is for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien I read it at school and loved it is was also made into a film

Cotswoldmama · 29/08/2023 18:29

I who have never known men by Jacqueline Harpman, The school for good mothers by jessamine Chan, Klara and the sun by kazuo ishiguro

Purple444 · 29/08/2023 18:21

Another vote for Station Eleven and also for the Wool trilogy by Hugh Howey.

Marsyas · 29/08/2023 18:05

I'm also a fan of Wyndham, Orwell and Huxley. I would second On the Beach and Station 11. Also maybe Girlfriend in a Coma, although just saying it's a dystopian novel may be a spoiler.

GingerLiberalFeminist · 29/08/2023 18:00

JG Ballard's Kingdom Come. Can't remember if it's in first person.
Anything by JG Ballard will do, apart from Empire of the Sun. His short story anthology is brilliant.

Or more mainstream, try Stephen King's The Stand.