Hey bookworm friends! I joined The Well-Read Wyvern Social Club on Instagram which hosts group activities to bring Sci-fi and fantasy readers together. One such event is the SFF101 year-long reading challenge, where we take a leisurely stroll through 9 subgenres or tropes. The prompt the group is focusing on in February is Dystopian Fiction so I decided to make a recommendation and possibility pile for the subgenre. Below I’ll share 10 dystopian books I’ve read in the past and 10 books from my TBR that fit the prompt.
If you’re on Instagram and you want to learn more about the reading challenge, click here for the rules. It’s flexible and beginner-friendly. Plus it includes a giveaway draw at the end of the year; each square filled on the bingo board is one entry, so the more you read the better!
Dystopian Fiction I’ve Read
Just because they’re on this list doesn’t mean I enjoyed them all. The titles marked with 🖤 are the ones I especially loved.
1. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
2. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
3. Wool by Hugh Howey 🖤
4. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
5. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman 🖤 (My Review)
6. Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
7. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
8. Violet Skies by Brenda Poppy (My Review)
9. Oblivion Song by Lorenzo De Felici, Robert Kirkman, & Annalisa Leoni
10. Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa (My Review)
Dystopian Fiction On My TBR
1. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
2. The Island by Aldous Huxley
3. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
4. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
15. The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
7. Angelfall by Susan Ee
8. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
9. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
10. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (⭐My pick for this prompt, currently reading)
I used to pick up this subgenre way more, but the more the real world resembles these dystopian fictions, the more I feel burnt out on them. That being said, It’s not like I’m entirely giving up on the genre—its potential for social commentary and sheer creativity is endless and that’s what’ll keep me coming back once in a while!
Let’s chat in the comments!
Have you read any of these? Are there any Dystopian books that you highly recommend?
I really want to get back into the dystopian genere. I’ve adored some books within it in the past and the premises always majorly intrigue me. I’ve seen other people say similiar things about the struggles of them but I just love getting lost in the worlds with all the tension and danger.
I’ve read none of the same ones as you 🙈 although a week or two ago I moved Wool onto my priority list and I’ve already told you that I’m excited about the other one you enjoyed most.
I’ve read two of the ones on your TBR. Cinder and The Forest Of Hands And Teeth. I loved Cinder and I think I enjoyed the other one too although it’s been so long that I remember next to nothing 🙈 it’s actually one of the series I’m hoping to reread and finish this year.
N. K. Jemisin’s is one of my top ten unowned series to read. Her books are actually why I’m calling it a top ten when it’s technically an eleven as I couldn’t chose between that and her fantasy one to priorise 😂 I’m also particularly intrigued by Last Murder At The End Of The World although I want to read Evelyn Hardcastle by the author first. Angellfall and Knife Of Never Letting Go are also fairly high on my TBR (but didn’t quite make the priority list).
How are you finding Shades Of Grey?
I loved Hunger Games and The Host and also really enjoyed Noughts & Crosses, Wither, Fifth Wave and the Uglies (although I don’t remember those quite as well and really need to reread them one day.
I also have more on my high priority TBR than I realised 😂 Scythe, Red Rising, Girl With All The Gifts, Partials, Unnamed Midwife, Year One, Legend & Handmaid’s Tale.
Immortal Rules, Ashes, Darkest Minds, Divergent & Delirium I also have as ebooks 🙈
Apparently my dystopian TBR is crazier than I thought.
I hope you enjoy any that you end up checking out.
Yeah, that’s fair; the premises are always interesting and they can also be fun! But yeah I definitely used to love them more and if I look through all the ones I already read, most of them are not all-time favourites. Though I’m hoping to find more.
Ah yeah I remember you told me you were interested in I Who Have Never Known Men. & cool, I hope you like Wool too.
I remember a friend telling me about Cinder when I was in my undergrad and it’s been on my TBR all those years! & I saw you mention The Forest of Hands and Teeth in one of your lists too recently! I hope you get to reread it then :)!
I’m liking Shades of Grey it’s very weird in a way I like but I’m doing in in audio but it’s the type I prefer to read physically so it’s a bit slow going. I think I’m gonna like the author though.
Ahh yes I’ve read Hunger Games and Uglies (I didn’t include all of the dystopians I’ve read coz that’s too much work lol) But nver heard of Noughts & Crosses or Wither before.
Ah yeah that’s a lot on your TBR! I’ve read Red Rising but didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. I also read Handmaid’s Tale and Divergent. And Scythe and Unnamed Midwife are both on my tbr as well 😀 haha funny how many things fit into the dystopian category!
Thank you 🖤!
Of these, I have read I Who Have Never Known Men, which I loved, and The Fifth Season, which I didn’t. While I do enjoy a good dystopian novel, when I’m in the mood, I think I am more drawn to the “end of the world” type books. Especially those that are in the during and immediate aftermath of an apocalyptic event. I think because I like to see how people adapt, where the good vs bad are amplified, and ponder what I would do in such a circumstance. Some of these do veer into dystopian territory so they can be hard to classify. I still have a half-written post that I started in November with a list of these types of books that I have read or have in my collection. I really should get back to it.
I really loved I Who Have Never Known Men and oh interesting, can I ask what you didn’t like about The Fifth Season?
Oh so you’re more into the post-apocalyptic rather than dystopian novels, okay that’s fair. I don’t know if I have a preference between them but I certainly think post-apocalyptic stories are compelling as well! Yeah that makes sense those are some great themes to explore and you’re right that there can be a lot of cross-over! Oh, funny that you’ve been working on a similar post, if you do post it I’d love to see it! 🖤