The Best Dystopian Fiction Books to Read in 2025

Published by Esther Fung, Nov. 18, 2024


When reality feels like it can't possibly get any gloomier, an escape into a bleaker, fictional world can actually be a welcome reprieve. This is why readers continue to return to dystopian fiction, a subset of books set in a broken and corrupt world. These stories often follow a hero who is in some way different from their peers. As we follow their attempts to break away from the established order of things, we experience hope that we too can bring positive change to the world around us.

On this page, you'll encounter a world without color (The Giver by Lois Lowry), robots that experience emotions (Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro), a child protective services system that takes parents away (The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan), animals forming their own government (Animal Farm by George Orwell), and more. Browse our selected titles below or shop all used dystopian fiction available on PangoBooks.

Classic dystopian books

When was dystopian fiction created?

In 1516, Sir Thomas More wrote Utopia, a book set in an imaginary paradise island. In this world, there is no conflict and no injustice. Everyone lives in perfect peace and happiness.


Dystopian literature is the exact opposite.

Since ancient times, in folktales or religious writings, humans have told stories of dystopias, or worlds dominated by fear, injustice, and suffering. Examples of dystopian writing have appeared after history-altering events such as the French Revolution and the subsequent Reign of Terror. But the dystopian fiction subgenre did not become defined until the 1920s by an author named Yevgeny Zamyatin.

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Who created the modern dystopian fiction genre?

In 1921, Zamyatin published We, a dystopian fiction novel set in the future about a spacecraft engineer who becomes attracted to a woman who does not comply with the laws of the state. Written after World War I, this novel features a totalitarian regime, state surveillance, a secret police, the erasure of individuality, and an ambiguous ending, all of which have now become staples of dystopian fiction. We not only defined the dystopian subgenre, but it also highly influenced two later major works: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1939) and 1984 by George Orwell (1949).

From the mid 1900s on, we see an explosion of dystopian fiction. Many borrow elements of science fiction. Some, such as Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, are responses to the technological advances we've made and the dangers they could bring. Others, such as The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler and The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, explore life on a harsh planet and warn readers about impending climate crises, fitting them in with many science fiction books about sustainability and environmental anxieties.

What are the best dystopian novels ever written?

According to Forbes, here are the best dystopian novels of all time:


  1. 1984 by George Orwell
  2. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
  3. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
  4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  5. The Giver by Lois Lowry
  6. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
  7. Severance by Ling Ma
  8. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  9. The Power by Naomi Alderman
  10. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
  11. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
  12. Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
  13. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  14. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
  15. The Circle by Dave Eggers
  16. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
  17. Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
  18. The Children of Men by P. D. James
  19. The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
  20. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
  21. Speak by Louisa Hall
  22. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
  23. The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
  24. American War by Omar El Akkad
  25. Wool by Hugh Howey
  26. Followers by Megan Angelo
  27. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
  28. The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings
  29. The Selection by Kiera Cass
  30. Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
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Why are YA dystopian books so popular?

When Suzanne Collins published her young adult dystopian novel The Hunger Games in 2008, it became an instant hit. Since then, a wealth of YA dystopian literature has appeared, including The Maze Runner (2009) by James Dashner, Divergent (2011) by Veronica Roth, and Legend (2011) by Marie Lu. But why do teens love dystopian fiction so much?


Despite the apocalyptic setting of most dystopian novels, the elements common to this genre are actually very relevant and familiar to teenage readers. For example, much of dystopian fiction is centered around the struggle between individualism and institutional control. It is easy to see how this conflict would resonate with teenage readers trying to assert their independence against authority figures like parents and teachers. Another genre-defining trope is an individual's search for purpose in a hollow world. This desire mirrors the questions many young readers are asking themselves, as they decide what they want to study and what jobs they want to pursue when they get older. The parallels between what they read on the page and what they are experiencing in their own lives explain why young adults, and even older readers, continue to return to dystopian fiction.

What are the best dystopian books for teens?

If you're looking for some young adult dystopian fiction, here are our favorite books to recommend:


Shop YA dystopian books

Staff picks: dystopian books recommended by the Pango team

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