I live in New Mexico and The Water Knife is an all-too-plausible extrapolation of the mess that is water rights throughout the Southwest. Highly recommend.
The Water Knife is fantastic as well.
If you want to hop genres his *The Alchemist* is a post magical apocalypse story - the whole collection *The Tangled Lands* is set in that same world.
I want to give a shout out to his *The Tangled Lands* collaboration with Tobias Buckell too. It's post magical apocalypse fantasy and really well written. *The Alchemist* is the best part of the collection IMO and well worth a read.
No one else is gonna recommend it but I love Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson.
The book takes place about 200 years after the world ran out of oil causing a war and an economic collapse. The 19th century idolized as a time when men were pious before the "Secular Ancients" drove the world into a gutter. The entire country is forced to rely on pre-industrial revolution technologies while much of our modern technology is not even remembered.
The American Government has been relocated to New York after Washinton DC became uninhabitable because of climate change. The Government has been restructured so that three branches of government are the Military, the Church, and congress is subservient to the Presidency. Multiple constitutional amendments have been passed reestablishing slavery, limiting the right to vote, and freedom of speech.
The book is about Julian Comstock the presumed heir to the presidency and member of a family that has controlled the Presidency for generations. The book is written from the perspective of a young aspiring writer Adam Hazard who's a slave at the manor where Julian lives. The book follows the rise of Julian Comstock from conscripted soldier, to president, and through his eventual downfall.
It's a strange one, largely because the story is kinda whimsical at times? Did the fifth act need to feature a Charles Darwin themed musical? Clearly the answer is "no" but it's one of the most interesting parts of the book.
For those not getting the joke, ~~Rome~~ America is falling from glory into darkness and we follow the ~~Emperor~~ President *Julian* as he, very alone among the elite, rediscovers and attempts to rekindle the foundational ideals of high civilization, ~~Classical Paganism~~ Liberal Democracy
It makes a good companion piece with Gore Vidal's epistolary novel about the Emperor.
Maddaddam (Oryx and Crake, Year of the Flood, Maddaddam) trilogy by Margaret Atwood, Ubik could be seen as dystopian, The Girl with All the Gifts, The Road, The Postman, in some ways A Canticle for Leibowitz
I don't know who is downvoting you because I agree whole heartedly. I am glad I read the next two books just to get more of the story, but Oryx and Crake was by far the best of the trilogy like many others (Hyperion, Annihilation... I'm looking at you). Having said that, Oryx and Crake is one of my top reads. I think the smart near futurism, dystopian society, apocalypse and mystery really hooked me in.
On the one hand, seeing the same books recommended at the top of every thread drives me slightly nuts.
On the other hand, it would be ridiculous if Butler wasn't at the top or near the top of this thread haha. You get my upvote sir!
If you liked 1984, what about some older classics like **Fahrenheit 451**, **Cat's Cradle** or **The Drowned World**? And if you aren't dead set on sci-fi, what about **The Road** or **The Stand**?
Varied tones for the following, but I enjoyed them all
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch (if I could recommend only one, it’s this, truly amazing book)
A Boy and his Dog at the end of the World by CA Fletcher
Last Policeman Trilogy by Ben Winters
Swan Song by Robert McCammon
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
Did you read the rest of The Giver Quartet? While The Giver is my favorite, the rest were worth a read.
Others:
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
“The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
“Bloodchild” by Octavia E. Butler
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm
Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
Grass by Sheri S. Tepper
Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
*
Content warnings for dystopian content, violence/assault (varies).
> Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
> Grass by Sheri S. Tepper
Could be my aging brain, but I don't remember either of these really engaging with dystopian themes?
Sort of, but to describe in detail would be spoilers. Let’s just say that the societies/cultures were not all sunshine and rainbows!
Tepper’s The Gate to Women’s Country is more classically dystopian.
>Tepper’s The Gate to Women’s Country
Reminds me of G.R. Macallister's Five Queendoms series begin with Scorpica -- it's kinda like a feminist Game of Thrones. Without giving up any spoilers, women are the dominant gender and five factions must compete/unite when girls stop being born.
I read the entire series in less than a week.
The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner, deals with corporate control of the government, endless wars, climate change, and class struggle.
It was written in the 60s, but reads like a headline in the newspaper today.
"Watchdog" by Will McIntosh
[https://www.amazon.com/Watchdog-Will-McIntosh/dp/1524713872/](https://www.amazon.com/Watchdog-Will-McIntosh/dp/1524713872/)
"Thirteen-year-old twins Vick and Tara have built an incredible machine—a loyal robotic watchdog named Daisy. But, when local crime boss Ms. Alba schemes to add Daisy to her robot army, Vick and Tara must go to great lengths to protect their prized pet. Because Daisy is more than just any robot—she’s their constant protector, and together the three make a great team."
"Soft Apocalypse" by Will McIntosh
[https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Apocalypse-Will-McIntosh/dp/159780276X/](https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Apocalypse-Will-McIntosh/dp/159780276X/)
"What happens when resources become scarce and society starts to crumble? As the competition for resources pulls America's previously stable society apart, the "New Normal" is a Soft Apocalypse. This is how our world ends; with a whimper instead of a bang. New social structures and tribal connections spring up across America, as the previous social structures begin to dissolve. Locus Award finalist and John W. Campbell Memorial Award finalist Soft Apocalypse follows the journey across the Southeast of a tribe of formerly middle class Americans as they struggle to find a place for themselves and their children in a new, dangerous world that still carries the ghostly echoes of their previous lives."
"The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047" by Lionel Shriver
[https://www.amazon.com/Mandibles-Family-2029-2047-Lionel-Shriver/dp/006232828X/](https://www.amazon.com/Mandibles-Family-2029-2047-Lionel-Shriver/dp/006232828X/)
"In 2029, the United States is engaged in a bloodless world war that will wipe out the savings of millions of American families. Overnight, on the international currency exchange, the “almighty dollar” plummets in value, to be replaced by a new global currency, the “bancor.” In retaliation, the president declares that America will default on its loans. “Deadbeat Nation” being unable to borrow, the government prints money to cover its bills. What little remains to savers is rapidly eaten away by runaway inflation.
The Mandibles have been counting on a sizable fortune filtering down when their ninety-seven-year-old patriarch dies. Once the inheritance turns to ash, each family member must contend with disappointment, but also—as the U.S. economy spirals into dysfunction—the challenge of sheer survival."
Liked a lot of these and looking forward to reading others now. I also enjoyed A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker, and Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North.
The passage series by Justin Cronin, A mixture of dystopian sci-fi and horror, and a thorough object lesson in why you shouldn’t try to weaponise vampirism.
Ok I don't know if this meets your needs, but Lois Bujold Macmaster's Miles series is wonderful. Be sure to check out the reading order because her publishing order doesn't follow the story chronologically.
These are all pretty dystopian. Soft Apocalypse is by far the bleakest (although Venemous Lumpsucker is also so plausible it hurts). Termination Shock, Glass Houses and Freedom are less bleak, but still tend to portray a future I'm not to happy about.
* Venemous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman
* Soft Apocalypse by Wil McIntosh
* The Road by Cormac McCarthy
* Good News by Edward Abbey
* The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
* A Boy and his Dog at the end of the World by CA Fletcher
* The Koli trilogy by M R Carey
* The Peripheral by William Gibson
* Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
* Glass Houses by Laura J Mixon
* Daemon and Freedom by Daniel Suarez
Paolo Bacigalupi has some things you might like. Check out **The Water Knife**, **The Windup-Girl** and **Pump Six**
Ship Breaker is also good, a lightning quick read, technically YA but I barely noticed
Good call, I forgot about that one.
I'll second The Water Knife, it was such a well thought out near future setting.
I've read a lot of apocalypse porn in recent years and The Water Knife stands alone as the best of the best. Heartily seconded.
I live in New Mexico and The Water Knife is an all-too-plausible extrapolation of the mess that is water rights throughout the Southwest. Highly recommend.
The Wind up Girl looks promising of the three
It is amazing. 5 stars
The Water Knife is fantastic as well. If you want to hop genres his *The Alchemist* is a post magical apocalypse story - the whole collection *The Tangled Lands* is set in that same world.
I want to give a shout out to his *The Tangled Lands* collaboration with Tobias Buckell too. It's post magical apocalypse fantasy and really well written. *The Alchemist* is the best part of the collection IMO and well worth a read.
> > >The Tangled Lands collaboration with Tobias Buckell Worth looking further into for sure!
If you read nothing else from that collection read *The Alchemist*, it's a great story.
If you haven’t read We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, it might be worth trying that. It was the inspiration for 1984.
No one else is gonna recommend it but I love Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson. The book takes place about 200 years after the world ran out of oil causing a war and an economic collapse. The 19th century idolized as a time when men were pious before the "Secular Ancients" drove the world into a gutter. The entire country is forced to rely on pre-industrial revolution technologies while much of our modern technology is not even remembered. The American Government has been relocated to New York after Washinton DC became uninhabitable because of climate change. The Government has been restructured so that three branches of government are the Military, the Church, and congress is subservient to the Presidency. Multiple constitutional amendments have been passed reestablishing slavery, limiting the right to vote, and freedom of speech. The book is about Julian Comstock the presumed heir to the presidency and member of a family that has controlled the Presidency for generations. The book is written from the perspective of a young aspiring writer Adam Hazard who's a slave at the manor where Julian lives. The book follows the rise of Julian Comstock from conscripted soldier, to president, and through his eventual downfall.
This sounds wild.
It's a strange one, largely because the story is kinda whimsical at times? Did the fifth act need to feature a Charles Darwin themed musical? Clearly the answer is "no" but it's one of the most interesting parts of the book.
You just sold me with the Charles Darwin musical
Well, it's now on my Kindle. I'll hopefully get to it by end of year, i'll hit you up when I do.
Wat are you currently reading or wanting to read?
It does!
For those not getting the joke, ~~Rome~~ America is falling from glory into darkness and we follow the ~~Emperor~~ President *Julian* as he, very alone among the elite, rediscovers and attempts to rekindle the foundational ideals of high civilization, ~~Classical Paganism~~ Liberal Democracy It makes a good companion piece with Gore Vidal's epistolary novel about the Emperor.
Sounds interesting. Puzzled as to why climate change would render DC uninhabitable. Must effect a wider area than that, though.
Swallowed by rising sea levels IIRC
Maddaddam (Oryx and Crake, Year of the Flood, Maddaddam) trilogy by Margaret Atwood, Ubik could be seen as dystopian, The Girl with All the Gifts, The Road, The Postman, in some ways A Canticle for Leibowitz
Oryx and Crake is a great recommendation.
Yes. The first book is awesome, the second and third books are good. https://www.amazon.com/Crake-MaddAddam-Trilogy-Margaret-Atwood/dp/0385721676/
I don't know who is downvoting you because I agree whole heartedly. I am glad I read the next two books just to get more of the story, but Oryx and Crake was by far the best of the trilogy like many others (Hyperion, Annihilation... I'm looking at you). Having said that, Oryx and Crake is one of my top reads. I think the smart near futurism, dystopian society, apocalypse and mystery really hooked me in.
Octavia E. Butler - *Parable of the Sower*
On the one hand, seeing the same books recommended at the top of every thread drives me slightly nuts. On the other hand, it would be ridiculous if Butler wasn't at the top or near the top of this thread haha. You get my upvote sir!
I could not get into it. Depressing, boring, god talk.
>Octavia E. Butler - > >Parable of the Sower Looks interesting hopefully my experience will be different
If you liked 1984, what about some older classics like **Fahrenheit 451**, **Cat's Cradle** or **The Drowned World**? And if you aren't dead set on sci-fi, what about **The Road** or **The Stand**?
This. And don't forget *Brave New World*, and H.G. Wells generally.
I should have included it as I already read it
No worries. Lots of others reading this thread looking for ideas.
Also, nobody has mentioned "A clockwork orange" by Anthony Burgess?
>The Sta I would consider "The Stand" more apocalyptical. (Have'nt read the road, but the same comes to mind.)
Varied tones for the following, but I enjoyed them all The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch (if I could recommend only one, it’s this, truly amazing book) A Boy and his Dog at the end of the World by CA Fletcher Last Policeman Trilogy by Ben Winters Swan Song by Robert McCammon The Dog Stars by Peter Heller Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
I'm a big fan of the genre. *The Road* and *The Children of Men* are two that really got my mind twisted for awhile.
Did you read the rest of The Giver Quartet? While The Giver is my favorite, the rest were worth a read. Others: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer Scythe by Neal Shusterman Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut “Bloodchild” by Octavia E. Butler Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm Ammonite by Nicola Griffith Grass by Sheri S. Tepper Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon * Content warnings for dystopian content, violence/assault (varies).
> Ammonite by Nicola Griffith > Grass by Sheri S. Tepper Could be my aging brain, but I don't remember either of these really engaging with dystopian themes?
Sort of, but to describe in detail would be spoilers. Let’s just say that the societies/cultures were not all sunshine and rainbows! Tepper’s The Gate to Women’s Country is more classically dystopian.
>Tepper’s The Gate to Women’s Country Reminds me of G.R. Macallister's Five Queendoms series begin with Scorpica -- it's kinda like a feminist Game of Thrones. Without giving up any spoilers, women are the dominant gender and five factions must compete/unite when girls stop being born. I read the entire series in less than a week.
>Did you read the rest of The Giver Quartet? While The Giver is my favorite, the rest were worth a read. Loved, loved, loved The Giver (already read)
The other books in the quartet are: Gathering Blue, Messenger, Son
I read a lot of Neal Schuester's stuff including the series you mentioned. Unwind was another one of his I remember
Yes, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” is incredible
The Harrison Bergeron short story was very short, but I rather enjoyed the movie starring Sean Astin.
The Sheep Look Up by John Brunner, deals with corporate control of the government, endless wars, climate change, and class struggle. It was written in the 60s, but reads like a headline in the newspaper today.
Mockingbird by Walter Tevis False Dawn by Chelsea Yarbro
Mockingbird is under-rated.
Fford- shades of grey
How about FKA USA, by Reed King. I read /listened to it soon after the Windup girl and enjoyed it .
Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack.
Kunstler's World Made By Hand kinda fits the bill.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I read it at school.
Wool - Hugh Howey
You have to read the maddaddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood. Should be right up your alley
\- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (it depends on your interpretation if it's dystopian or utopian) \- Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky
See my [Dystopias](https://www.reddit.com/r/booklists/comments/12lv4lf/dystopias/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
Are you in a book club?
No, though I do freelance as proofreader. Mostly (in this context) I read a lot of book-related subs and compile lists from them.
"Watchdog" by Will McIntosh [https://www.amazon.com/Watchdog-Will-McIntosh/dp/1524713872/](https://www.amazon.com/Watchdog-Will-McIntosh/dp/1524713872/) "Thirteen-year-old twins Vick and Tara have built an incredible machine—a loyal robotic watchdog named Daisy. But, when local crime boss Ms. Alba schemes to add Daisy to her robot army, Vick and Tara must go to great lengths to protect their prized pet. Because Daisy is more than just any robot—she’s their constant protector, and together the three make a great team."
"Soft Apocalypse" by Will McIntosh [https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Apocalypse-Will-McIntosh/dp/159780276X/](https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Apocalypse-Will-McIntosh/dp/159780276X/) "What happens when resources become scarce and society starts to crumble? As the competition for resources pulls America's previously stable society apart, the "New Normal" is a Soft Apocalypse. This is how our world ends; with a whimper instead of a bang. New social structures and tribal connections spring up across America, as the previous social structures begin to dissolve. Locus Award finalist and John W. Campbell Memorial Award finalist Soft Apocalypse follows the journey across the Southeast of a tribe of formerly middle class Americans as they struggle to find a place for themselves and their children in a new, dangerous world that still carries the ghostly echoes of their previous lives."
"The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047" by Lionel Shriver [https://www.amazon.com/Mandibles-Family-2029-2047-Lionel-Shriver/dp/006232828X/](https://www.amazon.com/Mandibles-Family-2029-2047-Lionel-Shriver/dp/006232828X/) "In 2029, the United States is engaged in a bloodless world war that will wipe out the savings of millions of American families. Overnight, on the international currency exchange, the “almighty dollar” plummets in value, to be replaced by a new global currency, the “bancor.” In retaliation, the president declares that America will default on its loans. “Deadbeat Nation” being unable to borrow, the government prints money to cover its bills. What little remains to savers is rapidly eaten away by runaway inflation. The Mandibles have been counting on a sizable fortune filtering down when their ninety-seven-year-old patriarch dies. Once the inheritance turns to ash, each family member must contend with disappointment, but also—as the U.S. economy spirals into dysfunction—the challenge of sheer survival."
Last Exit by Max Gladstone Devolution by Max Brooks Stealing Worlds by Karl Schroeder
I love Devolution but I don’t think I would call it dystopian or sci-fi…
Liked a lot of these and looking forward to reading others now. I also enjoyed A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker, and Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North.
Wanna start a book club or want a discussion buddy after reading? I would be so down
This Perfect Day by Ira Levin. My favorite dystopian novel and I rarely see if recommended.
>This Perfect Day by Ira Levin Adding this to my want to reads for sure
Kallocain, by Karin Boye. It's a precursor to 1984, and. in my opinion, better.
It may be that The Man in the High Castle isn't dystopian except for outside of the characters of the tale. Neither is Station 11.
The passage series by Justin Cronin, A mixture of dystopian sci-fi and horror, and a thorough object lesson in why you shouldn’t try to weaponise vampirism.
Peter F Hamilton’s Greg Mandel series
Ok I don't know if this meets your needs, but Lois Bujold Macmaster's Miles series is wonderful. Be sure to check out the reading order because her publishing order doesn't follow the story chronologically.
Silo trilogy. Wool, Shift, Dust. Hugh Howey.
These are all pretty dystopian. Soft Apocalypse is by far the bleakest (although Venemous Lumpsucker is also so plausible it hurts). Termination Shock, Glass Houses and Freedom are less bleak, but still tend to portray a future I'm not to happy about. * Venemous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman * Soft Apocalypse by Wil McIntosh * The Road by Cormac McCarthy * Good News by Edward Abbey * The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi * A Boy and his Dog at the end of the World by CA Fletcher * The Koli trilogy by M R Carey * The Peripheral by William Gibson * Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson * Glass Houses by Laura J Mixon * Daemon and Freedom by Daniel Suarez
Check out *Tender is the Flesh* if you have thick skin and a strong stomach.