I’m working on a dystopian literature class, and I’m looking for one more book to add to the curriculum. The kids are about 13, and somewhat sensitive to more adult topics. That’s one of the reasons I’ve chosen not to assign 1984.
I had thought to assign The Maze Runner, but after reading it, I was underwhelmed, especially as a standalone book.
The other books we’re reading are:
The Giver The Hunger Games Lord of the Flies Matched Ender’s Game Fahrenheit 451 The Minority Report
Any thoughts? Thanks!
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Cory Doctorow’s ‘Little Brother’ only has 1 sex scene and it’s a pretty good model for sex positivity, I guess. That aside, it’s definitely near-future dystopia. Not far off the mark from today.
Octavia E. Butler’s ‘Parable of the Sower’ may be a bit above their level, but I could see 13 and 14 year olds devouring it none the less. Hmmm… there might be a steamy sex scene in this one too.
Technically Ender’s Game is a dystopian sci-fi novel. The film omits some insanely important content like a video game that the cadets all use during downtime that explores their psyche.
It’s old, but was my first introduction to dystopian concepts: The Time Machine by HG Wells
Oh, my wife loved Z for Zachariah at that age and reading it as an adult was enjoyable for me. A classic post-nuke young adult book.
Little Brother is pretty good!
Parable of the sower does have some pretty graphic violence in it though from what I remember, if 1984 is considered not age appropriate I think that one would not be either.
Oh yeah… there is that, lol. It’s weird being from America where violence isn’t viewed through a puritanical lens, but the human body very much is. I easily forget where the line is drawn with what level of violence is acceptable. The message of Parable stuck with me now more than 20 years more so than any memory of the specific gruesomeness they endure during the travel north. Thanks for reminding!
Ray Bradbury also has a good array of short stories, at least one or two of which are sort of precursors to Fahrenheit 451
Edit: its been too long since i read Fahrenheit 451… just started (and finished) re-reading it for the second time in my life, in the last couple hours. i still think it might be one of the more likely dystopias that await us.
It feels appropriate, somehow, that my first read through was a pirated PDF copy of it from some random corner of the internet.
I’m left feeling oddly… hopeful. Like I’ve been reminded of a part of being human that is good.
The Chrysalids https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chrysalids
~~The Giver https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giver~~ I missed that one in your list, whoops!
I read both of these in school around that age; they may be good options for you.
Another vote for the Chrysalids!
Also The Giver is part of a Quartet. The other books are equally as good but not as well known. Gathering Blue might be interesting for your students as well, OP
Orwell’s Animal Farm would seem like a good way to go. Not having any Orwell in a dystopian literature class would seem like a miss, and Animal Farm’s heavy parable style sets it apart from the others in the list.
Off beat suggestion: The Lorax by Dr Seuss. It might be interesting to study dystopia aimed at younger children as part of a full exploration of the genre.
Possibly somewhat on-the-nose, but It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis is fairly timely.
Back with the classics, perhaps The Trial by Franz Kafka. Very effective and highly distilled form of dystopian text, boiled right down to its elements.
Shout out to The Last Man by Mary Shelley, which is a contender for the first true dystopian novel (certainly one of the first worth remembering).
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It’s a novelette, coming in at about 15,000 words. It’s usually published as part of a collection of short stories.
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I had no idea either. And I like to think I read as often as I have a chance.
Uglies by Scott Westerfield might be a decent option. There is a recent movie based on it.
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is really good too. Also has a movie I think, but it’s older.
Tomorrow When the War Began by James Marsden. It’s been a long time since I read it but I think it fits too. Maybe a little dark, and possibly more “survivalist” than “dystopian”.
I remember among the hidden being really influential to me in gradeschool though we never read it for class
Around that age, I remember reading The White Mountains, it’s worth considering
