Dystopian and Apocalyptic Literature

Description
This is my preset list of dystopian/utopian literature, which includes apocalyptic literature, for the purposes of this list. Feel free to vote up your recommendations and thumbs down books that are not worth reading. Keywords: dystopia, utopia, apocalypse, postapocalyptic
1
63,161 members
1,140 reviews
4
2
93,987 members
1,449 reviews
4.2
33 Members
charlenemartel, ShelfMonkey, ShellyS, aulsmith, PDE, konallis, merrystar, sturlington, greydoll, BLBera, alex68, Bluewolf0411, rretzler, Jarandel, Aug3Zimm, SonoranDreamer, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, nicoleop, SENSpence, pan0ramix, JoyKP, dianeham, zfak102, EvolvedMan, Vit.Z, Andrew_Orange, ManWithAnAgenda, allyrod113, Charon07, skid0612, midget84
Explanations
sturlington: Classic political dystopia. Mass surveillance, propaganda, historical deletion, mind control, and extreme totalitarianism. Required reading.
3
61,332 members
867 reviews
3.9
32 Members
charlenemartel, ShelfMonkey, amz310783, ShellyS, PDE, konallis, merrystar, sturlington, thecoroner, BLBera, alex68, rretzler, Jarandel, Aug3Zimm, SonoranDreamer, cej1027, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, kara.shamy, Dreesie, nicoleop, pan0ramix, JoyKP, zfak102, EvolvedMan, klcallahan13, ManWithAnAgenda, allyrod113, Charon07, skid0612, midget84
Explanations
sturlington: Classic dystopia and counterpoint to 1984. Genetic engineering, mass consumerism, mind control, totalitarianism. Required reading.
5
69,791 members
1,002 reviews
4
6
56,732 members
811 reviews
½ 3.7
24 Members
charlenemartel, BookWallah, ShellyS, PDE, sturlington, Fiamme, greydoll, BLBera, alex68, rretzler, SonoranDreamer, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, kara.shamy, Dreesie, nicoleop, pan0ramix, JoyKP, zfak102, Andrew_Orange, allyrod113, Charon07, midget84
Explanations
sturlington: Allegorical dystopia. Castaway boys on an uninhabited island regress to savagery.
7
18,770 members
577 reviews
3.9
8
5,672 members
123 reviews
½ 4.3
9
46,515 members
1,682 reviews
4.1
10
38,802 members
1,509 reviews
4.1
19 Members
KimarieBee, amz310783, PDE, sturlington, Fiamme, BLBera, rretzler, Jarandel, Her_Royal_Orangeness, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, kara.shamy, Verkruissen, megschristina, JoyKP, DavidCady, EvolvedMan, Rosenort, allyrod113
Explanations
sturlington: Post-apocalyptic. A man and his son wander through a desolated landscape of ashes, eking out their survival from the little that's left remaining, while trying to get... well, nowhere in particular, really.
11
22,125 members
530 reviews
4
18 Members
hipdeep, ShelfMonkey, PDE, sturlington, thecoroner, Fiamme, alex68, rretzler, Jarandel, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, JoyKP, dianeham, zfak102, EvolvedMan, ManWithAnAgenda, flemertown, izzy45
Explanations
sturlington: Philosophical futuristic dystopia. Environmental degradation, androids, existentialism.
12
13,225 members
341 reviews
3.9
19 Members
ShelfMonkey, ShellyS, aulsmith, PDE, konallis, sturlington, Fiamme, Bluewolf0411, rretzler, Jarandel, gypsysmom, ahef1963, megschristina, pan0ramix, dianeham, EvolvedMan, Andrew_Orange, ManWithAnAgenda, Charon07,Her_Royal_Orangeness
Explanations
sturlington: Post-apocalyptic theological novel. Six hundred years after the Simplification -- total nuclear annihilation -- a cloister of monks in Utah preserve the little that remains of the world's knowledge, and wonder whether mankind is perpetually doomed to destroy itself.
Her_Royal_Orangeness : I've tried to read this several times and just can't get past the monk wandering around in the desert digging holes. *yawn*
13
76,408 members
3,639 reviews
½ 4.3
23 Members
charlenemartel, KimarieBee, amz310783, ShellyS, konallis, sturlington, Fiamme, BLBera, eclecticdodo, rretzler, SonoranDreamer, gypsysmom, ahef1963, Dreesie, Verkruissen, megschristina, SENSpence, JoyKP, awarren1, Andrew_Orange, ManWithAnAgenda, allyrod113, flemertown, ,Her_Royal_Orangeness ,cej1027 ,Lucy_Skywalker ,DavidCady ,
Explanations
sturlington: Televised survival contests. Post-apocalyptic future America. Probably the best of the recent YA dystopias.
Her_Royal_Orangeness : "We're in a battle for our lives so why don't we go in this cave and make out for awhile?" *eyeroll*
14
20,155 members
389 reviews
½ 3.7
17 Members
ShelfMonkey, KimarieBee, sturlington, thecoroner, alex68, rretzler, SonoranDreamer, cej1027, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, Dreesie, JoyKP, ManWithAnAgenda, TheRealLouise, Charon07, izzy45
Explanations
sturlington: Classic time travel novel. Far future dystopia in which humanity has de-evolved; also dying Earth. Required reading.
15
14,593 members
874 reviews
4.1
17
24,821 members
347 reviews
4.1
18
28,580 members
415 reviews
4
16 Members
ShelfMonkey, ShellyS, sturlington, thecoroner, Fiamme, BLBera, alex68, rretzler, SonoranDreamer, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, Dreesie, megschristina, JoyKP, izzy45,Andrew_Orange
Explanations
sturlington: Classic futuristic dystopia written in fictional dialect. Mind control, extreme violence. Required reading.
19
45,469 members
1,123 reviews
½ 4.3
16 Members
charlenemartel, BookWallah, aulsmith, merrystar, sturlington, Fiamme, rretzler, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, Verkruissen, nicoleop, SENSpence, JoyKP, zfak102, EvolvedMan, awarren1,Her_Royal_Orangeness ,ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations
sturlington: Futuristic military SF with dystopian themes. Child soldiers versus aliens. First in a series.
Her_Royal_Orangeness : Homophobic and misogynistic.
20
12,850 members
310 reviews
4.2
21
9,945 members
244 reviews
3.8
15 Members
ShellyS, konallis, merrystar, sturlington, thecoroner, BLBera, alex68, rretzler, SonoranDreamer, pan0ramix, EvolvedMan, Andrew_Orange, ManWithAnAgenda, izzy45, skid0612,Verkruissen
Explanations
sturlington: Classic precursor to 1984. Required reading for serious fans of dystopian lit.
22
5,397 members
192 reviews
3.9
14 Members
konallis, SylviaC, sturlington, cataloga, Fiamme, greydoll, alex68, Bluewolf0411, rretzler, ahef1963, DavidCady, EvolvedMan, Rosenort, Charon07
Explanations
sturlington: Classic "pre-apocalyptic" novel. Nuclear devastation.
23
54,814 members
1,850 reviews
3.9
24
26,688 members
1,015 reviews
3.8
25
15,973 members
399 reviews
½ 3.7
26
11,454 members
317 reviews
4.1
13 Members
ShellyS, sturlington, Fiamme, BLBera, Dilara86, Her_Royal_Orangeness, SonoranDreamer, gypsysmom, Verkruissen, pan0ramix, ManWithAnAgenda, allyrod113, TheRealLouise
Explanations
sturlington: Feminist dystopia. Society has completely collapsed, and a young woman is driven from her home after her neighborhood is burned and her family murdered. Despite the violence and hopelessness that surrounds her, she is determined to spread her spiritual message.
27
8,401 members
239 reviews
4
13 Members
ShelfMonkey, KimarieBee, PDE, SylviaC, sturlington, Fiamme, greydoll, Bluewolf0411, Jarandel, gypsysmom, ahef1963, Dreesie, jdavidhacker
Explanations
sturlington: Apocalyptic "cozy catastrophe". Blindness epidemic and man-eating plants.
28
18,580 members
363 reviews
4
12 Members
ShelfMonkey, ShellyS, PDE, merrystar, SylviaC, sturlington, alex68, rretzler, SonoranDreamer, gypsysmom, ahef1963, EvolvedMan
Explanations
sturlington: Human colonization of Mars, during which there is a nuclear war on Earth.
29
10,401 members
672 reviews
3.9
30
8,617 members
420 reviews
4.1
12 Members
merrystar, SylviaC, sturlington, eclecticdodo, rretzler, NateK, kara.shamy, Verkruissen, JoyKP, zfak102, awarren1, allyrod113
Explanations
sturlington: Future subterranean totalitarian society. Post-apocalyptic--environmental destruction.
31
25,931 members
418 reviews
3.9
11 Members
hipdeep, ShelfMonkey, ShellyS, PDE, sturlington, alex68, rretzler, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, EvolvedMan
Explanations
sturlington: Classic cyberpunk. Required reading.
32
15,832 members
688 reviews
3.9
11 Members
ShelfMonkey, KimarieBee, sturlington, Dilara86, rretzler, cej1027, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, Dreesie, awarren1, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations
sturlington: YA dystopia. Conformity, personal appearance. First of a series.
33
8,162 members
382 reviews
3.9
34
4,128 members
170 reviews
3.9
35
21,902 members
434 reviews
4.1
10 Members
hipdeep, ShelfMonkey, KimarieBee, ShellyS, sturlington, Fiamme, rretzler, gypsysmom, ahef1963, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations
sturlington: Cyberpunk (or post-cyberpunk).
36
11,426 members
272 reviews
3.9
11 Members
ShellyS, PDE, sturlington, Bluewolf0411, rretzler, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, pan0ramix, EvolvedMan, ManWithAnAgenda,aulsmith
Explanations
aulsmith : Clarke didn't mean this to be dystopian, just a sad evolutionary farewell.
sturlington: False utopia. Alien invasion, transhumanism.
37
4,058 members
177 reviews
3.8
38
6,435 members
214 reviews
½ 3.6
9 Members
sturlington, Fiamme, BLBera, rretzler, ahef1963, JoyKP, DavidCady, zfak102, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations
sturlington: Futuristic dystopia/apocalyptic novel. Male infertility, human extinction, dictatorship. Christian allegory.
39
4,842 members
125 reviews
4.1
9 Members
ShellyS, adara, sturlington, BLBera, Dilara86, Her_Royal_Orangeness, gypsysmom, ManWithAnAgenda, allyrod113
Explanations
sturlington: Sequel to Parable of the Sower.
40
3,524 members
105 reviews
½ 3.7
9 Members
sturlington, thecoroner, alex68, rretzler, ahef1963, Dreesie, JoyKP, ManWithAnAgenda, flemertown
Explanations
sturlington: Feminist dystopia in which suburban housewives are replaced with robot versions of themselves by their husbands.
41
38,949 members
872 reviews
4.2
8 Members
hipdeep, charlenemartel, sturlington, rretzler, gypsysmom, ahef1963, ManWithAnAgenda, allyrod113
Explanations
sturlington: Comic apocalyptic novel that takes the biblical rapture as its premise.
42
30,757 members
1,507 reviews
4
11 Members
charlenemartel, KimarieBee, Fiamme, BLBera, rretzler, ahef1963, Dreesie, SENSpence, JoyKP, awarren1, allyrod113,konallis ,sturlington ,DavidCady
Explanations
sturlington : YA dystopia. Conformity, totalitarianism. First of a trilogy.
43
14,588 members
431 reviews
4.1
8 Members
sturlington, thecoroner, BLBera, alex68, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, ManWithAnAgenda, Charon07
Explanations
sturlington: Apocalyptic allegory. Blindness epidemic, extreme regression of civilization.
44
5,995 members
301 reviews
½ 3.7
8 Members
sturlington, BLBera, rretzler, SonoranDreamer, gypsysmom, kara.shamy, pan0ramix, pieperp
Explanations
sturlington: Feminist dystopia in which women gain the power to kill with electrical shocks. Reverse gender roles.
45
5,343 members
142 reviews
3.9
8 Members
ShelfMonkey, ShellyS, PDE, SylviaC, sturlington, greydoll, gypsysmom, ahef1963
Explanations
sturlington: Post-apocalyptic dystopia. Evolution of humanity, development of telepathic powers, theological themes. YA audience.
46
4,225 members
153 reviews
4
8 Members
charlenemartel, ShellyS, aulsmith, sturlington, Dilara86, Her_Royal_Orangeness, pan0ramix, allyrod113
Explanations
sturlington: Far future following an apocalypse; first contact with advanced alien species. First in a trilogy.
47
1,113 members
114 reviews
½ 3.7
8 Members
sturlington, BLBera, rretzler, Her_Royal_Orangeness, Dreesie, dianeham, ManWithAnAgenda, pieperp
Explanations
sturlington: Futuristic dystopia. Organ harvesting, euthanasia of the aged and non-productive members of society.
48
22,151 members
1,385 reviews
4
8 Members
hipdeep, sturlington, rretzler, Dreesie, Verkruissen, dianeham, awarren1, ManWithAnAgenda,Rosenort
Explanations
sturlington: Futuristic dystopia: overcrowding and escape to virtual reality. Video game-like narrative.
49
21,007 members
518 reviews
½ 4.3
8 Members
hipdeep, sturlington, Fiamme, rretzler, ahef1963, NateK, Dreesie, ManWithAnAgenda,cej1027
Explanations
sturlington: Alternate history with superheroes. Dystopian and apocalyptic themes.
50
19,582 members
717 reviews
4.1
8 Members
PDE, sturlington, BLBera, gypsysmom, kara.shamy, Dreesie, allyrod113, midget84,
Explanations
sturlington: This novel takes place in many different time periods, one of which is a mega-corporation dystopia with cloning, and another is a post-apocalyptic scenario featuring a fictional dialect.
51
17,489 members
763 reviews
4
52
16,766 members
850 reviews
4.2
8 Members
sturlington, Bluewolf0411, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963, kara.shamy, JoyKP, allyrod113, flemertown,ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations
sturlington: Time travel and alternate history. Dystopia is only at the very end, as a result of changes to the timestream.
53
13,559 members
485 reviews
3.8
8 Members
sturlington, cataloga, Her_Royal_Orangeness, SonoranDreamer, kara.shamy, JoyKP, awarren1, allyrod113,ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations
sturlington: A mysterious dome encloses a small town and civilization regresses quickly. Strong apocalyptic themes.
54
6,929 members
322 reviews
½ 3.7
8 Members
aulsmith, sturlington, rretzler, Jarandel, gypsysmom, Lucy_Skywalker, kara.shamy, ManWithAnAgenda,Her_Royal_Orangeness
Explanations
sturlington: Futuristic biopunk dystopia. Climate change and genetic engineering.
Her_Royal_Orangeness : RapeX1000. *shudder*
55
6,493 members
148 reviews
3.9
7 Members
youthfulzombie, ShelfMonkey, konallis, sallypursell, sturlington, BlueHeaven1969, allyrod113
Explanations
sturlington: Futuristic dystopia. Survival contests. One of The Bachman Books.
56
5,982 members
404 reviews
4
57
4,535 members
100 reviews
½ 3.7
8 Members
ShelfMonkey, ShellyS, merrystar, sturlington, greydoll, rretzler, megschristina, TheRealLouise,DavidCady
Explanations
sturlington: Post-apocalyptic. When the end of America comes, what is the one thing that can bring us back from the brink of complete anarchy? That's right: the U.S. Postal Service.
58
2,889 members
75 reviews
½ 3.5
7 Members
sturlington, rretzler, SonoranDreamer, Dreesie, ManWithAnAgenda, TheRealLouise, midget84
Explanations
sturlington: A utopian all-female society.
59
2,005 members
78 reviews
3.8
7 Members
ShellyS, sturlington, rretzler, gypsysmom, dianeham, EvolvedMan, pieperp
Explanations
sturlington: Post-apocalyptic novel. Cloning, loss of individuality.
60
1,645 members
57 reviews
3.9
7 Members
sallypursell, sturlington, Her_Royal_Orangeness, SonoranDreamer, dianeham, allyrod113, TheRealLouise
Explanations
sturlington: Feminist post-apocalyptic fiction. Regression of civilization, return to the wilderness.
61
21,453 members
358 reviews
½ 3.7
6 Members
ShelfMonkey, sturlington, alex68, gypsysmom, nagasravika.bodapati, ahef1963
Explanations
sturlington: Martian invasion with a strong apocalyptic tone.
62
5,486 members
156 reviews
4
6 Members
sallypursell, sturlington, Bluewolf0411, EvolvedMan, Rosenort, allyrod113
Explanations
sturlington: Classic post-nuclear war apocalyptic fiction. The residents of a small Florida town, having been alerted just prior to an all-out nuclear war, must struggle with the vagaries of small-town politics after the apocalypse.
63
4,550 members
280 reviews
3.9
6 Members
SylviaC, sturlington, rretzler, cej1027, ahef1963, Charon07
Explanations
sturlington: One by one, use of different letters of the alphabet is outlawed in a fictional island country.
64
3,162 members
163 reviews
½ 3.4
6 Members
sturlington, BLBera, SonoranDreamer, gypsysmom, Dreesie, TheRealLouise
Explanations
sturlington: Satirical dystopia in which people volunteer to live in a closed community where they must spend every other month in prison.
65
2,502 members
64 reviews
½ 3.5
6 Members
sallypursell, sturlington, gypsysmom, EvolvedMan, TheRealLouise, Charon07
Explanations
sturlington: Feminist spec fiction set in 4 alternate universes, two of which could be considered dystopias.
66
2,320 members
61 reviews
4
6 Members
ShellyS, sturlington, Fiamme, Her_Royal_Orangeness, SonoranDreamer, gypsysmom
Explanations
sturlington: Feminist false utopia. Post-apocalyptic matriarchal society.
67
2,130 members
104 reviews
3.8
6 Members
hipdeep, sturlington, BLBera, gypsysmom, awarren1, pieperp
Explanations
sturlington: Climate change leads to drought, collapse, and violent clashes over water in the Southwest.
68
1,930 members
132 reviews
½ 3.5
69
6 Members
sallypursell, sturlington, gypsysmom, kara.shamy, ManWithAnAgenda, pieperp
Explanations
sturlington: Collection of three novels. Two are set on alien planets. One is far-future post-apocalyptic Earth following an alien invasion.
70
25,973 members
541 reviews
3.8
5 Members
ShelfMonkey, sturlington, SonoranDreamer, ahef1963, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations
sturlington: Post-apocalyptic alternate universe. Mix of western, horror and science fiction. First in a series.
71
10,931 members
444 reviews
4.2
72
10,618 members
292 reviews
3.8
6 Members
Dilara86, cej1027, ahef1963, Dreesie, awarren1, ManWithAnAgenda,sturlington
Explanations
sturlington : Sequel to Uglies.
73
10,400 members
273 reviews
4
5 Members
ShellyS, sturlington, rretzler, gypsysmom, EvolvedMan
Explanations
sturlington: Futuristic dystopia; perpetual war.
74
9,378 members
102 reviews
3.8
75
8,942 members
276 reviews
4.1
5 Members
sturlington, rretzler, ahef1963, kara.shamy, Verkruissen
Explanations
sturlington: Sequel to The Handmaid's Tale
76
8,029 members
64 reviews
3.8
5 Members
ShelfMonkey, ShellyS, sturlington, gypsysmom, EvolvedMan
Explanations
sturlington: Sequel to Count Zero.
77
6,941 members
447 reviews
½ 3.4
5 Members
sallypursell, sturlington, BLBera, allyrod113, skid0612
Explanations
sturlington: Technological dystopia. Social networks, loss of privacy, corporate culture.
78
6,940 members
122 reviews
3.9
5 Members
KimarieBee, sturlington, gypsysmom, AlWheeler, EvolvedMan
Explanations
sturlington: Alien civilization that experiences cyclical apocalypses.
79
6,312 members
447 reviews
4
80
5,606 members
443 reviews
3.8
5 Members
sturlington, rretzler, kara.shamy, awarren1, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations
sturlington: YA dystopia. Technology implants.
81
5,570 members
214 reviews
4
82
4,682 members
79 reviews
3.9
5 Members
sallypursell, sturlington, Bluewolf0411, gypsysmom, EvolvedMan
Explanations
sturlington: A comet has slammed into the Earth, destroying all governing structures, and within weeks all of the survivors have reverted to feudalism, cannibalism and worse. Fun times.
83
4,473 members
278 reviews
4.1
84
4,125 members
281 reviews
3.9
5 Members
INTPLibrarian, sallypursell, sturlington, nagasravika.bodapati, Verkruissen
Explanations
sturlington: People start seeing something that causes them to go violently insane.
85
3,333 members
243 reviews
3.9
86
2,854 members
55 reviews
3.9
5 Members
sturlington, greydoll, BLBera, allyrod113, Charon07
Explanations
sturlington: A future anarchist utopia presented in contrast with present-day and (briefly) an alternate future dystopia.
87
2,355 members
202 reviews
3.8
5 Members
ShelfMonkey, sturlington, BLBera, rretzler, gypsysmom
Explanations
sturlington: Pre-apocalyptic. Imminent meteor impact causes social collapse. First in a trilogy.
88
1,693 members
125 reviews
3.9
5 Members
aulsmith, sallypursell, sturlington, rretzler, gypsysmom
Explanations
sturlington: WWII alternate history in which England goes fascist. First in a trilogy.
89
1,353 members
66 reviews
3.8
5 Members
sallypursell, sturlington, BLBera, kara.shamy, Verkruissen
Explanations
sturlington: Near-future feminist dystopia in which abortion has been outlawed.
90
461 members
17 reviews
3.8
5 Members
sturlington, Her_Royal_Orangeness, gypsysmom, EvolvedMan, pieperp
Explanations
sturlington: Post-nuclear war. Once the apocalypse is over with, two women survive on a farm on the Oregon coast while trying to preserve the remainder of mankind's knowledge and sparring with the ultra-Christian religious cult down the beach.
91
20,621 members
832 reviews
3.8
92
11,875 members
217 reviews
4.2
5 Members
ShelfMonkey, eclecticdodo, rretzler, ManWithAnAgenda, TheRealLouise,sturlington
Explanations
sturlington : Probably not going to read this since I saw the movie.
93
10,189 members
118 reviews
3.8
94
10,132 members
175 reviews
4
5 Members
ShellyS, PDE, sturlington, NateK, JoyKP,ShelfMonkey
Explanations
sturlington: Short stories, several of which have apocalyptic and dystopian themes.
95
9,152 members
232 reviews
3.8
5 Members
Dilara86, cej1027, ahef1963, awarren1, ManWithAnAgenda,sturlington
Explanations
sturlington : Sequel to Pretties.
96
7,741 members
227 reviews
4
6 Members
PDE, sturlington, rretzler, kara.shamy, EvolvedMan, ManWithAnAgenda,Lucy_Skywalker ,skid0612
Explanations
sturlington: Alternate realities include dystopian and apocalyptic possibilities.
Lucy_Skywalker : a great book, indeed, but it's not really a dystopia
97
7,567 members
87 reviews
½ 3.7
98
5,924 members
313 reviews
3.8
4 Members
PDE, sturlington, kara.shamy, allyrod113
Explanations
sturlington: The last section takes place in a dystopian post-climate change world.
99
5,190 members
113 reviews
3.9
4 Members
sturlington, rretzler, gypsysmom, EvolvedMan
Explanations
sturlington: Futuristic dystopia. Overcrowding, scarcity of natural resources.
100
4,867 members
75 reviews
3.9
4 Members
PDE, sallypursell, sturlington, nagasravika.bodapati
Explanations
sturlington: Futuristic dystopia. Environmental degradation of Earth. Miserable Martian colonies.