When Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker won the coveted Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Printz Award for 2011, it signified the apex of a trend that’s been on the rise for some time: that is, dystopianism in teen fiction.
A recent New Yorker article suggests that the dystopias depicted in many young adult novels are viewed by teens merely as versions of the modern age - its environmental degradation, lack of privacy, and our constant bombardment by information and advertising. If this is the case, it’s likely that part of the reason for the genre’s popularity is that it imbues teenage protagonists with the power to change their world, power that the often-oppressive adult characters lack.
Whatever the reason for its success, the trend towards dystopian fiction is not going to fade any time soon. Whether you’re a reader looking to sample this grim-but-gripping genre, or a writer trying to figure out what makes it tick, this list will help you navigate the increasingly dystopian landscape of YA fiction.
Dystopian Books for Fantasy Fans
Not all dystopian novels fall into the gritty genre of “hard” sci-fi – many of the stories written for teens nowadays are softened by magical or mythic elements, positioning them closer to the “fantasy” end of the spectrum. One example is Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series (which opens with The Golden Compass), which imagines a world in which religious fundamentalism has resulted in an autocratic society capable of acts of great evil. The magical elements of Pullman’s work and others in this subgenre leaven the pessimistic outlook.
Examples of dystopian fantasy stories:
- The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
- The Droughtlanders by Carrie Mac
- Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
- Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Futuristic Dystopias
The following books incorporate dystopian elements in a more conventional way: by imagining a future society in which certain aspects of our modern world have led to degeneration, oppression and/or collapse. Possibly the most commercially and critically successful example of this subgenre is Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, which serves as a commentary on our obsession with reality television and technology’s infringement on individual privacy.
Examples of the “future dystopia” subgenre:
- The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
- The Uglies by Scott Westerfield
- The Maze Runner by James Dashner
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick
- Feed by M.T. Anderson
Classic Dytopian Books
A list of dystopian teen novels wouldn’t be complete without a mention of some of the classic stories that have paved the way for the genre’s success. The echoes of these novels can be heard in many of today’s bestsellers; teens who appreciate writers like Suzanne Collins and Carrie Mac will likely enjoy tracing the similarities.
Examples of classic dystopian books for teens:
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
- The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- The White Mountains by John Christopher
This list of dystopian YA novels represents only a small sampling of some of the standout books in the genre. To add to the list, leave a comment below.
Sources
Miller, Laura. "Fresh Hell: What’s Behind the Boom in Dystopian Fiction for Young Readers?" The New Yorker. 14 June 2010. Accessed 22 April 2011. www.newyorker.com.
Young Adult Library Services Association. 2011 Printz Winner. Accessed 22 April 2011. www.ala.org/yalsa/printz.
Heather Fawcett - Heather Fawcett is a Vancouver-based writer and editor. She holds an M.A. in English Literature and specializes in teen fiction, having ...
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