Emandherbooks Recommends: Dystopian Books

So, those of you that know me know that I’m not a fantasy reader. However, despite pretty much all dystopian novels falling into this genre, there are a fair few that I have LOVED and would love to share with you…

Hugh Howey – Silo Series

This series is chunky but SO compelling and original (at least to me). It has so many layers which just continue to unravel as the story continues. The first book Wool is set ‘currently’ but in a dystopian world and ‘Shift’ is the story about how they got there. ‘Dust’, the third in the series, I am yet to read but have incredibly high hopes as the first two were exceptional reads.

Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games

If you haven’t heard of the hunger game you must have been living under a rock for the last decade. I’ve only read two of these, ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Catching Fire’… this may seem like I skipped the first, but this one was only recently published and precedes the Hunger Games in timeline. I really enjoyed these books, much more than I was anticipating.

Lauren Oliver – Delirium Series

This series is set in a dystopian world/ alternative USA where love has been declared a disease. The main character (Lena) struggles to grasp what is true and what is a lie and ultimately falls in love, making a decision that changes her life. I have read the first two books in this series and LOVED them but am yet to read requiem.

George Orwell – 1984

This is another one that I’d be shocked if you hadn’t at least heard of, if not read. It is creepy, gripping and borderline depressing. A tale about a dystopian ‘future’ which caused me to reflect on 2020 life. The story is clever and very well written, much easier to follow than I expected. There are quotes and sections of this book that gave me actual chills, I highly recommend (even if it does make you think back to GCSE English).

Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale

These books have so many elements which make up a truly fantastic story. The plots are so intricate and carefully planned with such vivid descriptions and characters. In a world where radiation has caused much of the population to become infertile, a totalitarian regime has changed everyone’s way of life. Offred is a handmaid, she is sent to live with a Commander and his wife, in the hope that she will bring them a child. The Testaments is set 15 years after the Handmaid’s Tale and is an excellent sequel.