I love a good dystopian story. They're usually books that expose corruption or the potential for it in a society, but are set in a fictional backdrop with compelling and relatable characters. Books like these are often inspired by parts of history (Ancient Rome, WW2, etc.) and it's fascinating to see how both old and modern authors can weave humanity's past atrocities into a new, fresh plot set in worlds separate from ours but similar in frightening ways.
Since there are a lot of dystopian books I've read but not all of them were the most enjoyable, I'll be listing them by their rating (from my lowest personal ranking to the highest). Please bear in mind, of course, that this is all based on personal opinion and preference. Just because I didn't love a book doesn't mean you won't.
About me (so you know who's recommending you these books). My name is Jaysee Jewel and I am an author of fantasy romance and horror. I'm also an avid reader (albeit a picky one).
1. The Roar by Emma Clayton
My Rating: C- Tier (5/10)
Genres and Tropes: Science Fiction / Futuristic / Middle Grade / Mystery / Competition
In a world trapped within walls where those on the bottom tier have to eat mold, a group of children train to fly and eventually seek escape.
The low rating for this book mainly comes from the middle grade style writing (and tropes associated with it like the "I'll tell you later when I could really tell you right now" cliche). It's clearly written for children and while sometimes that's ot other timeskay, a the age limit makes reading it grating as an adult.
That being said, the reason this book makes it on the list is for its great worldbuilding and the twist at the end. It feels like a definite future we could have and the plot has stuck with me even a year or two after I read it. If you're young (or don't mind younger-level writing, give it a read.)
2. 1984 by George Orwell
My Rating: C+ Tier (6/10)
Genres and Tropes: Science fiction / Dystopian / Bleak / Adult / Politics / Romance (but not really)
A man stuck in a system where you are always watched and censorship is rampant learns to rebel and falls in love.
You've probably heard about this one already but I'll put it on the list because it's such a classic. This story really shines when it comes to addressing government censorship, spying, and the use of wars to control a population. It's creepy to see how accurate it was in some parts, especially in relation to our modern day phones and internet censorship.
However, in terms of storytelling, the characters and pacing didn't grab me. I didn't care about the main characters at all and the pacing was too slow for my taste. This was one of the few books where I had to listen to an audiobook instead of reading a physical copy. Regardless, I still recommend it. It offers an interesting viewpoint for our potential future (and is especially cool when you consider the year it was written (1949)).
3. Impostors by Scott Westerfeld
My Rating: B- Tier (7/10)
Genres and Tropes: Science Fiction / Young Adult (teen) / Romance / Action / Futuristic / Assassins
The leader of a city has two twin daughters. One is a public figure and the other is a body double meant to serve as a bodyguard. Everything changes when the body double is sent into enemy territory as a spy.
I'm planning to read this author's bigger work (Uglies) because while I didn't adore this book, I loved all the potential it had. I would have eaten it up in high school. The worldbuilding is fairly simple and standard but the focus on plastic surgery and beauty standards gives it a bit of an edge. The pacing was also really quick in this one.
4. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
My Rating: A Tier (9/10)
Genres and Tropes: Fantasy / Romance / Dystopian / Heist / Dictator / Action
A group of rebels team up against a dictator whose powers practically make him a god.
While this is a straight-up fantasy book, the dictator and his government qualify as dystopian in my eyes. The worldbuilding is phenomenal (since that's a staple for this author) and it has a lot of layers that need unraveling. I like how well integrated the magic system and government are, intertwining with each other. Corruption and abuse of control is rampant, but the villains aren't completely evil and the heroes aren't completely good.
5. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
My Rating: A Tier (9/10)
Genres and Tropes: Science Fiction / Romance (kind of) / Superheroes / Action / Supervillains / Powers
After his father was killed by a supervillain, he decides to join a group of rebels and bring down the supervillain government.
I'm somewhat picky about Sanderson's books (I'm not a fan of long reads and a few of his books didn't hook me) but this one was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something similar to Invincible or The Boys but without all the real-life politics and gore/sexual content. That was why I enjoyed this so much. It's blunt and to the point: there are superheroes, we want to stop them from being psychopaths, so we have to figure out how to thwart their OP powers. It had a lot of mystery and some foreshadowed twists as well, which was what brought the story from a 7/10 to a 9/10. I highly recommend to it to fans of superheroes and overpowered villains.
6. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
My Rating: A Tier (9/10)
Genres and Tropes: Science Fiction / Romance / Politics / Death Games / Competition / Space
After dealing with the death of his wife, a young man sets out to wipe the solar system of their tyrannical governments.
I call this book "Hunger Games for adults". It delves into the darker parts of a dystopia that the Hunger Games mentioned but brushed over (prostitution, rape, corruption, technology, plastic surgery) and sets the plot on several planets rather than in one continent. It does all of this with tact as well. There are no explicitly described scenes. Dark topics are mentioned and addressed, but we don't have to visualize it in our heads. I also appreciated the author bringing in marriage and honor in a time when it was very much needed. This book was a breath of fresh air and an unexpected pleasure to read. I haven't read the other books in the series yet but plan to very soon.
That was part one of the list but I have another one coming next week with even more dystopian, dark, government-focused stories. This is a genre that I think ages really well (when done right) and I hope to see more of it.
If you love reading and are looking for more fantasy, romance, or science fiction books, you can check out my page on Amazon or my website here!
