Best Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction

Vote for your favorite Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic books.

If the book is in a series, please only vote for the first book.

Other Lists of Note:
Best Alternate H*story
Best Dystopian and Post Apocalyptic Fiction
Best Epic Fantasy
Best Fantasy of the 21st Century
Best Science Fiction
Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century
Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century
Best Forgotten Science Fiction of the 20th Century
Best Science Fiction Fantasy Books
Best Space Opera
Best Urban Fantasy


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3.87 avg rating — 797 ratings
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3.89 avg rating — 33,827 ratings
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3.96 avg rating — 340 ratings
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4.05 avg rating — 22 ratings
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4.08 avg rating — 385,666 ratings
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3.81 avg rating — 306 ratings
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508

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3.80 avg rating — 8,499 ratings
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3.57 avg rating — 3,610 ratings
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4.05 avg rating — 2,624 ratings
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3.96 avg rating — 6,701 ratings
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515

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3.63 avg rating — 2,648 ratings
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515

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3.77 avg rating — 97,919 ratings
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517

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4.45 avg rating — 33 ratings
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518

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3.83 avg rating — 21,920 ratings
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518

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4.13 avg rating — 24,726 ratings
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518

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4.66 avg rating — 13,238 ratings
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521

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3.93 avg rating — 27,958 ratings
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521

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4.70 avg rating — 40 ratings
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523

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4.22 avg rating — 4,474 ratings
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524

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3.67 avg rating — 28,826 ratings
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524

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3.84 avg rating — 97,129 ratings
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526

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4.07 avg rating — 467,320 ratings
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527

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4.18 avg rating — 4,969 ratings
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527

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3.77 avg rating — 17,371 ratings
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527

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4.27 avg rating — 6,538 ratings
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530

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3.79 avg rating — 22,445 ratings
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531

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3.94 avg rating — 7,340 ratings
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531

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3.96 avg rating — 12,215 ratings
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533

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3.67 avg rating — 700 ratings
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533

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4.25 avg rating — 93,985 ratings
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535

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2.95 avg rating — 1,413 ratings
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536

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3.93 avg rating — 37,487 ratings
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537

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4.35 avg rating — 37,373 ratings
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538

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4.13 avg rating — 100,963 ratings
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539

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3.87 avg rating — 771 ratings
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540

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3.56 avg rating — 9,487 ratings
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541

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4.08 avg rating — 8,639 ratings
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542

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3.77 avg rating — 4,373 ratings
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3.65 avg rating — 2,028 ratings
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3.83 avg rating — 656 ratings
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544

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3.92 avg rating — 2,321 ratings
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3.97 avg rating — 279 ratings
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3.93 avg rating — 2,712 ratings
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547

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3.72 avg rating — 21,272 ratings
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4.02 avg rating — 504,628 ratings
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4.66 avg rating — 13,238 ratings
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551

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3.68 avg rating — 1,565 ratings
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3.70 avg rating — 9,377 ratings
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555

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4.11 avg rating — 31,264 ratings
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3.56 avg rating — 5,423 ratings
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557

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4.37 avg rating — 151,820 ratings
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558

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3.95 avg rating — 772,011 ratings
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559

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3.91 avg rating — 2,630 ratings
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559

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3.91 avg rating — 18,788 ratings
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561

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4.66 avg rating — 13,238 ratings
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562

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3.50 avg rating — 11,266 ratings
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563

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4.31 avg rating — 842,624 ratings
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564

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4.30 avg rating — 261,591 ratings
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565

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3.97 avg rating — 28,845 ratings
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566

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4.11 avg rating — 35,966 ratings
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567

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3.49 avg rating — 1,465 ratings
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570

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571

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571

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571

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571

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4.25 avg rating — 16 ratings
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571

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3.94 avg rating — 470 ratings
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571

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4.04 avg rating — 1,053 ratings
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571

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4.38 avg rating — 34 ratings
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571

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4.01 avg rating — 89 ratings
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4.69 avg rating — 26 ratings
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3.93 avg rating — 241 ratings
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571

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4.13 avg rating — 152 ratings
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4.21 avg rating — 14 ratings
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588

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3.42 avg rating — 392 ratings
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3.89 avg rating — 198 ratings
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4.73 avg rating — 11 ratings
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589

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3.51 avg rating — 2,738 ratings
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592

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4.04 avg rating — 8,601 ratings
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593

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3.94 avg rating — 202 ratings
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4.07 avg rating — 14 ratings
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593

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4.11 avg rating — 53 ratings
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596

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4.04 avg rating — 108,423 ratings
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3.70 avg rating — 47 ratings
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598

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4.14 avg rating — 252 ratings
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598

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4.75 avg rating — 47,477 ratings
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600

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3.84 avg rating — 23,445 ratings
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3,579 books · 26,571 voters · list created June 22nd, 2008 by Brimate (votes) .
75 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Brimate 459 books
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Gary 2339 books
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Cindy 10290 books
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M 1462 books
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bsc 581 books
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Lisa 1654 books
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Kara 280 books
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Caitlin 1856 books
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 212 (212 new)


message 1: by Michael (new)

Michael Economy foundation definitely deserves a higher rating


message 2: by Chanel (new)

Chanel Earl The Color Purple? Not utopian, dystopian or other worldly.


message 3: by Summer (new)

Summer Great list. I have gleaned a few books for my TBR. Although, The Color Purple does not belong at all and I'm not sure I understand why L'Engle and Tolkein are on here.



Steffi ~mereadingbooks~ How are Tolkien's books utopian or dystopian??


Genericusername how is it that not one phillip k. dick novel made it to this list?


message 6: by Carolyn (new)

Carolyn Why clutter this list with the 'other world' fiction class? "Best" Utopia/Dystopia is a good enough rumble without muddying the waters so much.
Also, who the heck put 'The Color Purple', 'Lemony Snicket', and the L'Engle stuff on here? Seems to be the wrong group for them.


message 7: by Emily (new)

Emily Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings do not belong on this list.


message 8: by Ubik (new)

Ubik I highly recommend Land under England to anyone who has not yet read it. Amazing utopian/dystopian novel...my favorite in fact.


message 9: by King Haddock (last edited Feb 04, 2009 05:06PM) (new)

King Haddock I think one of L'Engle's books belongs on there, least A Wrinkle in Time, with the whole planet (Camatroz? something like that) where they're ruled and controlled by It - definitely dystopia.


message 10: by arianna (new)

arianna Steffi wrote: "How are Tolkien's books utopian or dystopian??"

i guess they are under the other worldy heading...




message 11: by arianna (new)

arianna Summer wrote: "Great list. I have gleaned a few books for my TBR. Although, The Color Purple does not belong at all and I'm not sure I understand why L'Engle and Tolkein are on here.
"


"Utopia, dystopia, other world, sci-fi, etc. What drops you off into another world?"

I guess the phrase "what drops you off into another world?" can be very broad as far as fiction goes


message 12: by arianna (new)

arianna Genericusername wrote: "how is it that not one phillip k. dick novel made it to this list?"

Add it~!


message 13: by Luz (new)

Luz I recomend the book Ender's Game for those who have not read it. Its a book must read because it shows it doesnt matter smart you are but if you have the skills to play the game right.


message 15: by Oscar (new)

Oscar How is "gormeghast" not up there?


message 16: by Becca (last edited Oct 13, 2009 08:42PM) (new)

Becca I think its funny that people are asking why Harry Potter and LOTR are up there, and not asking why Twilight is up there...


message 17: by Courtney (new)

Courtney It says Utopian, dystopian or "other worldly." I tried to stick to other versions of this world, but that can be interpreted many ways.


message 18: by Adam (new)

Adam since when are twilight and harry potter utopia or dystopia?


message 19: by Adam (new)

Adam the giver, the city of ember, the hunger games, uglies..... um.. the last dog on earth, gethering blue, messenger,and running out of time


message 20: by Adam (new)

Adam and trials of death, lion witch and the wardrobe and unwind


message 21: by Julie (new)

Julie add to Best Utopia,etc list: Swastika Night Katharine Burdekin (Murray Constantine)


message 22: by Heather (new)

Heather How is Twilight a utopia or a dystopia???


message 23: by Heather (new)

Heather Do people just not know what a Utopia and a Dystopia are?


message 24: by Njeyeguy (new)

Njeyeguy Oryx and Crake should be close to the top. Outstanding Book.


message 25: by Amber (new)

Amber The Wanting Seed


message 26: by Alienne (new)

Alienne I'd recommend the book 'The Goodness Gene' by Sonia Levitin for the list.


message 27: by Katie (new)

Katie So how is it books like twilight and the color purple are on here? I know it said other worldly but those are in our world... they just have supernatural elements... I think of other worldly as Narnia or Middle Earth or like Hitchhikers guide... those make more sense... Take out the other worldly stuff... someone should make a new list


message 28: by Imani ♥ ☮ (new)

 Imani ♥ ☮ I'm confused. Why are books like Breaking Dawn on here???


message 29: by D.W. (new)

D.W. Miller Chanel wrote: "The Color Purple? Not utopian, dystopian or other worldly."

I agree, wholeheartedly.


message 30: by Sara (new)

Sara Shakouri How is one hundred years of solitude Utopian, Dystopian or other worldly?
I wish someone could illuminate me.


message 31: by Sarah (new)

Sarah How is Harry Potter a world function book?
Or twilight?


message 32: by Silver (new)

Silver Sara wrote: "How is one hundred years of solitude Utopian, Dystopian or other worldly?
I wish someone could illuminate me."


Because of its surreal elements and the way in which it does bend the bonds of reality, I would consider it otherworldly, becasue it is a sort of alternative reality.


message 33: by Heather (new)

Heather The Twilight series is not in any way, shape, or form dystopian or utopian. They are fantasy.


message 34: by Juli (new)

Juli My interpretation of "other world" was that it was a way our world could exist, like the Utopian or dystopian society. I don't see another way of describing "other world" that would fit this book list.

And with that said there a several books on this list that I would not categorize here.. Harry Potter, Series of Unfortunate Events, Twilight...


message 35: by Leah Rachel (new)

Leah Rachel von Essen I agree with a lot of these comments- Harry Potter's a great, great, (amazing) series, but it's certainly not about a utopian or dystopian world- and neither is Twilight!


message 36: by Emily (new)

Emily This list makes very little sense... The most striking mistake being Twilight.....


message 37: by Ali_p (new)

Ali_p Heather wrote: "Do people just not know what a Utopia and a Dystopia are?"

no


message 38: by [deleted user] (new)

The Color Purple doesn't belong here... and while we're at it, Twilight doesn't really either...


message 39: by Lukia (new)

Lukia Summer wrote: "Great list. I have gleaned a few books for my TBR. Although, The Color Purple does not belong at all and I'm not sure I understand why L'Engle and Tolkein are on here.
"


L'engle technicly counts (in my opinion)


message 40: by Chantel (new)

Chantel love these books


message 41: by Katie (new)

Katie Uh, Twilight? Really? Does not compute. I think this list would have been better as just Best Utopian/Dystopian, but nice list none the less.


message 42: by Marcus (new)

Marcus Twilight?


message 43: by Jordan (new)

Jordan Adam The Awesome, Extremly Good Looking and Humble wrote: "since when are twilight and harry potter utopia or dystopia?"

Since people decided to vote for them on any list they could find =P


message 44: by Lynn (new)

Lynn "This Perfect Day" by Ira Levin isn't here? It should be in the top five!

NOTHING by Stephenie Meyer should be here!


message 45: by [deleted user] (new)

Agreed, I don't know how some of these books have anything with the utopian or dystopian genre. I suppose if you twisted things around enough and put your glasses on backwards, maybe. But otherwise, pretty okay list.


message 46: by Cameron (new)

Cameron I think the definition of Utopia/Dystopia needs to be altered for this list. Some of these books do build interesting worlds, but are not Utopian/dystopian fiction. Let's just compare 2 novels on the first page. 1984 belongs on this list, The Lion, The witch and the wardrobe does not. The plot of 1984 is completely inseparable from the dystopia described in the book. If you tried to describe the setting of 1984, you'd probably talk about big brother, telescreens, the party or the thought police. These things are completely inseparable from the story of 1984. Now if you describe Narnia's setting, you'd probably talk about the talking animals, the magical forest, the mansion and all that shit. The fact is, Narnia's setting isn't that important to the plot, it just happens to be the place the author chose to set the story. A lot of these fantasy stories really need to be removed for the same reason. The only Harry Potter book that could make this list is possibly the last one,and if it did it shouldn't be ranked high. Also, The Host at #15? THERE IS NOTHING ORIGINAL ABOUT THAT NOVEL! All you can take from it is that Stephanie Meyer has probably seen invasion of the body snatchers (or more likely animorphs). Twilight has already been brought up, it should not appear on a list with the word "best" in the title.


message 47: by Andrew (new)

Andrew Gardner You guys remember the end of the Princess Bride, when Inigo dies of his wounds, Fezzik turns Westley in to the secret police, and Buttercup kills herself after discovering that she's pregnant with Humperdinck's baby and realizes that she can never escape?

Me neither.


message 48: by Brian (new)

Brian Cameron wrote: "Twilight has already been brought up, it should not appear on a list with the word "best" in the title. "

amen


message 49: by Cera LaVon (new)

Cera LaVon Harry Potter I can see, the chaos of the evil wizards trying to take over would lead to dystopian society, LotR as well. Twilight I'm having slight issues with, but I can kind of see it, more to the point that the evil Vampires are causing turmoil in the world of the main characters. Though, I have to say, my favorites are the His Dark Material series by Philip Pulman, Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, and Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. Though, once again, I see an issue there. The only element is of Fallen Angels and the chaos between friends, family, and the Nephilim causing it to be dystopian. A lot of these I haven't read, but I've heard about them, and agree that they are listed there.


message 50: by Hayley (new)

Hayley Wait...why is The Notebook on here?


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