Dystopia as a genre is an imagined world in which there is great injustice or suffering. And yet for years, readers, just like you and me, have been finding comfort in this genre. Our question today is why? Why do we find dystopia to be such a comfort as a reader, and what does that say about us as a society? Dystopian novels generally fall into four categories: Orwellian, Huxleyan, Kafkaesque, and Phildickian. Each of these types offers a new read to get your brain some dopamine in the form of government rebellion, so let’s explore these wastelands together, shall we?
Orwellian Dystopia
Orwellian dystopia is arguably the most recognizable at first glance. These types of dystopia must include: mass surveillance, censorship, propaganda, and manipulation of language and history. If you are looking for modern examples to explore these themes, look no further than The Circle by Dave Eggers. This novel is “an upgrade” from 1984 in all the worst ways. It tackles the question of “transparency” and then uses a double-edged sword to kill privacy in one fell swoop. The Circle chronicles May Holland’s life as she joins a tech company in what she believes is her dream job. Her dream turns into a downright walking nightmare, as May comes to realize that radical transparency, when infused with technology, is dangerous, especially in the hands of its creator.
1984 by George Orwell is the blueprint for this category and is still hailed as a classic today, but what makes us read stories? Is it the reminder that we give so much information out so freely, so we must be careful what we do with it? Yes, and we believe it goes deeper than that. In the age of AI that feels more human than machine, The Circle helps everyone understand that behind every machine, there is someone (more often than not a billionaire) still creating it, and can therefore control what information is “correct”. Stories like this urge our own human nature to the forefront and allow us to maintain control of a small, but powerful thing: Our thoughts, words, and actions. We can choose to put forth humanity in the face of restrictions on information and a lack of privacy in our own homes.
Kafkaesque Dystopia
A Kafkaesque dystopia is the strangest when asked to define it. The environment in which this type of dystopian takes place is usually an oppressive, illogical society with nightmarish, bureaucratic systems where individuals feel trapped and powerless. This is exemplified in The City and the City by China Miéville. A true tale of two Cities, as it follows the complete separation of “Besźel” and “Ul Qoma”. The people who live in either City are taught to “unsee” the other City. They policed the perception of these distinct cities of each other. This wouldn’t be a problem if the cities didn’t occupy the same geographical space.
Any distinctions made by the society are purely mental. Which means it causes divisions that are invisible to the people. When divisions are invisible (and you reinforce that), it makes it harder and harder to come back as a unified people, no matter what you think you believe. In this world, your perception is the law, and that is a very dangerous weapon in the hands of a government body. Another terrifying pressure added within this world-building, is a concept called a Breach. A Breach can occur when these boundaries are crossed, is punishable, and when your perception is the law, the Breach is very hard to avoid. It becomes nearly impossible to exist without committing a Breach against someone from the other City.
This is a stark reminder that differences in ideology and reality are all taught. These things that we see to separate us — like these cities — are all products of our perception and experiences within Society. We have seen the absolute worst case scenario in this novel, but we need to remember that things that are taught can be unlearned. As ideas change, new things can be learned and implemented constantly, no matter how set in stone we believe it to be.
Huxleyan Dystopia
Huxleyan Dystopian novels take place in a manufactured technological utopia in which individual pleasure and happiness are produced with advanced technology. This is often done by overstimulating and over-consuming within the society to the point where you have to rely on the technology because you don’t know how to function without it. Believe it or not, exactly that happens in The Feed by M.T. Anderson. Somewhere in the near future, humans have a microchip implanted in them, called the feed. The feed has access to all of your brain, including your memories, your thoughts, anything you could possibly want, much like ad tracking on your computer. If you say the words “I want cake” out loud, suddenly your feed is filled with ads trying to sell you cake. You’re constantly, in this reality, overwhelmed by want and “need”. You have no real power to resist “the feed”, except when you say no to consumerism, like a boycott, causing disruption to the system itself.
The sub-genre is particularly poignant and may seem hard to find comfort in. Rest assured, dear readers, we have one. A Huxleyan society is clearly influenced by over-consumption and capitalism, so take comfort in the fact that the technology of the feed does not yet exist, and somehow they still found a way to resist. We can find comfort by reminding ourselves that corporations need us, our thoughts, our opinions, and our money in order to survive. Think carefully about which corporations you actually need, so you too are not overwhelmed by your version of the feed and its need to make you want.
Phildickian Dystopia
While all these dystopias manufacture a certain type of psychological horror within us, none is quite as scary as the Phildickian dystopia. A Phildickian dystopia is one in which the lines between reality and a simulation are blurred past recognition. In this, the government doesn’t have to take away your individuality or your memories in order to manipulate you, because you do it yourself when you question whether they’re real or not. If you are a member of this society, you are never quite sure of that distinction, and therefore have no real sense of self. This eerie phenomenon is explored in Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. The novel spans centuries, following different people over many different timelines as they discover the world. The lines are easily blurred between the narrators and you as a reader, are shown just how fragile the perception of reality truly is.
How can we possibly find comfort in something so unnerving? Well, we find comfort in our identities and our own self assured awareness as people. We have the right to express ourselves the way we choose without any absurd bureaucratic involvement. Our sense of self is something we can hold onto, even in the face of homogeneous conformity. We are who we are because we define ourselves. No one can take that, some may even say our self-expression is as vital as a limb.
Throughout all of this fear, we find comfort in the fact that sometimes it is just fiction, meant to make us think about our choices in our own realities. This literature can remind us of our humanity, our own identity and of our free will. These ideals seem impossible to forget, but they can get lost along the way, as we are overwhelmed by information. But if you find yourself in a hostile government takeover, remember literature can be how to guides as well. You’ve seen them play out in fiction, now you know what to do if they start playing out in real life.
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