According to Spisak (2012) in her article, "Dystopian Novel?," she mentions four characteristics of a "good" dystopian novel:
- A setting so vivid it could be a character in itself
- Someone or a group who is in power
- "Protagonists who are shaped by their environment and situation" (p. 56)
- "A conclusion that reflects the almost always dire circumstances" (p. 56)
The Giver
The Giver was written by Lois Lowry in 1993 and is argued to be one of the first modern dystopian novels written for young adults, and an inspiration to other modern young adult dystopian fiction. According to Hintz (2002), it has "sensitized readers to the important subgenre of utopian and dystopian writing for children and young adults" (p. 254). It is a prime example of what at first seems like a utopian environment, but slowly it is discovered that not everything is as perfect as it seems. Jonas, the main character, is given memories of a time in the very distant past where there was color, free will, pain, music, and love. He realizes what the community had to give up to become "perfect," and that what the community calls "release" is really murder, and at one point, suicide. The latter is why this book is now on the banned books list in a large amount of schools around the country.
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wrinkle in Time was written by Madeline L'Engle in 1962 and contains a dystopian society in the capital city of a planet called Camazotz. In it, the citizens are all the same and are, in a sense, brainwashed. At first, the city looks like any normal one on Earth, but the children notice that the children outside all bounce balls and jump rope in rhythm: “Down came the ropes. Down came the balls. Over and over again. Up.
Down. All in rhythm. All identical. Like the houses. Like the paths. Like the flowers” (L'Engle, 1962/2007, p. 99). The citizens are punished for any type of aberration, like children dropping the balls they're playing with instead of catching them. The citizens are all controlled by something called IT, which essentially regulates their lives, preventing them from being individuals. IT says, “…why should you wish to fight someone who is
here only to save you pain and trouble?” (L’Engle 1969/2007, p. 116).
The Drowned Cities
The Drowned Cities was written by Paolo Bacigalupi in 2012 and tells the story of a futuristic American society that is presented as dystopian from the very beginning. The book follows a girl, Mahlia, who lives in a war torn part of the world. The government has failed and the Earth doesn't seem close behind; different factions vie for power and child soldiers are used. These are all direct results of global warming and the wasting of resources and this is what feels like a very plausible outcome for our world if we don't take action now; this sends a large message of social responsibility to young adult readers.
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games was written by Suzanne Collins in 2008 and is, in my opinion, the best example of a modern dystopian novel. The setting is the futuristic land of Panem, which used to be the United States. It is separated into twelve districts all controlled by the Capitol and each district has a specific role, such as mining or farming. Each year, two children from each district compete in a fight to the death--called the Hunger Games--with only one left standing at the end. This reality television show is all for the citizens of the Capitol, and they see the Hunger Games as a form of entertainment and punishment for the districts that rebelled against them during the wars. The Capitol controls the citizens yet seems like a perfect place; Katniss, the main character, describes her awe and disgust at the same time: “they [the cameras] have not quite captured the magnificence
of the glistening buildings in a rainbow of hues that tower into the air…the
oddly dressed people with bizarre hair and painted faces who have never missed
a meal,” yet she says that “the colors seem artificial” (Collins, 2008, p. 59). The Capitol controls the citizens of Panem and has the best of everything, while the citizens in the twelve districts are dying from starvation and disease. Collins presents many dichotomies between the citizens of the Capitol and the district citizens.