I read a discussion prompted by this post about the health of YA sci-fi that has me thinking about dystopias. (We discussed them from an instructional perspective about a year ago — must be the winter dreariness that puts them in mind.)
First, what’s the definition of dystopia? I’ve always thought you only had a dystopia if you were depicting somewhere that was aiming at utopia and missed. But that might be way off. My bound dictionary, unbelievably, doesn’t even have a listing, but online dictionaries focus on human misery. All right, then half of the countries in the world are dystopian now, with Haiti chief among them for the moment. Is any novel set in a slum or war or child prostitution ring dystopian? That seems WAY too broad to me. And not remotely speculative.
There are scads of books on this list that I think are questionably labeled dystopian. Among them, our friend SA Bodeen’s recent novel, THE COMPOUND, which I’ve seen her write of herself as dystopian (but not, in her opinion, sci-fi). I never would have dreamed of calling it dystopian. It could happen yesterday. There is no “aiming for utopia” social backdrop. There is no social backdrop, period. It doesn’t contain all that much misery, relatively speaking. It involves a very small cast, not an oppressive or dysfunctional society (unless you’re going to call a family unit a society). And without spoilers, the story turns much more on a deception than on any society or norms different than our own. (Even if the deception hadn’t been there, I would have called it post-apocalyptic sci-fi.) I haven’t a clue why it would be labeled dystopian.
I could be more easily persuaded that THE HUNGER GAMES was dystopian… in that it depicts an entire society operating by different standards and objectives. But I’m not convinced yet, because I also would argue that books that are simply post-apocalyptic are not dystopian. To me, THG is simply post-apocalyptic. (Those in charge weren’t and aren’t aiming for a utopia. Just control.) Similarly, just because a war is involved doesn’t make it dystopic to me. (Is Star Wars dystopic? Is The Hurt Locker?)
Which brings me to a broader question: Are dystopian books science fiction, fantasy, or not even speculative? I can think of plenty of nonfiction that would qualify, using that “human misery” definition. And I’m quite sure Orwell’s 1984 was considered sci-fi when it came out, and not just because of the technological aspects of Big Brother always watching. But how about Lois Lowry’s THE GIVER? It’s clearly dystopian, but is it fantasy or sci-fi? I lean toward fantasy on that one, but I’m not sure why — maybe because it’s more about the character’s enlightenment and quest than about the social forces; about an individual struggle more than it is about the ideas. And also, probably, because it seems much less “possible” to me than 1984. Or, say, FEED. (Which I’d also say was more about ideas than individuals. I guess that’s one of my de facto personal criteria for sci-fi.)
What defines a dystopian novel for you? What are some of your favorite examples… and any alleged dystopias that may not fit the label? Or is “dystopian” just a marketing word without meaning?
– Joni, who would take her chances in a post-apocalyptic world before a dystopia
Parker Peevyhouse
lindajoysingleton
Joni Sensel
Chris Eboch
Nick
Greg R. Fishbone
Joni, I hadn’t previously thought about the connection between utopian and dystopian, but maybe you’re right. A dystopian novel seems to highlight the way a society works, and generally societies are striving for what someone believes will be a good thing, right?
So maybe we’re using the term “dystopian” too broadly. It’s hard to say because I’m not sure where the term originated.
I like your definition best Joni, but to be honest, I don’t care to put energy into deciding what label goes where or how to define whatever book. As long as it’s great writing I’ll read it and just call it a great book. That’s my opinion as a reader.
As I writer, I fear that worrying about these things will hinder my own creativity because I’ll always worry if it “fits” into the genre, sub-genre, and sub-sub genre. Did either Anderson or Collins think about this much when they were writing their books? I don’t know, but my guess is no. Isn’t fantasy and sci-fi all about breaking the rules? We take the What-if, what we think is impossible and make it totally believable. The definitions are afterthoughts.
Liesl, who suspects she is living in a sci-fi world but would prefer Hogwarts.
It can be rather tedious to argue about labels–I’m especially bored by the whole Is it science fiction or is it fantasy? debate.
Still, sometimes these labels can be a guide. It’s hard to break the mold when there is no mold.
What a thought-provoking post!
FYI, my most updated list of dystopias written specifically for the YA market is here.
For my purposes, I’m defining a dystopia to be a “world gone wrong.” I’m intentionally casting a wide net that includes post-apocalyptic futures as well as utopias that missed the mark, and post-disaster fictions that focus more on the undesirable societies that emerge from the disasters than the disasters themselves. In short, I’m trying to look at fiction that, at its heart, offers a warning to readers, a critique of current trends: this or something like it might happen (whether it’s ten minutes or ten thousand years from now). Despite the bleak tones of some of these works, I find the subgenre as a whole to be a hopeful and empowering one, because the very act of offering a warning or making a critique of current trends assumes that something can yet be done. It’s not too late!
Interesting thoughts. I do agree that the key element to a dystopian novel is often The Warning imparted to readers.
Thanks! And just to clarify, I don’t think any work has to be just one thing or another: a novel might have dystopian ingredients, and might also pull from other traditions, as well. It’s not an either/or proposition.
Some post-apocalyptic works focus solely on the apocalyptic events themselves and their immediate aftermath, while other post-apocalyptic works describe wonderful, pastoral worlds rising out of a calamity that are far preferable to the world as we know it. Then again, still other works use post-apocalyptic settings as the launching point for dystopian societies. After all, some of the key dystopian works of the 20th century (“The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster, We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, 1984 by George Orwell) describe “worst-case scenario” dystopian societies built on post-apocalyptic foundations.
All that’s to say that I think many works of speculative fiction invoke multiple traditions and combine the ingredients of various subgenres. Recognizing that a novel includes the kind of warning/critique inherent in a dystopian work doesn’t mean we can’t also give the work other valid labels, as well.
I love dystopias. I love SF. I hate when people mis-label anything as either of the two when they’re not.
As for what makes something dystopian, I’ve always gone with either Mill’s definition from the 1800s (a world/place where everything is a bad as it can possibly be) or the one you mention above (a utopia gone horribly wrong). Either way, it’s all about society and social interactions. I agree with you on that one.
My favorite dystopia is Fahrenheit 451.
Ray Bradbury is my favorite (if you couldn’t tell from the blog design).
Great discussion. It’s weird, when I wrote The Compound, I called it post-apoc. Only after I got reviews, etc. that called it dystopian did I start thinking maybe it was. But I think dystopian has become too broad, and as someone said, a type of marketing tool. I think most of Margaret Atwood’s are dystopian, if that does mean “Society gone wrong…” But I think a lot of books are getting shoved into that category that don’t really belong there. But, readers are flocking to dystopia, so wouldn’t it be a benefit to get your book categorized that way?
Oh, and I have to second Fahrenheit 451. The movie of it was just on the other day:)
Thanks for the great topic, Joni.
Though I’m uncomfortable with labels, they really are helpful, when applied consciously. Obviously, many of the literary designations overlap (sci-fi/fantasy/post-apoc) to great effect.
My favorite dystopias are set far away from the here and now, but not so far that I can’t imagine the many of the story’s elements actually coming to pass: The Handmaid’s Tale (Atwood), Farenheit 451 (Bradbury), The Other Side of the Island (Goodman), Fly By Night (Hardinge), Ender’s Game (Card),or even Sunshine (McKinley).
The basics of a successful dystopia veer toward many aforementioned components, but are often about a character’s personal integrity and hope (or evolution thereof) amidst the devastation of social integrity (The Road and The Hunger Games).
Isn’t that what we love about dystopias? Hope in the face of a hopeless world? Our own world is saturated with disaster and I believe dystopic stories encourage us in spite of existing difficulties.
I equate dystopian with dysfunctional. Maybe it’s just the “dys” at the beginning, but I think dysfunctional societies, truly dysfunctional societies make for good dystopian novels. I’m talking about the ones you read about and can’t imagine could really exist, the ones where you say, “No, really. How could they possibly have gotten that way?”
Fahrenheit 451 – oh, most definitely.
For me, The Hunger Games is dystopian because what goes on in the capital versus the rest of districts of Panem is so beyond the pale, it blows my mind.
Thanks for all the great, thought-provoking comments!
Really interesting post. I think that, for me, a dystopian world is one where there has been an attempt to create a perfect society but there is something rotten underneath. I agree that many of the books on the list you linked to would be questionable as dystopian novels. Because I talk about genre with students, and we break the word dystopia apart, I like to be fairly exact as to which books I call dystopian.
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