YA Dystopian Fiction Novels- The Rise And Fall Of The Genre That Raised Teens In The 2010's

For a long while Dystopian fiction novels ruled the bookshops and the readers’ underworld. Everyone was suddenly devouring the genre the same way romance is being consumed today.

Dystopian fiction novels are a subgenre stemming from Science Fiction. The genre depicts worlds falling apart as an outcome of oppression, extreme deprivation, and human misery- usually as a consequence to unstable governments.

I don’t know about you, but I was obsessed. As a teenager there was nothing more exciting of bingeworthy as dystopian fiction novels. Maybe it was something to do with being a teenager and the urge to overthrow whatever system is put in front of you. Perhaps it was just a safe release for teenage rebellion.

Whatever the reason, YA dystopian fiction novels were everywhere in the early to mid 2010’s. We really couldn’t get enough of them. Looking back, I think we were searching for a world that felt as chaotic as life did in our teenage years. A place we could go to escape and feel empowered.

This post is all about the dystopian fiction novels that raised my generation, and gave us a world to romanticise.

The best dystopian fiction novels

These are the YA dystopian fiction novels that got me through my teenage years. If you are looking for dystopian novels to read, this list is perfect for you.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Separated from the rest of the world, in a controlled and monitored location, surrounded by a maze that if entered after nightfall meant certain death, a group of boys and one girl must find a way out. The only problem is, the outside is so much worse than the inside.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Living in a poverty stricken district, under a government that finds entertainment in the suffering of the disadvantaged, Katniss finds herself in an impossible situation. To save her sister she volunteers to star in the districts reality TV show, but it’s nothing like I’m a Celeb. Katniss must do everything to survive, including kill.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

When being different is punishable by death, Tris must do everything to fit in. Set in a futuristic dystopian Chicago, society is segregated into categories. To be different is to be feared and Tris is Divergent, and she has chosen to live as Dauntless.

The Selection by Keira Cass

The Selection offers a chance of a lifetime for 35 selected girls. They have a chance to court the Prince. But entangled in a world of gems and gowns, America is forced to turn her back on her secret love. And now with the threat of rebel attacks, America’s life will never again be what it was.

The Best Dystopian Novels for adults

1984 by George Orwell

A man living under a totalitarian regime struggles against constant surveillance, propaganda, and the erasure of truth.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

In a future society engineered for stability and pleasure, individuals are conditioned to accept a life without freedom, individuality, or deep emotion.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

A fireman tasked with burning books begins to question censorship and the shallow, oppressive society he serves.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Farm animals overthrow their human owner only to see their revolutionary ideals corrupted as a new tyranny rises among them.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

In a theocratic dictatorship that controls women’s bodies, a Handmaid struggles to survive and retain her sense of self.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

A violent young delinquent undergoes state-imposed psychological conditioning that raises questions about free will and morality.

When Else have we seen a surge in dystopian fiction novels?

The 2010’s wasn’t the only time that dystopian fiction novels had seen a rise. In the post war years books such as 1984, Animal Farm and a A Clockwork Orange [although this was a little later] all came into the world.

The had an interesting and startling focus on government instability and fascism. The subgenre took already existing anxieties and amplified them by taking worlds to horrific extremes.

Many dystopian fiction novels now take a feminist or environmental lean reflecting current anxieties. Or even portray nuclear anxieties and fall out. In a world that seems so unstable it’s no wonder we leant towards this genre so heavily.

My conclusion is the subgenre of dystopian fiction plays into a very real trope that ‘hell is other people’. While doing this it portrays themes of identity breaking through from oppression.

Perhaps dystopian fiction novels faced it’s popularity amongst teenagers wanting to be heard and searching for an absolute identity.

[Related Post- How To Read More When You Work A 9-5]

This Post was all about dystopian fiction novels that raised a generation of teenagers through the 2010’s

What was your favourite dystopian novel?

YA Dystopian Fiction Novels- The Rise And Fall Of The Genre That Raised Teens In The 2010’s