#sameness

You’ve been sucked in by The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner, but what about the classics? These weren’t the first books to delve into the “what ifs” of dystopia. If you’re digging these societies (at least, when they’re fictional), you should check out these books.

• Fahrenheit 451. In this book, books are not allowed. If any are found, they are burned. But what happens when you find a book and you don’t have it burned? It’s an interesting take on how society views books, and the power that they can bring you.

• Brave New World. Everyone is kept happy by a society that gives them - but are they really happy? They are molded into caste-like systems and raised to do jobs. There is no competitiveness, but there is also no real freedom.

• A Clockwork Orange. A teen talks about his violent adventures and his experience being “reformed” by the state; in the process, however, they take away his free will. He is then forced to face the effects of his decisions. The book questions the cost of actions.

• The Giver. This utopia turns out to really be a dystopia, as you learn that pain has been substituted for sameness, which keeps people from feeling true emotions. It makes you question where the line is drawn to protect people.

• Atlas Shrugged. Major industrialists have abandoned their industries due to new regulations, and they then begin to fail. It asks, “What is the role of man’s mind in existence?” With a focus on objectivism and capitalism, you’ll really think on this one.

There are others out there, such as 1984 and Battle Royale, so you’ve got a lot to satiate your appetite for a dismal future.