Dystopias Defined

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Utopias/Dystopias

The word dystopia was born out of the word "utopia." Utopias are described as an ideal word, but ironically, the literal translation of this word is "no place" (1). This translation became more apparent as technological advances consistently gave humans the opportunities to create utopias, but instead only resulted in wars, oppression, and greater inequalities, creating the concept of dystopias. Dystopias are defined as "an imagined society with suffering or injustice, typically totalitarian or post-apocalyptic" (2). Common ideas in dystopian fiction include a belief that shapes society, usually enforced by propaganda; constant surveillance and fear within society, as well as fear of the outside world; dehumanization of the oppressed; and forced conformity.

This artwork depicts the relationship of how utopias in fictions are often, in reality, dystopian society's for the majority of it's citizens. (3)

What Separates Dystopias From Other Genres?

Much dystopian fiction contains attributes of other genres. Dystopian novels are an extension of science fiction. One difference between the two is that sci-fi focuses on scientific and technological advances resulting in a more advanced society, whereas dystopian fiction inverts this idea, often stagnating society's progress. Dystopias are usually, but not always, set in a post-apocalyptic world. These environments are usually created by nuclear war, environmental disasters, economic collapse, or a combination of all three. Dystopian fictions focuses mostly on the society, political struggles, and loss of individualism. Post-apocalyptic fiction has less of an emphasis on society and instead focuses on the survival of individuals. The defining feature of dystopian fiction is that it contains exaggerated aspects of accepted ideas in our society, serving as a warning.

The Real-World Influences of Dystopian Fiction

A well known example of dystopian fiction is "The Handmaid's Tale." The novel is set in the near future with a society under patriarchal hegemony. the Gilead nation has strict class segregation, particularly with women. Women have lost their rights to read, write, and own property. Handmaids are women whose only role in society is to reproduce for powerful Commanders who have been unsuccessful with their wives. The handmaids receive intensive propaganda and indoctrination at the "red centre" before being allowed into Commanders homes. Handmaids that are unable to get pregnant are exiled to the colonies, where they are forced to clean toxic waste until their early deaths. Citizens within this state are under surveillance with secret police known as "Eyes" and are hanged publicly for disobedience. The impact of this book can be seen by the rise of the handmaid's outfits at women's rights rallies.





Women dressed as handmaids at the Alabama abortion law protests in 2018, one year after the series aired on HBO (4).

Dystopian Fiction's Increasing Popularity

The Gilead society uses harsh fundamentalist Christina beliefs as a guise for their totalitarian regime. Like most dystopian fiction, the beliefs this book was based on are prevalent within today's society. The rise of dystopian fiction popularity is thought to coincide with the rising presence of more extreme beliefs, as the themes become more relevant to our lives. "The Handmaid's Tale" is just one example of how dystopian fiction connects to our world today/ The TedTalk "How to Recognize a Dystopia" (below) briefly explains other reasons behind the increased appeal of dystopias.


People naturally gravitate towards stories that validate their worldview. However, one possibly downside is that while these novels can create a platform for discussion and change, it may also have the opposite effect, creating an echo chamber and further reinforcing these ideals for a select few.

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