10 Dystopian Novels Like 1984 That Emphasize the Importance of Personal Freedoms

One of the most widely read dystopian books, Brave New World is set in a similarly uniform and entirely controlled society as 1984. Humans are bred into five classes—Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons—which determine the entirety of their lives. Everyone is cared for and everyone belongs to one another. When a man and a woman venture outside the confines of the World State to where the “savages” live, the dark side of their world begins to be revealed.

This sci-fi dystopian novel is set in Diaspar, a domed and insular city. Far in the future, the people living within Diaspar believe they are the only surviving humans. The city is extremely technologically advanced, all disease has been eradicated, and the citizens live in contentment and in fear of the outside. Except for Alvin. Alvin is unique from everyone else in the carefully controlled society, he is curious. He yearns to go outside the dome and learn what is out there. His journey reveals truths that shake everything the people of Diaspar have been taught to be true. 

The year is 2381 and Earth’s population has skyrocketed to 75 billion. Everyone lives in Urban Monads (Urbmons), thousand-story multi-city buildings which house over 800 thousand people each. Life in Urbmon 116 is highly regulated and perfected—war, crime, starvation, and birth control have been eliminated. Procreation is seen as the highest good. But a few people in the building have fallen out of line. Their thoughts of venturing outside of the building and curiosities about life before this organization of society, put them in danger of the “moral engineers” and the dark fate of those who dare to think differently. 

In a world where the human population has been decimated, people wander, drugged, illiterate, and attached to technology. Humans have lost the ability to reproduce and suicide is rampant because no one has anything for which to live. Android robots control much of the world, and Spofforth is the most powerful and sophisticated of the machine. Paul Bentley is a teacher who has taught himself to read and wants to spread literacy, even though it is illegal. He meets Mary Lou and the love that blooms between them is a beacon of hope in the lifeless world. But their passion sparks a dangerous jealousy in the authoritative Spofforth. 

Inspired by the repression of The Soviet Union and the book burnings of Nazi Germany, Fahrenheit 451 is the story of Guy Montag, a fireman. Many years in the future, firemen no longer put out fires, but instead start them to burn any books, which are illegal to read or own, that they find. Montag has never questioned the conformity or control in his society, until he meets his young neighbor Clarisse. Clarisse ignites subversive thoughts in Montag’s head and tells him of a past filled with discussion and literature. Questioning everything around him, Montag steals a book, sparking a life-changing journey. 

One of the inspirations for 1984 cited by George Orwell, this 1924 work of dystopian fiction has influenced much literature of this genre. This book is set in the One State, ruled by the great Benefactor. All primal passions and instincts have been repressed and there are no longer names, only numbers. 

All behavior is dictated by the logic of equations created by the One State. D-503 is the architect of a new spaceship and decides to record some journal entries, which comprise this book. When D-503 meets the alluring and beautiful I-330, he is exposed to the secret counterculture within the city and makes a startling discovery: that he has an individual soul. 

Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is a daunting cautionary tale of control over women. In the Republic of Gilead, the totalitarian state that has succeeded the United State, environmental disasters, civil war, and declining birth rates have given way to a strictly controlled society where the few remaining fertile women are enslaved as handmaids. 

Offred is a handmaid, forced to be used for the purpose of procreation of the higher class. Her husband, child, past life of freedom, and even her own name have all been taken from her. Determined to not to lose her past memories or her will to survive, Offred must navigate through this terrifying world that deeply resonates with our own.

This novel from Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro begins in the seemingly normal elite boarding school of Hailsham in the English countryside, where Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy form a tight friendship. Teachers are constantly reminding the students how special they are and they are encouraged to create art. Kathy develops an affection for Tommy, but he and Ruth begin a romantic relationship. 

Now, ten years in the future, Kathy is working as a carer and Tommy and Ruth are both undergoing mysterious procedures. As Kathy reflects on their past experiences and they embark on a new journey together, the scary and invasive conditions of their society are revealed to readers.

From the author of Rosemary’s Baby, this science fiction novel is set in a future run by technology. The world is controlled by one central computer system called UniComp that closely monitors every human being. There is only one language and one race, and everyone’s entire lives are dictated by the computer. Everyone is constantly drugged to keep them satisfied with their lives and unable to realize they possess self determination. 

Growing up, Li RM35M4419, or “Chip,” was always a little different. When he is noticed by an underground movement working against the state, he is awakened from his drugged stupor for the first time and his life is never the same. 

This Newbery Medal-winning young adult novel is resonant for readers of all ages. In this dystopia, society has converted to the ideal of “sameness,” complete conformity and regulation of all people from the time or birth. Pain, war, and all emotional depth have been eradicated in the name of equality. 

When it comes time for job assignments, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory for the rest of his life. In this position he receives the devastating memories of past societies, as well as beautiful forgotten parts of life such as color and love. Holding the weight of all of this knowledge forces Jonas to make hard decisions that could change his world.