A dystopian society is characterized by oppression, violence, disease and pollution. It is the opposite of a utopia, which is an ideal community. Dystopias in literature serve as warnings about oppressive regimes and criticize current cultural trends. Examples of famous dystopian texts include George Orwell's 1984, published in 1949, and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World from 1932, which depict totalitarian states and the loss of individual freedom. Characteristics of dystopias include imaginary future worlds, oppressive regimes, and dehumanizing technological advancements.

1. Dystopia
(Greek: dys ‘bad’ + tópas ‘place’)
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2. Dystopia
A dystopian society is characterized by misery,
oppression, violence, disease, and/or pollution.
A vision of a society that is the opposite of
utopia (an ideal community).
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3. Utopia - Origins
Utopia is a name for an ideal community or society,
taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir
Thomas More that described a fictional island in the
Atlantic Ocean. His ideas were based on Plato’s
Republic.
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4. Dystopia
Dystopias (imaginary future worlds) serve as a moral
or political warning (called a cautionary narrative),
often of the threat of oppressive regimes.
Dystopian literature are often visions of quot;dangerous
and alienating future societies,quot; intended to criticise
current trends in culture.
The term was coined in 1868 by the English
philosopher John Stuart Mill.
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5. Dystopia
Dystopias are common in science fiction.
George Orwell's 1984, published in 1949, is
one of most famous dystopian texts. The term
“Big Brother” came into popular use from this
novel.
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6. Characteristics
Imaginary future in a nightmare world
Oppressive regimes
Dehumanizing technological advancements
Cities or polluted wastelands
Man-made disasters
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7. 1984
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8. Brave New World
Written by Aldous Huxley in 1932.
One of the 20th century’s most
famous dystopian novels.
Set in London in 2540, all humans
are part of one totalitarian state,
free from war, hatred, poverty,
disease, and pain.
The price is a total absence of
individual freedom.
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9. Contemporary Dystopian texts
The Road by Cormac
McCarthy - novel (2006)
and film (2009)
Pulitzer-winning novel -
journey of man and his son
in a post-apocalyptic world
devoid of life
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10. Renaissance
2006 animated
cyberpunk/science
fiction detective film
by French director
Christian Volckman.
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11. Renaissance
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12. V for Vendetta -
graphic novel and
film
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13. Children
of Men
A futuristic society faces extinction when no
children are born and the human race has lost the
ability to reproduce. England has descended into
chaos, until an iron-handed warden is brought in to
institute martial law. The warden’s ability to keep
order is threatened when a woman finds that she is
pregnant with what would be the first child born in
27 years. (Directed by Alfonso Cuarón)
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14. Matrix Trilogy
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15. Handmaid’s Tale
A dystopian novel by
Canadian author Margaret
Atwood (1985). The novel
is set against the
backdrop of a totalitarian
pseudo-Christian
theocracy which has
overthrown the United
States government in the
near future.
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16. Minority
Report
In Washington, D.C., in the year 2054, murder
has been eliminated. The future is seen and the
guilty punished before the crime has ever been
committed. (Directed by Steven Spielberg)
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17. Sources
http://hem.passagen.se/replikant/1984_dystopia.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopian_and_dystopian_fiction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World
http://snarkerati.com/movie-news/the-top-50-dystopian-
movies-of-all-time/
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