11 Books Like 1984: Dystopian Tales of Totalitarianism

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Published in 1949, George Orwell’s 1984 is a classic dystopian novel that imagines a world of omnipresent government surveillance. In fact, it’s where the term “Big Brother” was born.

In the novel, Winston Smith is tasked with rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. But with each lie he writes, Winston begins to hate the Party, which is always pushing for more power and persecuting those who commit “thoughtcrimes.”

As Winston learns to think for himself, he can’t forget that Big Brother is always watching him, and everyone.

Books Like 1984

Below are 11 books like 1984 that describe dystopian futures plagued by totalitarian control.

1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Published in 1932 under the shadow of rising fascism, this book presents a world where people are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically pacified.

When John the Savage is brought to London from New Mexico to see this “brave new world,” he becomes a celebrity in the World State, and soon realizes that he’s the only one willing to challenge the state-sponsored control. 

2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

In a world where books are forbidden, it’s the job of firemen to set books aflame, rather than extinguish fires.

Guy Montag is one such fireman who never questioned his assignments, but that changes when he meets his eccentric young neighbor.

Clarisse shows Montag a past where people didn’t live in fear, and where one could learn about the world through books instead of mindless television.

3. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

In this Nobel Prize winner, three children—Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy—were students at an exclusive boarding school in the English countryside, where teachers constantly remind their pupils how special they are.

Years later, Kathy is a young woman, and Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. For the first time, she looks back on their shared past and begins to understand what it is that makes them special, and how that will shape the rest of their time together.

4. Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

After her family was killed amongst the anarchy of Southern California, Lauren Olamina founded Earthseed, a peaceful community that teaches “God is change.”

But newly elected President Andrew Steele Jarret wants to end Earthseed and bring America back to its “golden age,” when racial equality and religious tolerance were nonexistent.

5. Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

The rich and privileged have fled Toronto, leaving the inner city to crumble as a lawless wasteland. Those remaining must learn how to survive by farming and bartering.

When one of the wealthy outsiders needs a heart transplant, those who are helpless on the streets become prey.

6. The Giver by Lois Lowry

Twelve-year-old Jonas has grown up in a world where everyone is assigned a job based on their talents. People also live under the influence of drugs—some to suppress emotions, some to suppress sex drive.

Jonas is given the job of Receiver of Memory and meets with the Giver of Memory, which shows him the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community.

7. Anthem by Ayn Rand

In this dystopian novella, any form of individualism is prohibited—even using the word ‘I’  is considered a capital offense.

A young man, identified only as Equality 7-2521, is cursed with curiosity. When he meets a young woman known as Liberty 5-3000, they both begin to long for a life of freedom together.

8. Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos

In Marla Klein and Ivy Wilde’s world, teens are the ultimate deciders of what’s in and what’s out. of culture. A top fashion label hires 16-year-old Marla to dictate hot new trends, while Ivy, a pop star, makes them popular.

But when the two girls begin to question the rampant consumerism that rules their world, those who hold the strings take notice. Will the girls’ new “eco-chic” trend be able to overturn the industry’s control?

9. Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

In this novel, the Crosses are dark-skinned elites, while the Noughts are pale-skinned and poor, only there to serve Crosses.

Just as Sephy, a Cross, falls in love with Callum, a Nought, a terrorist attack linked to both of them threatens to throw their lives and love into turmoil.

10. Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

Sometime in the not-so-distant future, America is crushed by a financial crisis and its Chinese creditors are ready to foreclose on the mess.

Social media dominates real life, and individuals are driven by likes and views. Lenny Abramov, son of a Russian immigrant and one of the few remaining book readers, falls in love with a Korean American woman named Eunice Park. Their love may be the only thing that holds their world together.

11. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

In the One State of the great Benefactor, there are no names or individuals—just numbers. Everything in life is a perfectly balanced equation, and passion and nature are subdued by mathematics.

With the creation of the spaceship Integral, outer space can finally be ruled by reason as well. One number, D-503, decides to document his thoughts in the final days before the spacecraft’s launch to help guide the less advanced societies.

But when he meets the beautiful 1-330, he makes a discovery that threatens everything he ever believed about himself and the One State—the discovery of the soul.

Orwellian Books About Dystopian Futures

George Orwell’s work in 1984 and other classics like Animal Farm was so influential that the adjective “Orwellian” was coined to describe totalitarian and authoritarian practices.

If you like books about dystopian futures like Orwell’s 1984, then you mights also like to read books that predicted the future.

Do you have a favorite book that reminds you of 1984? Share it with us in the comments below!

 

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