"Top Ten Tuesday" is an original feature/weekly meme created on the blog "The Broke and the Bookish". This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at "The Broke and the Bookish".
It is now hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.
Since I am just as fond of them as they are, I jump at the chance to
share my lists with them! Have a look at their page, there are lots of
other bloggers who share their lists here.
I have participated in Top Ten Tuesday for almost ten years now. It has always been a lot of fun. Obviously, subjects repeat itself after a while, there are new ones but also "recycled" ones. This belongs to the latter. I have done my favourite genre three times already. First, I picked Classics, then Historical Fiction and after that Travel. But there is one genre that I also love and it seems I haven't done one on that topic, yet (at least, I couldn't find it). I know I have used most of those books whenever something came up where they would fit in. My favourite book of all, The Children's War features in 19 lists, so far. Today it makes it's 20th appearance.
So, yes, I have picked dystopian literature today. I love that genre. It depicts our fears about the future and if we look back, we can always see what people feared most at certain times. There is the fear of communism, of Big Brother, of an atomic war, of aliens. But most of all, it's often the fear of someone or something taking control of our lives, changing it forever. By some authors I have read more than just one book on the topic (Margaret Atwood, Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, J.N. Stroyar) but I have only listed one of their books, my favourite.
I hope you will find a book or two among them that you might want to read. If you do, let me know how you liked them.
Atwood, Margaret "The Handmaid’s Tale" (Re-Read) - 1985
Boye, Karin "Kallocain" (SW: Kallocain) - 1940
Bradbury, Ray "Fahrenheit 451" - 1953
Chabon, Michael "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" - 2007
Fforde, Jasper "Shades of Grey. The Road to High Saffron" - 2009
Haushofer, Marlen "The Wall" (GE: Die Wand) - 1962
Huxley, Aldous "Brave New World" - 1931
Jackson, Shirley "The Lottery" - 1948 (short story)
Levithan, David "Every Day" - 2012
McCarthy, Cormac "The Road" - 2006
Orwell, George "Nineteen Eighty Four" - 1949
Pausewang, Gudrun "The Last Children" (GE: Die letzten Kinder von Schewenborn oder … sieht so unsere Zukunft aus?) - 1983
Sansom, C.J. (Christopher John) "Dominion" - 2011
Stephenson, Neal "Anathem" - 2008
Stroyar, J.N. "The Children's War" - 2001
Boye, Karin "Kallocain" (SW: Kallocain) - 1940
Bradbury, Ray "Fahrenheit 451" - 1953
Chabon, Michael "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" - 2007
Fforde, Jasper "Shades of Grey. The Road to High Saffron" - 2009
Haushofer, Marlen "The Wall" (GE: Die Wand) - 1962
Huxley, Aldous "Brave New World" - 1931
Jackson, Shirley "The Lottery" - 1948 (short story)
Levithan, David "Every Day" - 2012
McCarthy, Cormac "The Road" - 2006
Orwell, George "Nineteen Eighty Four" - 1949
Pausewang, Gudrun "The Last Children" (GE: Die letzten Kinder von Schewenborn oder … sieht so unsere Zukunft aus?) - 1983
Sansom, C.J. (Christopher John) "Dominion" - 2011
Stephenson, Neal "Anathem" - 2008
Stroyar, J.N. "The Children's War" - 2001
📚 Happy Reading! 📚
I too LOVE Dystopian fiction. So-called Utopia's I find practically unreadable, unless they're funnily bad (which they often are). I've read 5 of those you listed and own 2 more. I have a stack of Dystopia's I must get around to reading *some* day. But these days just watching the news seems good enough to keep me going.... [grin]
ReplyDeleteI can imagine, Kitten, not surprised that you love dystopian fiction. So do I. And you are right, at the moment, just watching the news is enough.
DeleteAnd yes, I think I only read one or two utopian fiction but they are mostly like science fiction, very unlikely to ever happen ...
Have you read any of the books on my list?
I've read 'Fahrenheit 451', 'Brave New World', '1984', 'The Road' and 'Dominion'. I have copies of 'Handmaid's Tale' and 'Anathem' waiting to be scheduled.
DeleteOf course, Kitten, some of them are a MUST for every dystopian fan, including The Handmaid's Tale. You might prefer Anathem, we'll see. I am sure you will post about it and I'm looking forward to your comments.
DeleteEvery Day is one of my favorite books!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stephanie. It is a very interesting one. Have you read any of the others?
DeleteWow, you’ve been a part of Top Ten Tuesday for a long time! That’s so cool, Marianne. Do you remember how you first discovered it?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lydia. I believe it was Elizabeth @ Silversolara where I first saw the list.
DeleteI have always enjoyed dystopian literature, too. And, goodness, I definitely need to put The Children's War on my list to find and read!
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope you will find it, Deb. We do enjoy similar literature, so I know you will like it. Enjoy.
DeleteOooooh, I haven't heard of a lot of these. I'll have to dig in! I went with a very similar theme today.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great, Stephen. I'll have to have a look. And no wonder you haven't heard of a lot of these, there are just so, so many and, unfortunately, we can't read them all. I hope you will find one or the other, though, and enjoy them.
DeleteWonderful list, 1984 and The Road were so good when I read them.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Naida. They are fantastic indeed.
DeleteI read the Atwood, the Orwell, and the Bradbury and agree with you on all three!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gypsi. They are brilliant. You will certainly enjoy a few of the others, as well.
DeleteI read Fahrenheit 451 and liked it. Also, I read The Lottery but completely forgot about it. The others, I probably won't read. I'm not a big fan of dystopian books. Something about them always seem rather depressing but of course, it had to be since it's the genre.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day
I know what you mean, Lissa, and I totally understand if people don't want to read it, so that's fine. I hope you did like the two you read, especially Fahrenheit 451.
DeleteI've not read any of these though I am familiar with The Handmaid's Tale through the TV adaptation. I really do need to read the book one of these days!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/02/28/top-ten-tuesday-409/
Thanks, Jo. See, I only know The Handmaid's Tale because I read it (several times) and I'm not sure whether I want to watch the series. I hope you get to the book one day and can tell me which one you prefer.
DeleteGosh, it's been so long since I've read anything from this genre. I've always wanted to read The Road.
ReplyDeleteThe Road is a good representation of this genre, Deanna. We all like different kinds of books but I am sure there is at least one among my list for everyone.
DeleteYay...dystopian literature! I love that genre, too. From your list I've read (and liked) Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, 1984, and The Lottery. but it sounds like I really need to check out The Children's War.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite, Lark, my absolute favourite though it is a huge book and I can't believe they don't reprint it. But there are always floating some used ones around and maybe one day they notice there are more people interested in it and will bring it out again.
DeleteI have read 1984, but dystopian fiction is so hard for me to get into.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the easiest of reads, Cindy, but I enjoy that. The more difficult, the more deserving, is my motto. Doesn't mean everyone has to share that.
DeleteI don't read a lot of dystopia, although finished Kallocain by Karin Boye the other day, which I liked very much. I got it from you, so thank you. You really get anxiety when you read these kind of books. It was somehow worse than both 1984 and The Road that you mention above, and that I have actually read. I also read The Handmaid's Tale, but was not over enthusiastic about it. I saw many, many moons ago, Fahrenheit 451, but do not remember too much. Maybe I should read the book instead.
ReplyDeleteThank you for highlighting this little known genre to me.
I'm glad you enjoyed this list even though it is not your preferred genre. You are right, it can get you anxious. I like that it usually highlights the fears of a generation, a certain time. But I also like those that do an alternate history, like The Children's War where they imagine life today had the outcome of WWII been different.
DeleteI'm going to look all of these up! I love dystopian books!
ReplyDeleteOoooh, I hope you find some you really like. Thanks, Jana.
DeleteI love dystopian fiction as well! I've only read a couple of these: FAHRENHEIT 451 and THE LOTTERY. I need to check more of these out, especially THE CHILDREN'S WAR because you love it so much :)
ReplyDeleteOh, thanks, Susan. It is a big book and hard to get. But maybe your library has it or can get it for you?
Delete