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Dystopia vs. Science Fiction

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on June 1, 2012.

Gentle Readers,

We have a problem. To many of you, this missive will not be a surprise. To others, it may come as a great shock, but I feel that it is something we need to discuss, no matter the discomfort it may cause.

The problem is this: so many of you are wrong.

I know, I know. Someone is wrong on the Internet! I must correct them posthaste! I sense your mockery. But I cannot let it stop me from proclaiming a truth that has lain dormant for too long, too many of us taking it for granted as legions of ignorant readers brazenly flout it.

What truth is it that I write of? Only this simple fact: not all science fiction novels are dystopias.

Let that percolate for a while. Take all the time you need.

Are you ready to move on? Then let’s. 

The hallmark of a dystopia is the presence of a repressive or controlling society, usually presented initially as utopian. I also posit that this must necessarily be done on a large scale. Failing that, it must seem to be large-scale. (Teenage readers, just because your parents repress your ability to party on Friday nights does not mean your home is a dystopia.)

When one considers this all-important defining factor, one can easily determine the difference between a solid science fiction tale and a dystopia. And yet so many of you insist on conflating the two! Yes, dystopias are science fiction stories, but the opposite is not always true.

Perhaps some examples will help shed light on the situation.

Not dystopias: Variant (157 Goodreads readers have been misled into calling this a dystopia). Cinder (422 befuddled creatures). Tankborn (59 confused souls). The Obsidian Blade (1 lonely reader). Daughter of Smoke and Bone (22 readers who need to stop reading fantasy while under the influence of certain substances). The Fault in Our Stars (not even the professionals are immune).

Dear, gentle readers who have read any of the above-named books: please review them in your mind. I have no doubt that once you carefully consider the defining criterion for a dystopia, you will acknowledge the error of your ways.

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell! you insist. And I acknowledge this. Some science fiction novels do have dystopian themes or portions that involve a dystopian society. I can think of two easily: Across the Universe by Beth Revis and Ashes by Ilsa Bick. The repressive and controlling society is there, even if it’s not present through the entire book. If you choose to call these dystopias, I shall not shame you for it. Still, I urge you to use caution.

Perhaps now you are beginning to doubt yourself. Is anything a true dystopia? you ask. I feel like my whole life is a lie! you exclaim. Fear not. You may keep your Hunger Games, your Divergent, your Delirium and Wither. Do not doubt all you read. All I ask is that you examine carefully what it is you read before you proclaim it a dystopia. Pause, and consider.

So join with me, readers, and proclaim your resolve to not call all gardening tools spades. No more shall we be subject to the tyranny of incorrect labels. No more shall we allow the varied, vast, and endlessly creative field of science fiction to be ignorantly winnowed down to a slender subgenre. We shall strive for accuracy in all our categorization endeavors, and we will not back down from the truth!

Yours in Labeling Veracity,

A Concerned Reader

Comments

  1. THANK YOU!

    Ahem, I mean, I would like to subscribe to your newsletter! (rss feed?) I agree with all of this, especially about Cinder. I thought maybe I was going crazy for a while and didn't fully understand what Dystopias were meant to be like.

    A recent example, Hemlock. I've seen it mentioned as a Dystopia in a couple reviews and now I'm fairly confused. Does this count as a Dystopian society?

    • Hemlock isn't a dystopian society, in my reading of it! It's not a controlling government. There's a government conspiracy, but it's part of the mystery, rather than the oppressive society.

    • I stumbled across Goodreads definition of a dystopia while writing this post and just shook my head. "Dystopia is a form of literature that explores social and political structures. It is a creation of a nightmare world – unlike its opposite, Utopia, which is an ideal world." No, Goodreads, just including a shitty world is not enough to make it a dystopia. They do go on to say that if "often" involves a repressive society, but that's misleading – it ALWAYS involves that. That is what makes it a dystopia.

  3. My first reaction: "What the what?! THE FAULT IN OUR STARS isn't even sci-fi! Wake up, NYT!"

    Completely agree with this post. There's also a fine line between "dystopian" and "post-apocalyptic" which escapes many readers. In YA fiction, so many dystopian societies arise after some apocalyptic event that even I am occasionally guilty of conflating the two. In fact, a book such as CANDOR by Pam Bachorz can be dystopian without being post-apocalyptic, and a book such as LIFE AS WE KNEW IT by Susan Beth Pfeffer can be post-apocalyptic without being dystopian.

    • I think it's easy to conflate the two (easier than conflating dystopia with plain old science fiction, I mean). Ashes is a good example: post-apocalyptic that gives rise to a dystopian society in the second half. I agree they are different – but I let the two share a Goodreads shelf, personally.

  4. now we really need to get into dystopia vs apocalyptic….extremely frustrating when people call post-apocalyptic stories dystopian! I'm like….THE ROAD IS NOT DYSTOPIAN DUDE

  5. This line gets me laughing every single time: "Teenage readers, just because your parents repress your ability to party on Friday nights does not mean your home is a dystopia."

  6. I agree! Too many people will call anything with a hint of government a dystopian. When I was doing a dystopian challenge last year, I think I was one of the only people who didn't count ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. You're right, that one walks the line, so I can see why people think it is one; I personally don't.

    Also, ROFL over "Teenage readers, just because your parents repress your ability to party on Friday nights does not mean your home is a dystopia."

  7. I agree it's thrown around a lot in relation to anything sci-fi. I'll admit to slapping the d-label on Variant (though I managed to avoid Cinder, which I labeled as fairy tale and sci-fi). I'm not even going do defend it, since it's quite likely mislabeled. All that said, I think dystopian as a genre label is moving expanding to include other types of sci-fi – like apocalyptic and post-apoc as others mentioned, even without the repressive society. As far as those other egregious misuses of the label, I'm kind of speechless. And I love the cheekiness of your letter. 🙂

  8. THANK YOU! I complain about this loudly and often, so I'm hoping a few people actually let this sink in. Not everything that is futuristic, post-apocalyptic or sci fi is a dystopian. I realize dystopians got REALLY popular, and that they were a gateway read to other sci fi for a lot of readers, but too many of those readers have failed to distinguish genre and subgenre.