In your reading of 1984, you have ventured into the world of dystopian literature. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction under its entry for "dystopias" states that "Dystopian images are almost invariably images of future society, pointing fearfully at the way the world is supposedly going in order to provide urgent propaganda for a change in direction." Dystopian literature is a rich world of reading that had its beginnings in at the turn of the 20th century. For a brief history of dystopian literature see the link to Andrew Liptak's "A Brief History of Dystopian Literature" in the Kirkus Review. Browse this page for bits and pieces on just a few of the important titles and critical responses to this genre.
