Dystopian Genre – What’s the best definition for the dystopian fiction genre? Dystopian is the opposite of utopian. A utopia is the ideal society, perfect in every way. Dystopian fiction is based on the nightmare of a civilization where everything has fallen apart. Many novels combine both the utopian and dystopian society structures to represent choices and different outcomes. These types of societies are found often in science fiction and speculative fiction titles.
Dystopian fiction usually takes place after society has failed or fallen in some way. It would be the flash forward after an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic event when society has been rebuilt.
Review this list of popular examples to help you get a better understanding of the dystopian fiction genre.