11 Futuristic Dystopian Novels That Haunt My Present

This truly unique near future dystopian begins with a pandemic. No, not that pandemic, but having been published very early in 2020, one can’t help but draw on the similarities and their own experiences. Of course, where Flynn takes the story from there is not only unexpected but sweeping—spanning decades. What if you could upload your consciousness after you die? You could still be close to your loved ones, perhaps even continue “living” yourself. But like anything else, there is a catch. Sure, the wealthy can find themselves inside human-looking robots remaining close to their loved ones, but not everyone gets that luxury. And every robot is owned by the Metis corporation and leased to a family. Thus, an entire subset of society is born of those who are uploaded but not rented to their own families. They are given the base model tin-can shell and are bought by others to act as companions for those trapped in quarantine, run errands, serve others, or work less-desirable jobs. Don’t worry though, there is programming in place to make sure they only follow the commands they are given. So, when high school student Lilac is murdered, she suddenly finds herself inside the body of a tin-can-style companion. But everything changes when Lilac learns to defy commands and finally tracks down the person who murdered her. Flynn brings in multiple POVs and a wonderful cast of characters to flesh out this future that will linger with you beyond the page.

This is not a post-apocalyptic read: this is the end of the world as we know it completely. Everyone is buzzing about AI now, but soon it will be able to solve even more complex problems. For example, how do we save the planet from complete and total environmental collapse? Simple. Remove humans from the equation. With almost every human gone, the last part of Project Afterworld can take place, allowing for an ecological shift to save the world. Sen Anon is to bear witness to this rewilding as drones capture everything around her and she keeps a private account in her journal. When she is finished, she will join the rest of humanity on Maia, a virtual world where every other human being has already been archived. She is the last one left, but not for much longer. While Sen is writing her thoughts and feelings, her entire life is being chronicled by an AI writer using 21st-century novels as its framework. Sen breaks down in the face of death, but the AI keeps writing, adapting, and changing. Most unexpectedly, it’s telling an incredibly intimate portrayal of Sen’s life. Can this AI author fall in love with its subject? And what could be the possible ramifications of such a thing? A truly different take on AI that is sure to leave you speechless as you navigate AFTER WORLD. Filled with mortality, humanity, and isolation, this book should not be missed.

THE MEMBRANES is considered a classic of queer speculative fiction and absolutely will have you thinking deep thoughts, probably forever, after reading it. Originally published in Taiwan in 1995, Chi Ta-wei explores gender and memories in a way that feels modern and futuristic for readers today. If you’re looking for something with a punk feel and are willing to stretch your mind, then THE MEMBRANES is for you. Devastating climate change has wrecked the surface of the Earth, forcing humans to live in domes at the bottom of the sea, where media conglomerates control everything and society runs on unfair cyborg labor. Momo is a celebrated dermatologist in one such dome living in T City. Momo is quiet and keeps to herself despite her notoriety and A-list media-star clientele. After a meeting with her estranged mother, Momo suddenly questions everything around her and herself. Thus begins a journey that pushes gender and reality.

First of all, with a title like VENOMOUS LUMPSUCKER, how can you not be intrigued? Oh, but don’t let the bright pink cover fool you, this is not a happy book. I mean how could it be on a list of futuristic tales designed to haunt the here and now if that were the case? But this bleak near-future read is full of clever and fast-paced writing that you’ll come to realize might just be the most intriguing apocalyptic read thus far. The number of mass extinctions each year has reached the tens of thousands. So much so that there is an entire industry now dedicated to trying to preserve what they can. Secure biobanks are filled with DNA samples and information on these species in hopes of being able to resurrect them someday. That is until a mysterious and well-planned cyberattack wipes out every biobank in a single swoop. All remaining traces of the species we lost are gone forever. But Karin Resaint and Mark Halyard are only concerned about one. Ten points if you guessed the venomous lumpsucker. While it looks like just an ugly bottom feeder, it is the most intelligent fish in the world and they are on a quest to find a survivor. As their search continues, they begin to look into the attack and who could really be behind such a deed.

Robert Frost wrote, “Some say the world will end in fire, some in ice.” And after reading COLD PEOPLE, I might need to agree with him on the whole favoring fire thing, because this is CHILLING! Of course, before we get to the ice part, we also have the alien part, which was decidedly not an option that Frost prepared me for. Nevertheless, COLD PEOPLE really is a haunting conglomeration of stories. The world as we know it, is over. There wasn’t a warning or reason or room for argument. An external omnipotent force arrived on Earth and gave every human the same message. You have thirty days to reach Antarctica and attempt to survive, or you can perish. Jumping between those attempting to make the journey to Antarctica in 2023 and those attempting to survive there in 2024, Smith crafts a frigid imaginative tale of human adaptability and what lines we’re willing to cross to keep inhabiting this planet. With multiple periods and multiple POVs, Smith allows for a wide and all-encompassing approach to this horrifying future he’s depicted.

Even before I started writing this list last week, I was actively thinking about this book. It snuck its way back to the forefront of my mind, and I think that, in and of itself, is very telling. THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS is not an easy read. It’s upsetting, off-putting, and almost forces emotions to the side—which feels like an effective narrative tactic as you dive into these pages. Frida does not feel like she has a career her parents would be proud of, and her marriage is in shambles, with her husband having a younger mistress. But Frida has her daughter, and that’s enough. And for the most part, Frida is a good mother. Or is she? After a horrible day with a terrible mistake, the state will determine if that’s true or not. For her lapse in judgment, she is sentenced to a year-long program to see if she really can be a good mother. But this constant surveillance program with impossible standards is determined to find any fault with the parents they receive. Frida must prove she can exceed their expectations if she wants to be reunited with her daughter and ditch the training doll that looks just like her.

This is a strong and terrifying work of literary fiction with a dash of misused technology for a dystopian near future. Skyhorse builds and builds the feeling of dread as the story progresses and we’re all forced to think and evaluate the world so we don’t end up with a future like this. Iris Prince finally feels happy to be starting over with her nine-year-old daughter, Melanie. After years of disconnect between Iris and her husband, they’re finally amicably divorcing, and she’s excited to build a new community with a new house in a new neighborhood. And then one day the wall appears. It seemingly arrives in her front yard overnight, with no explanation. That, and the wall seems to be changing and growing, but what on earth could any of that mean? While Iris puzzles over the wall in her yard, a new technology hits the market called “The Band” that allows you to track utilities and soon replaces traditional driver’s licenses and ID cards. Now everyone needs one, but they are only available to those who can prove parental US citizenship. For Iris, a proud second-generation Mexican American, it means she is now of questionable origin and unable to receive a Band. She and her undocumented family are no longer able to prove who they are and where they belong. Fear and hatred grow as those without The Band are treated like second-class citizens, and Iris will do whatever she must to protect her family. Skyhorse weaves a literary narrative that is a mix of magical realism and science fiction with incredible visuals. What does it really mean to belong?

Buckle up for another near-future climate-crisis dystopian, except Googins has written a bit more of an action thriller that will take you on a heart-pounding journey. Our minuscule efforts do nothing to stop climate change, and in our not-so-far future, we see the worst of its effects. Daily wildfires and other extreme weather events, mass migrations, and livelihoods are destroyed as inequality reaches new heights. Life is on the brink of destruction until miraculously the small grass-roots climate movement convinces the world to come together and save the planet. Together they rebuild society, and this becomes known as The Great Transition. Emi Vargas was born post-transition and lives in what is considered a utopia compared to life before. She is constantly reminded by her parents, who fought and sacrificed as instrumental people in The Great Transition, about how lucky she is to live now.  But now her parents’ marriage is struggling and there is new political unrest. When Emi’s mother goes missing, her illusion of safety vanishes and she begins to question the world around her. Told from Emi’s perspective as she searches for her mother and from her mother’s perspective in the present and as a climate warrior during The Great Transition.

Very dark, shockingly violent, and incredibly visual Adjei-Brenyah has created a unique and poignant near future that takes a harsh look at the American private-prison system. American private prisons have reintroduced gladiator fighting as a way to continue profit-raising through the CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, program. Incredibly popular, and divisively controversial, these gladiators are fighting for the ultimate prize: their freedom. Those participating in CAPE travel as Links in Chain-Gangs to each arena where they fight to the death. Fans cheer loudly for each fight, while protestors shout just as loudly from the gates. Loretta Thurwar is at the top of her gang and right behind her is Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker, her teammate and lover. Together Stacker and Thurwar are the fan favorites, but Thurwar is only a few matches from gaining her freedom. Thurwar ponders how to preserve her humanity outside as she prepares for victory. Of course, victory hasn’t been won yet, and those who run CAPE will do anything to keep the current system in place. The challenges they put before Thurwar will have horrifying consequences as Adjei-Brenyah questions what freedom actually means in a society built on systemic racism and overrun by unchecked capitalism.

TENDER IS THE FLESH truly is a horror novel. It is unrelenting in its brutality and designed to shock and appall. But it is as disgusting as it is engaging. Bazterrica leans into gross body horror to delve deep into humanity’s ceaseless hunger and greed. In a world much like our own, eating meat from animals is no longer an option, as a virus has made all other animal proteins poisonous to humans. It’s okay though. The governments have developed a solution. The Transition now allows “special meat” to be consumed. Human meat is the only option, but no one calls it, or them, that anymore. Marcos works at the processing plant. He is keeping his head down and trying to focus on the numbers and the processing. That is until he receives an especially fine living specimen. Marcos knows that any form of personal contact is punishable by death. And yet, slowly, he begins to treat her like a person. As things escalate Marcos is tortured by the reality of what their world has lost. There are so many scenes that Bazterrica puts on the page that you won’t be able to unsee, let alone stop thinking about!

Whether you believe it or not, witches are real, and the state will do anything to prevent the use of witchcraft. Thus, women must either marry by age 30 or register for close government monitoring for any hint of magical acts. To be accused of witchcraft usually ends the way it did in Salem, with fire. Women are expected to conform, neighbors are expected to spy on neighbors, and anything considered peculiar could put you under suspicion. And a young Black woman who wants to retain her autonomy and is not interested in marriage for the sake of marriage is certainly considered peculiar. Add to that the fact that her mother went missing fourteen years ago and is now presumed to be both dead and a witch, which is where we find 28-year-old Jo. Trying to determine her future, Jo feels as though she finally understands her mother. So, when an updated version of her mother’s will is finally found, Jo jumps at the opportunity to fulfill her mother’s last request. No matter how bizarre it might seem. Giddings has created a terrifying and enchanting world full of female rage and female hope in a racist, misogynistic, and homophobic world. Her stream-of-consciousness style of writing takes us down an unforgettable reading journey.