Best British Novels in Dystopian Category
Irrefutably, British authors have massively contributed majorly in the pour and popularity of dystopian novels in the literary world.
Aldous Huxley, H.G. Wells, Anthony Burgess, and George Orwell are a few great examples of the most celebrated authors from the UK. They are the brilliant minds of some of the most remarkable, classic British dystopian books of all time, which made impressive impacts in literature, and up to this day are still creating a worldwide buzz.
J.K. Rowling, John Lanchester, and Kazuo Ishiguro are three of today’s great contributors to outstanding contemporary speculative fiction of dystopia creative writing.
With that said, I’ve scooped a handful of British dystopian novels that caught my attention for the past years and listed them down below for your reference and source of dystopian books to read if you haven’t.
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Religious Dystopian Novels To Read
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
When you speak about dystopian novels, George Orwell’s classic and timeless novel, “Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984),” is always on the front lines.
He concentrated on the outcomes of extreme autocracy when oppression rules and every move you make is under the scrutiny of the government and how people fight back against the suppression of their freedom.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 237
Goodreads rating – 4.18/5
My rating – 9.25/10
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Brave New World
Aldous Huxley is another famous name in the dystopian literature who created the masterpiece “Brave New World,” which details advanced technological and scientific method rulings.
The social status of every person is under the basis of a hierarchy, according to the intellectual level and capacity. It’s an ideal example of dystopia hiding behind utopia.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 288
Goodreads rating – 3.99/5
My rating – 9.20/10
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“The Time Machine” and “The War of the Worlds”
H.G. Wells is also among the notable contributor to British dystopian novels, and two of his well-known creative works are “The Time Machine” and “The War of the Worlds,” which are both included in my top 100 list.
While “The Time Machine” allows the main character to travel back and forth in history and present and into the future to find answers to stop the death of his wife, “The War of the Worlds” chronicles the plans of invasion’s plot of the Martians as earth’s people are busy with their lives.
The Time Machine
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 288
Goodreads rating – 3.99/5
My rating – 9.20/10
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The War of the Worlds
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 136
Goodreads rating – 3.82/5
My rating – 7.32/10
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Harry Potter
Arguably, J.K. Rowling’s book series with the lead character’s namesake “Harry Potter” is one of the most popular and best-selling novels of all time.
Her eight-book series come at the top of the list of most copies sold with over five million recorded, and the first novel of the series “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is on the top five best-selling books of all time, accounting more than one million copies sold.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Original Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone)
Genre – Dystopian Fiction
Pages – 309
Goodreads rating – 4.47/5
My rating – 9.95/10
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Genre – Dystopian Fiction
Pages – 341
Goodreads rating – 4.42/5
My rating – 9.92/10
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Genre – Dystopian Fiction
Pages – 435
Goodreads rating – 4.57/5
My rating – 9.93/10
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Genre – Dystopian Fiction
Pages – 734
Goodreads rating – 4.56/5
My rating – 9.92/10
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Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix
Genre – Dystopian Fiction
Pages – 870
Goodreads rating – 4.50/5
My rating – 9.90/10
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Genre – Dystopian Fiction
Pages – 652
Goodreads rating – 4.57/5
My rating – 9.93/10
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Genre – Dystopian Fiction
Pages – 759
Goodreads rating – 4.62/5
My rating – 9.98/10
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two
Genre – Dystopian Fiction
Pages – 343
Goodreads rating – 3.63/5
My rating – 9.88/10
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Shades of Grey
Jasper Fforde creates a provocatively distinct narrative that tells a story of an alternative society of the UK, where people’s perception of colours determines their social classes, which is not the case of the main character.
He only sees the “Shades of Grey,” and thus, he belongs to the lower social class. Along with his journey, he unravels the dark secret of their repressive government law.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 400
Goodreads rating – 4.14/5
My rating – 7.97/10
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VanWest The Past
Another personal favourite is coming from Kenneth Thomas, who wonderfully crafted “VanWest the Past” novel.
It follows the journey of the Enforcer as he discovers the dark secrets of his former life while he seizes a group of renegades who wants to change the past.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 195
Goodreads rating – 4.94/5
My rating – 8.00/10
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“The Chrysalids” and “The Day of the Triffids”
John Wyndham wrote two of the crowds’ favourites British Dystopian novels, “The Chrysalids” and “The Day of the Triffids.”
“The Chrysalids” depicts a horrible society where people who have special abilities or powers get purged following the government’s ritual against them.
“The Day of the Triffids,” on the other hand, details a story of a man who got saved from getting blind after a massive meteor struck the earth while he fights against the “Triffids” that are out to kill and destroy mankind.
The Chrysalids
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 200 pages
Goodreads rating – 3.93/5
My rating – 8.02/10
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The Day of the Triffids
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 228
Goodreads rating – 4.02/5
My rating – 7.87/10
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Cloud Atlas
David Mitchell’s third book entitle “Cloud Atlas” is also a crowd favourite and tagged by many readers as a good read due to its meticulously intricate and complex storyline that lays out six interlinked stories in one whole story.
Mitchell made it an exciting roller coaster experience while you go through the pages of the book. Hence, catching a lot of dystopian novels enthusiasts, including yours truly.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 509
Goodreads rating – 4.02/5
My rating – 8.73/10
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A Clockwork Orange
“A Clockwork Orange” follows the life of a teen gang member living in a society where the outlaws are taking over the streets after the night.
Anthony Burgess narrates a story between good and evil and the fight for human freedom in a devastatingly chaotic world. The author seemingly wants to show what will happen if mankind is excessively repressed and the nightmares of unlawful order in the community.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 213
Goodreads rating – 4.00/5
My rating – 9.13/10
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The Knife of Never Letting Go
Patrick Ness chronicles a plot of a young boy who flees from the town he grew up in, where people hear others’ thoughts after he learns the truth about his past.
“The Knife of Never Letting Go” focuses on the boy’s journey outside his neighbourhood, as he gets entangled with various terrible characters and situations that are quite unimaginable.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 479
Goodreads rating – 3.98/5
My rating – 8.54/10
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On The Beach
Listed in my top 100 best dystopian books of all time is this Nevil Shute’s masterpiece entitled “On The Beach,” which plots world in dystopia after it a nuclear attack destroyed everything.
With the captain receiving a weak signal of Morse code from somewhere Seattle in America, he hopes for any sign of human life.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 296
Goodreads rating – 3.94/5
My rating – 7.39/10
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Never Let Me Go
Sir Kazuo Ishiguro, a “Nobel Laureate in Literature” recipient, is turning heads as well these days with his mysterious and gripping creative style in writing.
Ishiguro created a storyline that illustrates a seemingly perfect society win a boarding school, unknowingly hides a tragic truth and fate of the children. As the story progresses, they will learn the story behind their existence.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 288
Goodreads rating – 3.82/5
My rating – 9.25/10
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Lord of the Flies
An all-time classic favourite is the “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, which is a “Nobel Prize” awardee.
It tells a story British boys getting stranded in a deserted island and the dreadful turn out of events as they try to govern each other. While paranoia sinks in with some of the boys, the innocent boys turned into wild beasts hunting each other and one running away for his life.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 182
Goodreads rating – 3.68/5
My rating – 9.53/10
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The Children of Men
P.D. James centres his story in a dying dystopian world where mass infertility reigns the society, and people don’t see any future ahead, as earth seemingly stops to revolve.
However, a group of men called the resistance fights for the right and will to survive and hope that there’s still a future ahead of them as they refuse to accept the concept of the majority.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages – 241
Goodreads rating – 3.68/5
My rating – 8.07/10
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Incarceron
The story revolves around the people living in prison. Catherine Fisher illustrates a society of the life of people, who are both living inside and outside of the prison, and their experiences.
Genre – Dystopian Literature
Pages –458
Goodreads rating – 3.64/5
My rating – 7.54/10
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Final Say
Recently, the British novelist and journalist John Lanchester created a stir in literature and across as he published his thought-provoking and controversial novel “The Wall,” which earned praises throughout the literary world.
And before J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, came J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic “The Lord of the Rings.”
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