Dark Days Dystopian for the Not so Young Adult

Now or then or looming again, it is sometimes good to read and feel tragedy. But often times the darkest of the genre is made a mockery by poor characterizations and story lines more involved in maintaining sexual tension than developing a plot or bringing a deeper meaning to life. These stories from the dark side bring thought, character, meaning and developed plots. Some better than others, but all worthy reads. Beware of the nonfiction. Sometimes the truth is darker that fiction

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1	Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 3.99 avg rating — 1,664,695 ratings score: 1,273, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	1984 by George Orwell 4.19 avg rating — 3,910,366 ratings score: 1,130, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 1,779,015 ratings score: 1,030, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Animal Farm by George Orwell 3.97 avg rating — 3,341,207 ratings score: 723, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	The Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.98 avg rating — 806,278 ratings score: 593, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 3.98 avg rating — 2,068,332 ratings score: 506, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Year of the Flood (MaddAddam, #2) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 117,991 ratings score: 460, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 247,166 ratings score: 457, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Watchmen by Alan Moore (Goodreads Author) 4.37 avg rating — 525,300 ratings score: 435, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card 4.30 avg rating — 1,265,812 ratings score: 428, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Catch-22 by Joseph Heller 3.98 avg rating — 785,032 ratings score: 409, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.69 avg rating — 2,611,640 ratings score: 398, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1) by William Gibson 3.90 avg rating — 295,303 ratings score: 381, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1) by Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 174,898 ratings score: 371, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1) by Ernest Cline (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 1,034,722 ratings score: 299, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (Goodreads Author) 3.74 avg rating — 72,205 ratings score: 291, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 487,726 ratings score: 288, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 585,481 ratings score: 287, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Shift (Silo, #2) by Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 78,509 ratings score: 284, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Dust (Silo, #3) by Hugh Howey (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 74,608 ratings score: 281, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Stand by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 697,612 ratings score: 278, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo 4.19 avg rating — 39,250 ratings score: 266, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	It by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 963,763 ratings score: 251, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift 4.03 avg rating — 43,378 ratings score: 248, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Brave New World / Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley 4.16 avg rating — 155,132 ratings score: 245, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.41 avg rating — 1,353,101 ratings score: 234, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	After the Fall - Tales of the Apocalypse by Kelly Gardner (Editor) 3.57 avg rating — 138 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Ark by Annabel Smith (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 69 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Culmination by Holly Smith (Goodreads Author) 3.69 avg rating — 26 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Jagannath by Kerry Alan Denney (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 92 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Passage (The Passage, #1) by Justin Cronin (Goodreads Author) 4.03 avg rating — 202,244 ratings score: 178, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The World Without Us by Alan Weisman 3.80 avg rating — 40,212 ratings score: 177, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	The Twelve (The Passage, #2) by Justin Cronin (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 94,038 ratings score: 176, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Feed (Newsflesh, #1) by Mira Grant 3.85 avg rating — 55,936 ratings score: 166, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Blackout (Newsflesh, #3) by Mira Grant 4.09 avg rating — 21,817 ratings score: 165, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Deadline (Newsflesh, #2) by Mira Grant 4.10 avg rating — 25,204 ratings score: 164, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Giver (The Giver, #1) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 2,151,422 ratings score: 163, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) by Lev Grossman (Goodreads Author) 3.52 avg rating — 251,630 ratings score: 162, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Gathering Blue (The Giver, #2) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 177,617 ratings score: 161, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Magician King (The Magicians, #2) by Lev Grossman (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 94,265 ratings score: 160, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Messenger (The Giver, #3) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 126,220 ratings score: 159, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Boneshaker (The Clockwork Century, #1) by Cherie Priest (Goodreads Author) 3.52 avg rating — 32,851 ratings score: 151, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Unwind (Unwind, #1) by Neal Shusterman (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 213,230 ratings score: 139, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.01 avg rating — 536,368 ratings score: 139, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 2,812,079 ratings score: 134, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts 4.26 avg rating — 193,186 ratings score: 131, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 183,005 ratings score: 124, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 236,029 ratings score: 122, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Moon Dwellers (The Dwellers, #1) by David Estes (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 4,234 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Dogs of Orninica by Daniel Unedo (Goodreads Author) 3.75 avg rating — 48 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Hunt by Brad Stevens (Goodreads Author) 3.45 avg rating — 42 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Shade of the Moon (Last Survivors, #4) by Susan Beth Pfeffer 3.29 avg rating — 10,531 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Scars by Cheryl Rainfield (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 14,737 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Immortality Game by Ted Cross (Goodreads Author) 3.71 avg rating — 272 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Fourth Generation by Chris von Halle (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 24 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	A Mighty Rolling Thunder by Kerry Alan Denney (Goodreads Author) 4.58 avg rating — 31 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Rat City (Rat City, #1) by Tyffani Clark Kemp (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 21 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Gilded Harvest by Richard Myerscough (Goodreads Author) 4.43 avg rating — 7 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Sight of the Sea: A Story of the Flood (Antediluvian Tales Book 4) by Alisson Veldhuis (Goodreads Author) 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 3.86 avg rating — 885,889 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield (Goodreads Author) 3.83 avg rating — 385 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Les Misérables by Victor Hugo 4.19 avg rating — 746,002 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Swan Song by Robert McCammon 4.28 avg rating — 61,381 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	This Perfect Day by Ira Levin 4.01 avg rating — 8,741 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Fate of the Species: Why the Human Race May Cause Its Own Extinction and How We Can Stop It by Fred Guterl 3.61 avg rating — 208 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Irish Eyes by Lee Ryder (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Broken Earth by Lee Ryder (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 32 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	Shattered Hearts by Lee Ryder (Goodreads Author) 4.56 avg rating — 16 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 663,008 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	All the Devils are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis by Bethany McLean 4.03 avg rating — 7,014 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress--and a Plan to Stop It by Lawrence Lessig 4.17 avg rating — 2,727 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	MaddAddam (MaddAddam, #3) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 71,042 ratings score: 78, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Son (The Giver, #4) by Lois Lowry (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 93,363 ratings score: 70, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden--from 9/11 to Abbottabad by Peter L. Bergen 4.10 avg rating — 4,002 ratings score: 69, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	No Exit and Three Other Plays by Jean-Paul Sartre 4.08 avg rating — 28,363 ratings score: 68, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Post Office by Charles Bukowski 3.95 avg rating — 115,972 ratings score: 67, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It by Al Gore 3.77 avg rating — 6,584 ratings score: 64, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	The Cry and the Covenant by Morton Thompson 4.52 avg rating — 283 ratings score: 63, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1) by Gregory Maguire 3.54 avg rating — 585,947 ratings score: 62, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Son of a Witch (The Wicked Years, #2) by Gregory Maguire 3.48 avg rating — 60,208 ratings score: 61, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire by John N. Maclean 4.14 avg rating — 1,180 ratings score: 60, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean 4.06 avg rating — 5,702 ratings score: 59, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 35,623 ratings score: 58, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Thin Ice: Unlocking the Secrets of Climate in the World's Highest Mountains by Mark Bowen 4.06 avg rating — 83 ratings score: 57, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Our Angry Earth: A Ticking Ecological Bomb by Isaac Asimov 3.81 avg rating — 100 ratings score: 56, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Millennium by John Varley 3.77 avg rating — 2,670 ratings score: 55, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 90,687 ratings score: 53, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, #2) by Anne Rice 4.08 avg rating — 188,799 ratings score: 41, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 4.51 avg rating — 623,914 ratings score: 38, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Caligula and Three Other Plays by Albert Camus 4.05 avg rating — 1,551 ratings score: 37, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Assault on Reason by Al Gore 3.78 avg rating — 7,238 ratings score: 36, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Blindness by José Saramago 4.16 avg rating — 247,629 ratings score: 35, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, #1) by Seth Grahame-Smith (Goodreads Author) 3.71 avg rating — 134,911 ratings score: 32, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Count Zero (Sprawl, #2) by William Gibson 4.01 avg rating — 49,812 ratings score: 31, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 3.94 avg rating — 58,684 ratings score: 30, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The City & the City by China Miéville (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 63,267 ratings score: 29, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

96 books · 99 voters · list created October 11th, 2013 by Daniel Mala (votes) .

Tags: apocalyptic, dark, dystopian, failed-institutions, science-fiction, societal-collapse, tragedy

22 likes · Like

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Comments Showing 1-6 of 6 (6 new)

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message 1: by Andrey (new)

Nov 16, 2013 02:48PM

Love this list!

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message 2: by Daniel (new)

Nov 17, 2013 05:37PM

Thanks, It's a tough genre to navigate with all the not so hot books in play.

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message 3: by Andrew (new)

Jan 18, 2014 07:53PM

Good list, but there a are quite a few books on there that are not Dystopian, like IT, The Magicians and it's sequel, Lord of the Rings, anything by Anne Rice, anything by Al Gore, and all the Zombie/Vampire books on the list.

Thank god Hunger games is not on this list.

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message 4: by Daniel (new)

Jan 19, 2014 10:09PM

Andrew wrote: "Good list, but there a are quite a few books on there that are not Dystopian, like IT, The Magicians and it's sequel, Lord of the Rings, anything by Anne Rice, anything by Al Gore, and all the Zomb..."

Perhaps… But I see it differently. I reject genre precedence as having any meaning whatsoever. Dystopia does have a definition…

a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.

So my list crosses some of the better of the genre with books that both nonfiction and fiction and are excellent reads for those with a leaning towards topics of "society characterized by human misery…"

By definition I would argue that Les Miserable is one of the earliest and most engrossing piece of dystopian literature. I would also venture that anyone who enjoyed the hell out of Wool Omnibus might never think to read Les Miserable, but if they did they would likely find it right up their alley.

I get that Dystopian as a genre generally excludes vampires, killer clowns, egotistical self absorbed magicians, zombies, global warming, collapse of the financial system, and the like, but that just makes the genre narrow to the definition because all these topics take place is societies filled with human misery. Some fiction… some not…

That said, I focused mainly on putting up books that are great reads on the dark side. I didn't realize that people could add to my list here, but what the hell.

And I read Hunger Games… Fits the genre, but didn't make the list. Sort of a formula book… teenagers being treated poorly with punishment unfitting… this being the girl that is split between two boys variation that milks the sexual tension for 3 books. (There are also the boy split between two girls versions of this formula out there.) Whatever! It doesn't really push the literary envelope now does it.

Thanks for the thoughts!

Dan...

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message 5: by Daniel (new)

Sep 16, 2014 11:29PM

INTENSIONS OF THIS LIST UNCHAINED...

I don't know if this will be read by anyone, but when I set up this list I didn't realize that anyone could add to it. Since any good read members can I think that is cool is some ways and then not so much in others and then there is a part of me that is perplexed. Maybe I can make this into a book review topic, though instead of books it would be reviewing how listopia works.

So I'll get out the part that is not so cool so I can focus on the cool and perplexing. My point of this list was to have a list that wasn't filled with YA formula books. Now admittedly I'm not really against these books. I've read many of them. They are usually quick reads and I get to roll my eyes at predictive plots and stupid sequences that involve trying to figure out who your sole mate while being chased by zombies or some other equally gruesome threat.

However, I wanted this list FOR THE NOT SO YOUNG ADULT to not be adulterated with books whose target audience is the 13 year old girl. So my list is not only defiled with "Life as we Knew it.", but the whole ridiculous "Last Survivors" Series. So I ask that people think to themselves prior to putting a book on this list, "is the likely reader of this book a 13 year old girl?" and if the answer is yes go put your book on some other list. Plenty of options out there. Good God, next someone will put on "The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh"!

So, that's out of my system. On to the Cool. I do love that people put interesting books on this list. As I dubbed it a list that travels outside the genre of dystopia into more of a definitive dystopian collection. That meaning any story set in a society charactered by human misery is a contender. Someone put in "A Tale of Two Cities". Not my favorite, but exactly where I was going with this list. Excellent literature for grown ups that like books with a hard edge.

Now, the perplexing. How in the hell does this ranking system work anyway? It's a little crazy in that "The Road" (arguably the best book ever written in this genre), "The Stand", "Ready Player One", "Neuromancer", (I can go on)... all these are great books that have been rated by 10's or 100's of thousands of people. I think it is great that what appears to be new authors throw their books on this list and can say their's my book with 208 ratings on the same list as some of the great literature of this type. However, it appears that there is some weird trick to get your book to the top of the list. One of the 9 books placed 33 on this list has 11 ratings and only 1 person voted for it and it's ranked higher than "MaddAddam", "The City and The City" and "The Dog Stars". Hell it is ranked even higher than the 13 year old girl book collection. At least a few thousand 13 year old girls took the time to read those books and rate them.

I do like seeing these books on my list as I'm always down with catching some new author on the upswing. Love that I was in early on the "Silo Series". Hugh Howey is a great story teller. But let's be real. I seriously doubt that "The Meat Market" and "Alien Species Intervention" are by any literary standard deserving of the top seats on this list. I haven't read them so I could be wrong. In fact, I may actually read them some day and may just love these books. I'm just saying, on this list they would have to be spectacular to hold the true top position. I'm sure that if they were above the caliber of say "The Road", there would be a bigger audience reading and rating these books.

So if you read this you may be the only one. Under no circumstances should this post be placed on the list. Under the bizarro rating system it may knock out the top seed.

Always appreciate thoughts...

Dan....

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message 6: by Shadowjac (last edited Oct 13, 2015 09:32AM) (new)

Oct 13, 2015 09:30AM

Daniel wrote: "INTENSIONS OF THIS LIST UNCHAINED...

I don't know if this will be read by anyone, but when I set up this list I didn't realize that anyone could add to it. Since any good read members can I think ..."
I removed some young adult books from this list including the life as we knew it and its sequels, and the maze runner.
Do you want me to remove the giver?

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