dystopia
Who’s the real Mickey? Does it matter?
In Bong Joon Ho’s new satire, both versions of the title character are as expendable as the underclasses that fuel our capitalist system.
The wisdom of Earthseed
In the Parable novels, Octavia Butler imagines not just a dystopian future but also a way to survive it.
Books for pandemic reading
Nine writers tell us about a book they’ve read recently that’s helped them reframe what it means to be a person of faith and a reader right now.
Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible is a believable climate fable
The dystopian novel feels about 15 minutes away from becoming reality.
Back to Margaret Atwood’s Gilead
The Testaments returns to the world of The Handmaid’s Tale. Is this a good idea?
A fictional world where abortion and IVF are illegal—and the women who live there
Leni Zumas's novel makes a political point. More importantly, it cultivates empathy.
What happens after you survive an apocalypse?
The lively dystopian worlds of Louise Erdrich and Kaethe Schwehn
The strange hope of dystopian fiction since The Road
Surviving and communing together are sacred gestures.
Why I find The Handmaid's Tale surprisingly comforting
Resistance might not achieve its outer aims. Nevertheless, its inner life persists.