If I could categorize books, horror dystopian societies would be a favorite. Maybe more accurately, Horror. There's something about breaking the rules that isn't teenage society fiction (Hunger Games, Divergent, etc) that is exciting. So, if I was an English Teacher, I would probably teach the following books:
1. Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica - a favorite horror book of mine, if not a little heavy handed on the vegan propaganda. In a world where a virus decimates all animals, humans are forced to eat humans and treat humans like cattle. It has both commentary on the animal/meat industry and how we treat people that we view as "lesser". It really causes you to examine what we eat, how we treat others, and why.
2. The One Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin - I read this short story in high school and it stayed with me forever. A moral dilemma of a beautiful, prosperous society juxtaposed with the singular suffering of a child. The entire nation is flourishing at the expense of one person in pain. If you comfort the child, the entire civilization will collapse, everyone knows this. It's a great philosophical debate as today we still have child slavery (a child mined the cobalt for your iphone and the shimmer in your makeup) and exploitation of poor people. Is the ending morally right? Read it here: Omelas.pdf
3. The Lottery by Shirely Jackson - Another short story that I read in high school that stuck with me. A village stones one person to death each year but there is no listed reason. Everyone in this close knit village assumes it is normal to stone someone that you knew to death. It reminded me of villages and practices in India where mob mentality and tradition hold fast. Read it here: “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson | The New Yorker
4. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - This book is relevant now more than ever with screens raising kids and parents making excuses like "my 6 yr old can't read" (I was reading by 3-4 yrs old which is standard guys!) Books are a great source of knowledge and a great way to pass ideas around. With the invention of the Printing Press, we had mass literacy. Reading is a taught skill. However, oral storytelling as a rich history as well, which was what was used before mass literacy. Songs delivered reminders, instructions, and messages (like creepy children songs) The book is more about controlling media, dumbing literature down into short form content (TikTok), and stopping the spread of nuanced ideas by creating group-think.
5. 1984 by George Orwell - Big government and group think and suppression of thought. Very much in line with Plato's Allegory of the Cave and Ba Sing Se motto "There is no war in Ba Sing Se". A great book that asks you to analyze the content you are being fed. Do you believe there is a war? Is the government bombing itself? Maybe there is no war, just suppression of its own people (North Korea anyone?). A great philosophical debate and political one. Who is right and who submits? Who really holds the power?
6. The Fortress by S.A. Jones - A book similar to the Handmaid's Tale but in reverse. A misogynistic businessman, Jonathon Bridge, must spend a year in an all-female, matriarchal city-state called The Fortress as penance for his infidelity and the sexual violence at his firm. Its interesting and definitely brings up a lot of questions about morality, culture, corporate culture, and ingrained patriarchy. You will feel the feelings reading this book. Fairness vs unfairness and retribution are themes.
7. Plato's Allegory of the Cave - Okay, technically this is a pure philosophy book, but I feel it goes with the themes of questioning authority, education, and understanding the world around you is not what it seems. I think being chained in a cave without light is a horror on it's own, but I digress. Read it here: plato republic 7.pdf
8. Dune by Frank Herbert - I absolutely love Dune! Dune is great because it warns against charismatic leaders but also has deep themes of religion, genetics, and power. Religion and power go hand in hand. There are politics and nukes and hundreds of years of genetic breeding to create Paul Atreides. Is he truly the Chosen One or is it all just part of a bigger plot? What does Paul believe?
9. The Giver by Lois Lowery - A utopia where all emotion is destroyed. No color, same clothing, everyone has food and housing and permitted families. It seems utopian but there is a secret under the surface. One person named The Giver has all of humanities memories like war, fire, hunger, sex, etc. If the town has an issue, they consult The Giver. Jonas is the new Giver, and what he finds will change his future.
10. The Handmaids Tale by Margret Atwood - A totalitarian, patriarchal regime overthrew the United States. The book follows Offred, a "Handmaid" forced into reproductive servitude to bear children for the ruling elite due to widespread infertility. The book is very heavy and the ending isn't necessarily "happy".