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Dystopian Literature
Inlander:
I love Faranheit 451. Actually I love pretty much anything by Ray Bradbury.
I wonder if Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy could be regarded as dystopian? Certainly it's highly subversive of the traditional fairytale castle setting that often gets romanticised in literature.
nescience:
Certainly cyberpunk fiction fits the description you give. It is near-future sci-fi that focuses on technological conflict in an often dystopic society. Key writers include William Gibson (Neuromancer, Idoru, All Tomorrow's Parties), Bruce Sterling, and Neal Stephenson (Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age). Dark City and Blade Runner are both considered examples of cyberpunk cinema.
From this genre, a number of offshoots have since appeared like steampunk, dieselpunk, and others that use the dystopian outlook and technological conflict of cyberpunk in speculative historical settings.
Some wording borrowed from Wikipedia.
edit: Sorry, forgot about recommendations! My favorite cyberpunk novel is probably The Diamond Age, set in a 21st-century neo-Victorian, nano-technological society. (edit again to provide more info) Globalization has caused major governments to collapse and in their place arise loosely-knit "phyles" bound by ethnic makeup, religion, philosophy, corporate affiliation, or common need for protection. The story centers around three characters: a Victorian engineer who produces a revolutionary invention for a powerful Lord, a young girl who tries to rise out of poverty and a broken home, and an actress who becomes absorbed in her very peculiar profession.
Laurie:
Oh yeah- that's the other thing. Lots of government control and usually tons of technology. Technology is a big sign of dystopia, even in older books. In high school I read a dys/utopian book written in the late 1800s about the year 2000. I guess it was an honest attempt at writing a utopia, which makes it stand out from the other dystopian books, but it had the heavy government regulation, the technology that was unheard of (radios and credit-card prototypes), and a strange view on societal interactions... although they may have been de rigeur for the 1800s.
I only read Fahrenheit 451 this past summer, but it's on the list of required texts for this class, and well worth a re-read.
I've not gotten much into the cyberpunk genre, although I'm looking forward to the movies.
Orchid:
Brave New World is one of my favorite dystopian novels. :)
I believe The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood would fall under this category, as well, if you're interested.
Mnementh:
I almost picked up Letham's Gun, With Occasional Music today. I've got so many books to read before it though, that I held off.
Does Storm Constantine's Wraeththu trilogy count?
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