Dystopian literature is becoming a hot topic in relation to story reading. Its rising popularity has to do with the instillment of a world where everything is undesirable and unwanted. This is the exact opposite of a utopia, where everything is pleasant and perfect. The birth of this genre of literature was said to have been founded in 1921, with the publication of the novel ‘We’.

Dystopian Literature is gaining a lot of popularity due to how relevant it is to us, the readers. In Ten With a Flag, The Government uses red flags and social class ratings (numbers) to control the people. These rankings can be promoted or demoted based on your actions. This is essentially the use of propaganda to gain attention and make citizens aware of the society that they are living in. This is very relatable to us, the American People, because this happens in our everyday lives. For example, the “I Want You For U.S. Army” poster that the government posted during the first world war. This poster was a dynamic piece in acquiring U.S. citizens to serve their country.

Within the story Harrison Bergeron, there is mention of a quote describing the concept of equality. “All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.” This quote shows how the citizens in this society have been taught to believe that all people are equal. Another example of this is described in paragraph one. “They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else.” This describes how the society that Harrison Bergeron lives in abides by and adapts to the concept of equality.

Another recurring thing that seems to come up when talking about dystopian stories is the use of technology. Take this quote for example. “The room was silent and empty. The walls were white and two dimensional. Now, as George and Lydia Hadley stood in the center of the room, the walls made a quiet noise and seemed to fall away in the distance. Their environment in a room is controlled by some type of technology.” I pulled that from the dystopian story ‘The Veldt’. In ‘The Veldt’ they used technology in a way that was fairly unique. “One of the original uses of these rooms was so that we could study the patterns left on the walls by the child’s mind. We could study them whenever we wanted to, and help the child. In this case, however, the room has become a means of creating destructive thoughts, instead of helping to make them go away.” As this quote describes, the government had rooms within houses that could observe a child’s mind patterns.

The Dystopian genre has been one a driving force for literature throughout the last 100 years. The main principle of dystopian literature is to understand the ideas and characteristics of dystopian society, as well as provide entertainment. I believe it is so popular because it directly relates to young adults. No one can predict whether this genre will continue its popularity but it will allow our present generation more open-minded due to the ideas these novels share on government, military, society, and culture.