1. There are a LOT of dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels coming out this year.
2. There are a LOT of people who think they are one and the same.
And, since I myself have a post-apocalyptic vampire novel coming out in 2012, I thought I would try to clear things up. Post-apocalyptic and dystopian are not the same. They are two different beasts; though they have similar qualities, it is wrong to lump them together. Here are my thoughts on why:
DYSTOPIAN
Dystopian has been the popular term of late, the catch-phrase for all novels that feature a futuristic society, a world-ending event, survivors fighting against horrific conditions, etc. However, a dystopian novel is about a SOCIETY where something has gone terribly wrong. Many times, the society's evil and corruption is portrayed as normal, as in the Hunger Games where Tribute Day was a day of celebration. Other times, the evil is hidden, though there are always hints just below the perfectly groomed facade. Dystopian is the opposite of Utopian, where society IS perfect and everyone is happy, except the utopian society almost always turns out to be dystopian, because a perfect society would make for a very boring book.
Dystopian and post-apocalyptic can be easily confused, because a dystopian society usually rises from the ashes of a post-apocalyptic event. However, a dystopian novel's focus is on the society, and everything wrong with it, rather then the event itself.
Examples of Dystopian novels: The Hunger Games, 1984, Matched, Uglies
POST-APOCALYPTIC
A post-apocalyptic novel, on the other hand, is about a world-changing, cataclysmic event: floods, zombies, the super flu, earthquakes, solar flares, the moon falling out of alignment, etc. The event could have already happened, or is in the process of happening, but post-apocalyptic novels are about the survivors and how they deal with this new, deadly world. It could even have hints of dystopian in it, as new societies emerge from the remains of civilization. But a Post-apocalyptic novel is about the survivors, and everything they face after the world ends.
Examples of Post-apocalyptic novels: The Road, Life as we Knew it, The Stand, Ashes Ashes.
Is it possible for a novel to be both? Yes, absolutely. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan comes to mind. Clearly, the world has fallen to the zombie apocalypse, but the novel is also about the village and the society surrounded by the forest. So there are crossovers. But I wanted to point out the differences between dystopian and post-apocalyptic, because they are not the same. So when you do get that book you've been dying to read, you'll know what to call it. ;)
Note that this is just one person's opinion on the matter. Feel free to discuss or argue the point in the comments, though please keep it clean. I am in no way an authority on all things dystopian/post-apocalyptic; this is just my understanding of the differences between them.
Ooooh. Ok. I understand now. lol thanks for explaining!!
ReplyDeleteVery true! I'm glad you pointed this out; it's good for people to know not just the difference, but what they even mean-- it seems lots of people tend to label everything "dystopian," even if it's not!
ReplyDeleteThanks! :) THis was interesting.
ReplyDeleteI want to write a dystopian novel.. I love the idea of being completely without anything but organic materials and the Earth.. it's so awesome! Oh, and I love you Julie! :D
ReplyDeleteNow I understand. Thanks Julie! :D
ReplyDeleteI actually knew the difference between the two, but I'm really glad you explained it anyway. I think it's a very excellent explanation of the differences of the two with good examples of both types. Then you go a step further and give examples of both in one book! Awesome.
ReplyDeleteEnlightening... : )
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU. That's all, just thank you, Julie. I already knew the difference, but it drives me insane when people confuse the two.
ReplyDelete(Plus, I'm sick of dystopians, but I still love post-apocalyptic novels, even though I can't spell "apocalyptic." They have so much more variation than dystopians!)
Thanks for this post! I have noticed post-apocolyptic video games coming out as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie, I always get these two confused and now I understand the difference. I appreciate the post and clarification. :D
ReplyDeleteI thought the Maze Runner trilogy had hints of both as well, with an emphasis on the post-apocalyptic aspects.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post...it drives me crazy when people confuse the two as well!
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ReplyDeleteSorry, my kindle went crazy and posted my comment twice.
ReplyDeleteBrave New World and Fahrenheit 451 are also classic examples of dystopias. So is a lot of what Ayn Rand wrote. Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy tries really hard to be utopian (so, of course, does Utopia), and Hawthorne wrote a really good (or, at least, a complex 19th century version) critique of utopianism in Blithedale Romance.
ReplyDeleteI think that the dystopian novel is an older tradition. The post-apocalyptic novel is newer. The oldest one I can think of is The Time Machine.
Sounds like a cool premise. Excited to read it, and thanks for clarifying your thinking.
thanks for clearing that up! :)
ReplyDeleteLol. I never knew that thanks for telling! Oh and by the way I have actually read Uglies, the series is pretty good. But not even close to the Iron Fey series!
ReplyDeleteThx, i def get it now. I would always switch the 2. I was so off! :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteloved this, Julie ^-^ I get the difference now 100%. thank you :D
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU. This had been driving me nuts all throughout 2011! A friend pointed me toward this wonderful flowchart: http://www.embowman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/IsItDystopia_flowchart.jpg which has never failed me. :)
ReplyDeleteWould that "Ashes(my laptop s broen and won'type commas or the letter that comes after J n the alphabet or the vowel that doesn't appear here:a e o u Sorry!!!) Ashes happen to be by Jo Treggar(no vowel)
ReplyDeleteReally sorry for the mess of a comment!!!
Great post! I have a post-apocalyptic (can never say that word!) that needs a home. Your explanation helps clarify.
ReplyDeleteCristal
cool
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post. I did not know they were different but glad to find out I'm a fan of both genres! :)
ReplyDeleteHmmm...didn't society go terribly wrong in THE HUNGER GAMES after they tried to end the world with lots of bombs? Isn't it possible for some novels to be both?
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks for making the difference between the two clear. I was actually pretty confused by them until you explained. It helped a lot when I wanted to write a dystopian short story.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this explanation. I thought they are the same!! All right, tonight I had learn something new :D
ReplyDeletethanks now i get the difference :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for spelling it out so clearly. I am working on a Post-Apocalyptic series and I knew it wasn't the same as a Dystopian novel but I couldn't explain why. This helps!
ReplyDeleteExcellent comparison of the two! Also, your writing style is refreshing. That first semicolon just screamed "I know how to write properly!"
ReplyDeleteNow I get it. It's so easy to really get confused about the two genres. Thank you so much for clearing that out.
ReplyDeleteUnlike additional blogs I have read which are really not tht good.
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Please anyone can tell me? Margaret Atwood's "The Year of the Flood" belongs to which genre? Is it Dystopian or the Apocalyptic one?
ReplyDeleteMargaret Atwood's "The Year of the Flood" is a Dystopian novel that takes place post apocalyptic, so I would say it is both.
DeleteHaha, even as a writer I am confused still with my novel series 'sHe' (story told in 3 timelines)
ReplyDeleteCan anyone read my story summary and spot which category, please? :-
An airborne biochemical attack occurred (PRESENT DAY), where the deadly Medusa Virus had left over 4 billion women alone to defend themselves on earth, after it wiped out the entire male specie worldwide. Women, who were pregnant with the infected males’ semen of the virus, soon gave birth to a Third Specie -- the new breed of mutilated-transgender, androgynous male-boys.
Many years later(2027), the women-ruled government had taken measures, by containing some of these boys in abandoned prisons --- so to secretly harvest their semen -- for the future propagation of womankind. This led to the shemale mutineers creating an insurrection, which soon spearheaded a breakout (2032) -- and next into a civil war against the dominatrix government.
Haha, even as a writer I am confused still with my novel series 'sHe' (story told in 3 timelines)
ReplyDeleteCan anyone read my story summary and spot which category, please? :-
An airborne biochemical attack occurred (PRESENT DAY), where the deadly Medusa Virus had left over 4 billion women alone to defend themselves on earth, after it wiped out the entire male specie worldwide. Women, who were pregnant with the infected males’ semen of the virus, soon gave birth to a Third Specie -- the new breed of mutilated-transgender, androgynous male-boys.
Many years later(2027), the women-ruled government had taken measures, by containing some of these boys in abandoned prisons --- so to secretly harvest their semen -- for the future propagation of womankind. This led to the shemale mutineers creating an insurrection, which soon spearheaded a breakout (2032) -- and next into a civil war against the dominatrix government.
Haha, even as a writer I am confused still with my novel series 'sHe' (story told in 3 timelines)
ReplyDeleteCan anyone read my story summary and spot which category, please? :-
An airborne biochemical attack occurred (PRESENT DAY), where the deadly Medusa Virus had left over 4 billion women alone to defend themselves on earth, after it wiped out the entire male specie worldwide. Women, who were pregnant with the infected males’ semen of the virus, soon gave birth to a Third Specie -- the new breed of mutilated-transgender, androgynous male-boys.
Many years later(2027), the women-ruled government had taken measures, by containing some of these boys in abandoned prisons --- so to secretly harvest their semen -- for the future propagation of womankind. This led to the shemale mutineers creating an insurrection, which soon spearheaded a breakout (2032) -- and next into a civil war against the dominatrix government.
Haha, even as a writer I am confused still with my novel series 'sHe' (story told in 3 timelines)
ReplyDeleteCan anyone read my story summary and spot which category, please? :-
An airborne biochemical attack occurred (PRESENT DAY), where the deadly Medusa Virus had left over 4 billion women alone to defend themselves on earth, after it wiped out the entire male specie worldwide. Women, who were pregnant with the infected males’ semen of the virus, soon gave birth to a Third Specie -- the new breed of mutilated-transgender, androgynous male-boys.
Many years later(2027), the women-ruled government had taken measures, by containing some of these boys in abandoned prisons --- so to secretly harvest their semen -- for the future propagation of womankind. This led to the shemale mutineers creating an insurrection, which soon spearheaded a breakout (2032) -- and next into a civil war against the dominatrix government.
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ReplyDeletePopular Dystopian Novels