Utopian and Dystopian Ideals in Literature

Over the course of history, many utopian and dystopian novels have been written that point out flaws in society at the time and create warnings for humanity if they do not change in their ways. While the original instances of these genres and the development of contemporary novels are years apart, there are common themes that connect these pieces of literature. One common theme that exists in these works is the concept of power and authority. This concept is used to challenge the idea of individuality as well as the notion of leadership over a group of people. Another common theme that arises is the promise and/or threat of science and technology. In order to fully understand the themes and challenges of these novels, it is also important to look at the society that the author may have been critiquing through their work. Consideration of the cultural context in which various utopias and dystopias were conceived leads to the question of why the authors felt the need to create the novels that they did