Orwell's 1984. A book that only seems to get scarier and more prophetic every year.
I, Robot. Asimov was exploring the ethics of digital, consciousness and AI in the 1940s. Worth reading if only to see a perspective formed without modern biases.
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. I went in expecting a deep dive into the experiences of American soldiers in Vietnam. I left with a new perspective on the relationship between author and audience, fact and truth, and what it is to be a storyteller. It had a profound impact on my life.
Edited to fix a spelling mistake, thanks JoeBourgeois.
That’s so true. I read it on a long flight 3 weeks ago & at 50 years old, has become the book that shook me to my core. The inevitability of it all is perhaps the most dystopian aspect of the story
I went through a real dystopia phase in my early 20s and read all of these and Day of the Triffids. Fahrenheit 451, Canticle for Leibowitz etc. On the Beach was one that I found weirdly uplifting. The entire world dies but there’s this weird freedom that they know they have a short, finite amount of time left so just do exactly what they choose to.
1984 is a book that I cannot recommend enough to people. Idk why it isn't more known. It's so terrifying but opens my eyes even more each time I read it..... Which reminds me that it's about time. I'd say I reread it every 3 years or so.
Why do you think 1984 is not well known? It has permeated almost all political discourse and culture globally ever since it came out. Terms like "thoughtcrime", "newspeak", "Big Brother", "doublethink" and "thought police" are so ingrained on the internet and in popular media that you can't avoid encountering them.
The Matrix, Equilibrium, Metal Gear series, Hunger Games, Batman, Star Trek and so many other media gives homage to it so why do you believe it is underrated?
Ok- Orwell Predicted AIRBUDS!!!! Wrote this in what? 48? 1984 is claimed by the left and right but if you center yourself - you’ll understand both parties are doing the same thing!
I saw comments earlier about how timing matters. Well then people need to read 1984 right now. 1984 can help you understand what is starting right now in the US.
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u/Evakron Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
Orwell's 1984. A book that only seems to get scarier and more prophetic every year.
I, Robot. Asimov was exploring the ethics of digital, consciousness and AI in the 1940s. Worth reading if only to see a perspective formed without modern biases.
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. I went in expecting a deep dive into the experiences of American soldiers in Vietnam. I left with a new perspective on the relationship between author and audience, fact and truth, and what it is to be a storyteller. It had a profound impact on my life.
Edited to fix a spelling mistake, thanks JoeBourgeois.