The best dystopian novels about surveillance
Surveillance is the fear that outlived the Cold War. These are the dystopias that saw it coming and the ones catching up to a world of cameras, files, and feeds. The list favors the best-documented canonical titles and runs from earliest to latest.
1. Meccania (1918)
By "Owen Gregory"
Meccania is a dystopian work by "Owen Gregory", published in 1918. The Dystopia Index files it under totalitarian control, dystopian social satire, and the surveillance state, tracing documented themes of propaganda and surveillance. This entry links the book to its subgenres, themes, related titles, and where to read or borrow it.
2. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)
By George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-Four is a dystopian work by George Orwell, published in 1949. The Dystopia Index files it under the surveillance state, totalitarian control, and dystopian social satire, tracing documented themes of censorship, rebellion, surveillance, and memory and identity. This entry links the book to its subgenres, themes, related titles, and where to read or borrow it.
3. The Jagged Orbit (1969)
By John Brunner
The Jagged Orbit is a dystopian work by John Brunner, published in 1969. The Dystopia Index files it under corporate and consumer dystopia and the surveillance state, tracing documented themes of surveillance. This entry links the book to its subgenres, themes, related titles, and where to read or borrow it.
4. The Shockwave Rider (1975)
By John Brunner
The Shockwave Rider is a dystopian work by John Brunner, published in 1975. The Dystopia Index files it under the surveillance state, tracing documented themes of surveillance. This entry links the book to its subgenres, themes, related titles, and where to read or borrow it.
5. The Memory Police (1994)
By Yōko Ogawa
The Memory Police is a dystopian work by Yōko Ogawa, published in 1994. The Dystopia Index files it under the surveillance state, tracing documented themes of memory and identity and surveillance. This entry links the book to its subgenres, themes, related titles, and where to read or borrow it.
6. The Heart Goes Last (2015)
By Margaret Atwood
The Heart Goes Last is a dystopian work by Margaret Atwood, published in 2015. The Dystopia Index files it under feminist dystopia, post-apocalyptic collapse, dystopian social satire, and the surveillance state, tracing documented themes of reproductive control and surveillance. This entry links the book to its subgenres, themes, related titles, and where to read or borrow it.
7. The Circle (2016)
By Dave Eggers
The Circle is a dystopian work by Dave Eggers, published in 2016. The Dystopia Index files it under dystopian social satire and the surveillance state, tracing documented themes of memory and identity and surveillance. This entry links the book to its subgenres, themes, related titles, and where to read or borrow it.