The top 9 fiction and nonfiction books about totalitarianism, from unbelievable memoirs to classic mid-century novels.
The top 9 fiction and nonfiction books about totalitarianism, from unbelievable memoirs to classic mid-century novels.
I’ve been fascinated by totalitarian regimes ever since reading about the Soviet Union as a high school student. The way people were subject to such poverty, control and propaganda. In the comforts of my western classrooms, I wondered how could such societies ever exist?
But fascination only goes so far. The more one dives into either the true stories of the world’s most evil acts of control to the fictional accounts of dystopian futures and dictatorships, the more humanising books on totalitarianism become.
Some of these books have found their way onto my nightstand more than once, because their true messages reveal themselves after multiple reads. If you pick up just one of these titles, you’ll understand what I mean.
These are the best 9 fiction and nonfiction books you’ll read on totalitarianism, dystopian futures and oppressive regimes:
Nineteen Eighty-Four
by George Orwell
Winston Smith is a bottom-feeder in ‘the Party’, a governmental overlord of Ocean, in a time that was a dystopian future at the time this book was penned. ‘Big Brother’ watches and controls everything, from language to thought. But when Smith begins questioning the system, and the obeying society that it rules, does chaos begin to unfold.
You’ll be starved to find a list on totalitarianism that doesn’t feature Nineteen Eighty-Four in its pole position. Orwell was a master of the dystopian world creation, and he eerily nails the grave concerns of present-day society. If you read any book on this list, make sure it’s this memorable novel on totalitarianism.
Broken Flags
by James Sunday
One of our top picks for books about totalitarianism, protagonist Andy Nixon is forced to flee his home in Australia after uncovering his banking boss’s criminal schemes. His escape to China, a nation dominated by a strict authoritarian regime, offers no refuge. Instead, he finds himself trapped in a system even more oppressive. Ultimately, Andy returns home, burdened by more than just his initial fears—now grappling with the weight of the corruption he encountered abroad.
In this gripping read, James Sunday, a fresh voice in Indie literature, perfectly captures the feeling of being cornered by both external oppression and the pressures of home.
We
by Yevgeny Zamyatin
Set in a glass city constructed by arrow-straight lines, the ‘Benefactor’ rules over every aspect of those living in OneState. But when citizen D-503—a mathematician who dreams in numbers—discovers he has a soul, it sparks a revolution against the oppressive regime.
Written by a vocal Russian after the darkest times of the Soviet Union, and also known as the inspiration for Nineteen Eighty-Four, you’ll quickly realise why this novel was banned by the Soviets.
The Gulag Archipelago
by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Many crimes against humanity are lodged in our minds, from Hitler to Stalin, Mau to Pol Pot. And while the Soviet Union was of course known for its extremely firm hand over decades and decades, you’ll never realise the extent of their evils until reading The Gulag Archipelago. The pitiful treatment of fellow human beings in these monstrous slave camps and the utter devastation of their lives, souls and memories, will leave you absolutely shocked. This is one of the saddest titles on our list.
This is also a long, long read from an incredible man, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. If time or patience is scarce, you might consider the abridged version. Admittedly, that’s the route I took. But after experiencing such an incredibly shocking story, it’s my plan to read the complete three-volume series.
Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley
Another classic, Brave New World describes a tyrannical society in which people are—more or less—treated like machines. Drugged, controlled and duped into comfort, this is a world of people who have handed in their passions and creativity to an oppressive ruler.
So many truths appear in this book about totalitarianism in a seemingly impossible world, that’s not all that surreal. Our willingness to give up our freedoms in exchange for simple and short-lived pleasures is all too common today. Huxley reminds us we have a choice to say no to tyranny and yes to freedom.
Nothing to Envy
by Barbara Demick
One of the more recent titles so far on this list, Nothing to Envy is a 2009 nonfiction book following six oppressed North Koreans over 15 years. Demick takes us behind the curtain of one of the most infamous pariah states of the 21st century, beyond government eyes and into the “ordinary” lives of these six citizens.
A brilliant piece of reporting from a courageous journalist, which is well worth a place on your shelf. After reading, you’ll appreciate the simple act of walking outdoors, knowing you’re not being watched.
The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood
Atwood creates a world where the ability to birth is a commodity rarer than any other. And it’s the elite who control it. Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, submits to the Commander each night against her will, her sole purpose to provide a child to the man and his wife. An age of declining births has meant that Handmaids like Offred are valued for their ovaries. That said, without birth, their own lives are worthless. Death could be around the corner should she not provide for her Commander.
One of the few books I read after watching the TV series, I was so pleasantly surprised to read The Handmaid’s Tale‘s satirical prose among the dark light of the book’s themes. Atwood is a master of the craft of totalitarian storytelling. Get this book.
The Road to Serfdom
by Friedrich A. Hayek
In this 1944 bestseller, The Road to Serfdom warns its readers against state control of economic production, leveraging Nazi Germany and fascist Italy to prove that it leads to totalitarianism.
This was a groundbreaking work in political philosophy and economics that influenced global political thought, from socialism’s rise post-WWII to the Reagan-Thatcher era and beyond, as well as contemporary culture. Another inspiration for George Orwell and his peers.
Man’s Search for Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl
A psychiatrist’s memoir of his time in Hitler’s death camps, which reveals as many lessons learned about life as it does the sufferings from one of the most evil projects mankind has ever seen. Frankl teaches us about his theory of logotherapy, which states that humans’ drive is not for pleasure but for purpose.
While the book would never have been written had it not been for the horrors bestowed upon Frankl, at its heart, Man’s Search of Meaning inspires a sense of purpose for those who can get under the skin of the book’s true meaning. Wow. This is one of my favorite books of all time, let alone one of the best reads on totalitarianism.