09/08/2026
Why do we love dystopian fiction?
From Orwell and 1984 to The Hunger Games, The Matrix, Black Mirror, and beyond, dystopian stories have given us not only frightening visions of the future, but frameworks for how we understand and express the world around us.
For this month’s Book Talk, we’ll explore the appeal of dystopian fiction, the difference between dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories, and what happens when yesterday’s fictional warnings begin to feel increasingly commonplace.
Are dystopian stories predictions, warnings, mirrors or something else entirely? Can fiction influence the reality it warns us about? And if so many familiar dystopian ideas have already entered our everyday language and culture, where can the genre go next?
And, perhaps most importantly: are we living in the dystopian timeline?
Come join the conversation on Friday, September 18, from 5–7 p.m. in the Oakes Room.
No required reading. Bring whatever you’re reading, watching, playing, or thinking about.
Book Talk: Not a Club. A Conversation.
