Dystopia is Becoming a Reality

Sometimes reality far outstrips the horror any fiction can create. Such classics as 1984 by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood have been showing us a dark reality of control and power for decades. Other novels such as Stephen King’s The Stand, Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy, display a world where our environment has forever been altered and humanity (or what’s left of it) is on the brink of extinction.  

The truly scary thing about these fictitious stories: events are in motion that could make them a reality. Wars are currently being waged with nuclear players; climate change is fueling wild weather, larger wildfires, and species decline; and the loss of potable water for a growing world population is becoming a critical concern. With all these changes happening around us, it’s almost too much to absorb and I’m concerned we aren’t taking these times seriously. One thing remains clear: the world is changing at an accelerated rate.  

For those patrons (and librarians) with an interest in some of the current perils concerning us and Earth, here are some nonfiction alternatives to the fictional willies.

Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World by John Vaillant shines a spotlight on the May 2016 wildfire that swept through the city of Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada (among others) and how climate change and our continued dependence on fossil fuels are changing our environment. With first-hand accounts from firefighters and survivors of these events, I lived on the edge of my seat while reading this book. Of note: the recent 2025 fires in California are not included as this book was released in 2023.  

Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario is, quite frankly, my worst nightmare from start to finish. A nuclear attack on the US is as if in real-time, with casualty numbers, effects on the human body at different ranges, and most horrifying: how fragile our government and communications with other world powers really are. Nuclear Winter and The Doomsday Clock are also addressed. You will go down research rabbit-holes after reading this. No amount of crouching under a desk can protect you.

The Last Drop: Solving the World's Water Crisis by Tim Smedley addresses the climate crisis everyone should be concerned about: the scarcity of water. Smedley brings to attention the worsening droughts in the Middle East as well as the southwestern United States and makes the case that even in places where water seems abundant, there are problems. This is a thought-provoking book that urges people and governments to seek solutions in water-saving technologies and wastewater reclamation.

These titles and more can be found on ipage under High Interest- Adult- Virtual Book Display. Our life on Earth is fragile and perilous. But if we heed the warnings and educate ourselves on the issues, we can come together and make it a better planet for us all. Educate yourself. Educate the world.  Let’s keep dystopian fiction from becoming reality.

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