Dystopia is a genre of speculative fiction that portrays an imagined society or world that is considered undesirable or frightening. The genre typically depicts a totalitarian or authoritarian government or a society that has collapsed or is in the process of collapsing. Often, this society is characterized by poverty, oppression, and dehumanization.
Dystopian stories often focus on the consequences of government control, technology, environmental disaster, or other societal issues that lead to the breakdown of society. The world in these stories is often a bleak and harsh place, where the individual's freedom and basic human rights are suppressed, and conformity is imposed.
Dystopian fiction may serve as a warning against potential dangers of government or societal trends, and encourage readers to take a more critical view of the world around them. Some of the most well-known examples of dystopian literature include George Orwell's 1984, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.