Erewhon is often mentioned as one of the books that influenced George Orwell while writing 1984. It tells the story of a traveler who discovers a remote, hidden country where society follows a strange set of inverted moral values and unconventional customs. What begins like an adventure quickly turns into a satirical exploration of culture, morality, religion, and technology.

The book itself can be a challenging read. The style is dated, which makes it harder to get through, and other authors in the dystopian genre have certainly executed similar ideas more effectively. But it’s worth remembering that Erewhon, published in 1872, came long before dystopian fiction became a recognized genre. For its time, it was genuinely innovative, and deserves recognition for that lone.

One of the most interesting parts is the medical system in Erewhon, where illness is treated as a crime. The sick are considered morally at fault, so instead of receiving medical care, they are taken to court and judged. Meanwhile, actual crimes such as theft are viewed not as moral failings but as diseases that require compassionate treatment from doctors.

This inversion is sharp satire, and parts of it feel surprisingly relevant today. Our own society increasingly treats criminal behavior as something to be “cured” through therapy and rehabilitation rather than punished, often surrounding offenders with sympathy. Yet during the pandemic, people who refused vaccination were met with hostility and even threats of legal consequences, with very little public empathy.

Butler exposes how arbitrary and inconsistent the moral framework of the Victorian era and still (100 years later) our societal moral framework can be.

If you’re interested in early dystopian literature or in sharp social satire, Erewhon is definitely worth exploring. You can read it for free online here.

The Selfish Gene is one of the most important books I’ve ever read. It changed my perspective on life and on what it means to be human. It also sheds light on the world we live in and even on how politics works. If you feel like nothing makes sense anymore in the “clown world” we were born into, read this book—suddenly, many things start to click.

In simple, accessible language, Dawkins explains the theory of evolution and how humans came into existence. The central idea is that every organism is a “survival machine” for the genes it carries. Each human is essentially a machine controlled by genes acting as pilots. These genes survive by jumping from one machine to another, made possible through reproduction.

After finishing the book, my view of myself, my family, and even the possibility of life’s meaning changed profoundly. The Selfish Gene is what I would call a true “must-read.” If you haven’t explored it yet, I highly recommend doing so.

Just as a side note: The Selfish Gene does not rule out the existence of a creator, despite what some reviewers—and even Dawkins himself—might suggest. It simply explains the theory of evolution, which (even if fully true in detail) does not necessarily make the existence of God impossible.

Learn more about the book on Goodreads.

I had to read this book in school and didn’t like it. I thought I should give it a second shot as an adult, especially since so much of what the story warns about seems to have become reality. But after reading it again, my verdict is the same: I still don’t like it very much. But I still think that it’s a must read.

The novel depicts a dystopian future in which firemen exist to burn books. Only controlled mass media is considered acceptable for the public to consume, because books contain dangerous ideas that might cause people to question their systematic sedation.

“Book burning stretched into 200 pages” might be the simplest way to sum it up.

Fahrenheit 451 in Modern Times

Getting people banned on Twitter, removing their videos from YouTube, or making websites unsearchable on Google is the modern equivalent of book burning. Books are just one medium for transferring ideas from one human to another—social media posts and websites serve the same purpose.

Guy Montag is the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451. He works as a fireman but slowly begins to question his role. After sparing a book from being burned, he gets caught in a spiral that pulls him down the rabbit hole of self-discovery. The more books he saves and reads, the more he questions the system he was born into. Naturally, the authorities push back.

It sounds a lot like people encountering alternative ideas on social media and beginning to question what they see in mainstream news.

Why I Don’t Like The Book

The story itself isn’t the issue. It’s a quick read, moving from A to B in a straightforward way, and the pacing is solid. The message isn’t a problem either—I enjoy dystopian novels that try to wake readers from a state-induced slumber.

However, there’s something about Bradbury’s writing style that I simply don’t enjoy. His metaphors are overly colorful, and he often uses five sentences to express what could be said in one. I’ve always had this issue with Bradbury, which is why I stopped reading his work long before picking up Fahrenheit 451 again.

Bradbury is celebrated as one of the greatest sci-fi authors of all time, with plenty of awards and millions in royalties. So perhaps it’s just my personal taste getting in the way.

Even though it wasn’t to my liking, it remains a dystopian classic that everyone should read at least once. It’s not 1984 or A Brave New World, but it’s still an important book.

Btw, if you don’t like reading, there is also a movie adaption from 1966.

A remake was done in 2018 that I completely missed. It seems to have a big budget, as it could attract Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon, but the reviews aren’t promising.