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.
