"Dystopian" refers to a society that is characterized by human misery, such as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding. The term is often used to describe a fictional setting in literature, film, or other media where life is extremely bad because of deprivation, oppression, or terror.

In a dystopian society, the environment often includes totalitarian governments, environmental disaster, or other characteristics associated with a decline in society. The opposite of a dystopian society is a utopian society, which is idealized and perfect.

Common themes in dystopian literature include:

• Government Control: Overbearing control over citizens through surveillance, propaganda, and restriction of freedoms.

• Environmental Destruction: The natural world is degraded or destroyed, often reflecting concerns about pollution, climate change, or nuclear fallout.

• Loss of Individuality: Citizens are stripped of their personal identities and freedoms, often becoming mere cogs in a larger oppressive system.

• Technological Control: Advanced technology is used to oppress and control the population, rather than to enhance human life.

Classic examples of dystopian literature include George Orwell's "1984," Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," and Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale"​ (AAMC)​​ (EPPC)​.