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I feel like I’m on a roll, blogging about different genres, so I thought I’d continue the discussion and associated freebies.

Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic novels can be mistaken for each other. This is excusable because the genres are similar and often cross over. Therefore, a little explanation is in order.

Dystopia is the opposite of utopia. What is utopia? According to Wikipedia:

A utopia is a community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt to create an ideal society, and fictional societies portrayed in literature.

A dystopian society isn’t simply imperfect or undesirable. After all, all societies are imperfect and possess undesirable traits. To quote Wikipedia again:

Dystopias are often characterized by dehumanization, totalitarian governments, environmental disaster, or other characteristics associated with a cataclysmic decline in society.

Dystopia is a popular Young Adult subgenre, perhaps because there is so much at stake in this kind of dark, futuristic scenario. Consider the popularity of “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent.” Personal freedom doesn’t involve not having a car. It involves not having any choice at all. Adult example of dystopia include “1984” and the science fiction short story series, “Wool.”

Post-Apocalyptic is basically what happens after the bomb drops or the zombies inherit the earth, or both. An event or events occur that causes the destruction of civilization. Chaos reigns and survivors must fight tooth and nail to live. Examples of such novels include “The Stand” and “The Road.”

Notice the difference? Dystopia involves some kind of ordered society. Post-Apocalyptic involves chaos. The crossover occurs when survivors of an apocalyptic event form a society. A good example of that would be the hit TV series, “Revolution.” For an unexplained reason, all forms of energy disappear on a worldwide scale. Electricity goes out. Airplanes fall from the sky. As chaos takes over, cities become deathtraps. Some survivors join forces to live in agrarian collectives. Others, willing or not, become part of militaristic societies.

Many times, these stories involve our own world reimagined. As we read such stories, we can see ourselves trying to survive in a familiar, yet nightmarish scenario. This can seem like grim stuff, but it makes for great adventure.

Below are some free-for-now books that may rouse your interest in the genres.

  Hunger for Dystopian Teen Sampler
Tales of dangerous worlds set in futures both unrecognizable and startlingly familiar. Read sneak peeks of the hottest dystopian books around, including Divergent by Veronica Roth, Gone by Michael Grant, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Variant by Robison Wells, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Eve by Anna Carey, and Partials by Dan Wells.

  Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
“This is the way the world ends – not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door.” Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way – not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

  Wool – Part One by Hugh Howey
Thousands of them have lived underground. They’ve lived there so long, there are only legends about people living anywhere else. Such a life requires rules. Strict rules. There are things that must not be discussed. Like going outside. Never mention you might like going outside. Or you’ll get what you wish for.

  The Forever Gate by Isaac Hooke
3740 A.D. The ice age has immobilized the world. Colossal walls seal off the cities from the uninhabitable Outside. Humanlike entities called “gols” run society, and force the humans to wear collars that block the innate powers mankind has evolved. One man rises up…

  Darkness Falls by Jessica Sorensen
When the disease spread through the world, people had no choice but to go into hiding. The Colony is hidden deep underground, far away from the vampires—humans that were transformed by the disease. The vampires are hideous, starving, and they will kill any human they come across. Seventeen-year-old Kayla is a Bellator, a warrior that protects The Colony. The Highers run The Colony and accept nothing less than perfection. One slip up can mean death. Kayla has always worked hard to follow the rules and strive for perfection. But during a moment of weakness, she lets her imperfections show. Her punishment is worse than death. She is chosen for The Gathering and is thrown out into a world full of starving vampires.

Descriptions provided by Amazon

Disclaimers and Disclosures

I found these books via Amazon’s Kindle eBooks store. Resources for free Kindle and other format eBooks are listed in my sidebar.

These freebies are limited time offers, so there is no guarantee any of these books will still be free when you click on the links. Grab them sooner rather than later.

Books that I have previously listed will occasionally come up free again. I add those to my current posts for people who didn’t see them the first time.