I really got into the Matrix really fast for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it plays off of a lot of science fiction fantasies that I toy with in my head while playing off of other sci fi type movies that I have enjoyed in the past. I also enjoyed it because it spins from the dystopian thread that many good social commentaries have done in the past.

I have recently really gotten into reading dystopian genre books and was wondering if anyone else was into these as well. One's I have in my collection include stories such as:

Anthem, Fountainhead & Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
1984 & Animal Farm - George Orwell
We - Yevgeny Zamyatin
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Foundation Pit
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
A Canticle for Leibowitz (the trilogy that is)
some folks also pointed me to Starfish/Maelstrom which I have as of yet to read...

of course, hollywood is no stranger to this genre including doing movie versions of many of the above. (the version of 1984 starring Richard Burton and John Hurt is very well done for example)
Also stuff like:
A Clockwork Orange
THX-1138
Fight Club (the print version is interesting too, by Chuck Palahniuk)
the 13th Floor (lots of matrix-esc overtones)
Invastion of the Body Snatchers
and even the Charleton Heston greats like Planet of the Apes and Soilent Green

I can even remember growing up, reading things like the John Christopher 'tripod' series as a kid and finding them interesting. I have always seemed to like genre's that throw people into extreme situations of people overcoming control, societal dogma or otherwise expressing their individuality against unsurmountable odds. Especially those that take society to an extreme to draw conclusions from that level of contrast.

Does anyone else know of any good dystopian tales to add to my reading list?

KL

and speaking of dystopian genre, (completely off topic mind you)
how many other people think that the Schwarzenegger movie the 'sixth day' would have been 1000 times better if he pulled his eyelid down to show the dots when he looked in the mirror at the end of the movie?

KL

Wow, that's one of the greatist book & movie lists I've ever seen anyone compile. We seem to have very similar tastes. I haven't read/seen a few of them, but seeing that they are compared with many of my all-time favorites by someone of seemingly very good taste I'll be looking into them very soon.