Well, sometimes authors may not fully understand the genre. They might think just creating a gloomy, oppressive world is enough for a dystopian novel, without really delving into the deeper themes like social criticism, human nature, and the consequences of certain political or technological trends. So, they end up with a bad dystopian novel.
In my opinion, 'The Hunger Games' prequel books are not as good as the original trilogy and can be considered among bad dystopian novels. They lack the freshness and urgency of the first three books. The new characters are not as well - developed and the plot feels a bit recycled.
One common problem is the lack of original world - building. They often recycle the same ideas like a totalitarian government or a plague - ridden world. Another issue is the clichéd characters. Usually, there's the brave young hero/heroine who is a bit too perfect. And the love stories are often forced, just thrown in there to appeal to the YA audience.
I think 'Uglies' by Scott Westerfeld can be considered in this category. While it has an interesting concept of a post - apocalyptic world where beauty is everything, some parts of the YA story seem a bit simplistic. The dystopian society isn't explored as deeply as it could be. Also, 'Legend' by Marie Lu. The post - apocalyptic setting in Los Angeles is a bit underwhelming in terms of its dystopian elements for some. The YA - focused narrative sometimes overshadows the more complex aspects that could have been delved into further.
Most of the novels in the 'lists of dystopian novels' show a breakdown of society as we know it. There are often extreme inequalities, as seen in 'Snowpiercer' with its rigid class system on the train. Dystopian novels also tend to explore themes of lost freedom. In 'Fahrenheit 451', the freedom to read and think independently is taken away. Additionally, they may depict a world where technology is misused, such as in 'A Clockwork Orange' where it's used to control and modify behavior.
The most famous is probably '1984'. It has concepts like Big Brother always watching that have become iconic in the dystopian genre. 'Brave New World' is also extremely well - known for its vision of a future where pleasure and stability are maintained through genetic engineering and conditioning. And 'The Handmaid's Tale' has gained a lot of popularity recently, especially with the TV adaptation, as it shows a very dark and oppressive society for women.
I think '1984' is extremely influential. Its concepts like Big Brother watching, doublethink, and newspeak have become part of our cultural lexicon and made people more aware of the threats of a totalitarian regime.
Some of the highly ranked dystopian novels include '1984' by George Orwell. It's a classic that portrays a totalitarian society where Big Brother watches everything. Another great one is 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley, which shows a future where people are genetically engineered and conditioned for their roles. 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood is also very popular, depicting a misogynistic society where women are subjugated.