dystopian story ideas

How about a world where everyone has to wear a device that monitors their thoughts? The slightest hint of dissent and they are immediately sent to 're - education' camps. The main character manages to find a way to disable the device and begins to spread the knowledge of how to do it, creating a subversive movement.

One idea could be a world where people are ranked by their genetic purity. The government controls every aspect of life, and those with 'imperfect' genes are relegated to slums and used for menial labor. The protagonist, a person with a hidden genetic defect, discovers a resistance movement aiming to overthrow this discriminatory regime.

In a dystopian short story, you could have a society where water is extremely scarce. The rich hoard all the clean water, and the poor are left to fight over the little that remains. The main character is a young girl who tries to find a hidden water source that is rumored to exist, facing many dangers along the way. It could show the extreme inequality and desperation in such a world.

A dystopian story could be set in a world where dreams are commodified. People are forced to sell their good dreams to the rich, who use them for entertainment. The poor are left with only nightmares. The main character might be a dream merchant who starts to question this system when he realizes the toll it's taking on people's mental health.

A world where the sun has become so intense that people are forced to live underground all the time. The surface is a scorched, uninhabitable wasteland. Only the very rich can afford the technology to somewhat regulate the temperature above ground for short periods.

One idea could be a world where technology has taken over so much that people have lost their basic human emotions. The government uses advanced AI to control every aspect of people's lives, from their jobs to their relationships. Another idea is a society divided by a strict genetic hierarchy, where those with 'inferior' genes are treated as second - class citizens and are forced to do the most menial jobs. A third idea could be a world after a major environmental disaster, where the remaining resources are so scarce that people have to fight each other for survival, and a powerful corporation controls all the remaining clean water and food sources.

Imagine a dystopian world where the environment has been so badly damaged that the air is toxic. People have to rely on respirators all the time. The government controls the distribution of clean air canisters, and only those who can afford it or are in the ruling class get enough clean air to live comfortably.

A world where memories can be erased or modified at will. The government uses this technology to control the population by getting rid of any memories that might lead to dissent or rebellion. People start to lose their sense of self as their memories are constantly manipulated.

One idea could be a world where all forms of art are banned. The government believes art incites unrest and individuality, which they want to suppress. The protagonist could be an underground artist, secretly creating works and trying to evade the authorities. It would show a society devoid of creativity and the struggle to preserve it.

Imagine a society where dreams are monitored. Every night, people have to plug into a device that records their dreams. If any dreams are deemed subversive or against the state's ideology, the dreamer is punished. The protagonist could be someone who has recurring dreams of freedom and has to hide them.