This course will examine the origin, development, and evolution of the dystopian genre, which has re-emerged in popularity over the past decade, due to bestsellers such as The Hunger Games, and Divergent. Dystopian literature generally focuses on post-apocalyptic or re-imagined societies that are intended to be perfect or solve a problem, but fall far short of their goals. While full of adventure and exciting moments, these books are also carefully written to reflect modern day political, environmental, and social concerns. Students in this course will read texts based around various issues, analyze them for meaning, intention, and literary craft, and then write thoughtful, sometimes evaluative analyses in response.