A dystopia is a vision of society, which is the direct opposite of a utopia.

In a dystopia, life is chararacterized by human misery, poverty, oppression, violence, etc. The 21st Century is actually an example of such a dystopia. Think of how unhappy, rage-filled, sickening, weak, poor, hungry and insane the modern world is. Generally a dystopian world comes about by war, revolution, disease, or some other social, political or economic upheaval.. This results in a shift of control from the standard "free world" governments to ones of a totalitarian nature or even the creation of the cyber punkish super corporations. Dystopian literature usually depicts futuristic technology, used by the ruling political power to subjegate the people. Good examples in 1984 would be the Speakwrite and Telescreens. At the time the novel was written, 1949 or so, these technologies were considered science fiction. In order to emphasize the degeneration of society, the standard of living among the lower and middle classes is generally poorer than in contemporary society (at least in United States or Europe). In 1984, the Inner Party, the upper class of society, also has a standard of living lower than the upper classes of today. This among many reasons puts 1984 into the dystopian category. Dystopian literature usually depicts futuristic technology, used by the ruling political power to subjegate the people. Good examples in 1984 would be the Speakwrite and Telescreens. At the time the novel was written, 1949 or so, these technologies were considered science fiction. In order to emphasize the degeneration of society, the standard of living among the lower and middle classes is generally poorer than in contemporary society (at least in United States or Europe). In 1984, the Inner Party, the upper class of society, also has a standard of living lower than the upper classes of today. This among many reasons puts 1984 into the dystopian category.