100 books like The Designate

This is book one of the Outliers Saga series. It is one of those books that you fly through for its entertainment value and thick action, but it leaves you thinking about its message long afterward.

At its core, it is a tale of classism—oppression, struggle, and ultimately, vindication at the end of the three-book series. Yet the main character, Indra, is relatable, yet also admirable. Her dedication to her family and her own sense of integrity resonated with me and made me ask if I’d do the same in her position. Her marriage to her tribal best friend warmed my heart, yet the sparks between Indra and the forbidden Fortis, Asa, quickened the pace of my reading.

Originally crafted as a Robin Hood retelling, Mary went far beyond that story and its familiar tropes with this book. This series is perfect for fans of Hunger Games or Red… show more.

While this started a little slowly, I was soon completely invested in the life of its unlikely hero. Fletcher Sinclair is a meme personified—he lives in his parent’s basement, plays video games all day, and consumes far too much of a particular sports drink. Then, a strange virus hits the world, eliminating all the men—except for Fletcher.

That the human race’s potential extinction should rest upon Fletcher’s shoulders both horrified and fascinated me. It was filled with twists and turns, which even I, as an author, didn’t see coming. No spoilers and no hyperbole, but Erik Dargitz invented the most brilliant post-apocalyptic cult I’ve ever read! Fans of Handmaiden’s Tale and Animal Farm will love this book.

Originally intended as a screenplay, this is rife with vivid imagery and fast-paced action. From the jump, I was hooked, staying up all night to finish the book. It is set in the aftermath of the apocalypse in Seattle, WA.

I loved the developing romance between Beth and Ryker and how Myhre threw us for a few loops along the way. It has heart-pounding action, vibrant interpersonal relationships, and a great atmosphere. If I were at the end of the world, I’d want Beth and Ryker on my team! Fans of other post-apocalyptic indie authors, Harley Tate, Kyla Stone, and Nate Johnson, will enjoy this fast-paced post-apocalyptic romantic thriller.

Emma Ellis spins the most horrifying yet hope-filled stories of dystopian societies. In book one of the Eyes Forward series, the world is in a population crisis. Resources are heavily rationed, and the governments of the world are actively taking steps to curb population growth.

That’s when Mae gets pregnant and learns she must find a “life donor”—someone who agrees to die so that the baby may live—or abort her unborn child. I appreciated how Ellis threaded the horror of a forced abortion into a gripping tale of human resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.

The plot twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, yet the message of the book made me think about how we steward our natural resources. This book is perfect for Octavia Butler, 1984, and Brave New World fans.

The Settlement describes a dystopian world set not in the future, but in the past. The 1830s, to be precise.

The misguided evangelist George Augustus Robinson sets himself the task of rounding up the last remaining original inhabitants of Van Diemen’s Land, now known as Tasmania, to save them from slaughter. Under his care, they are convinced to surrender and are relocated to desolate Flinders Island in the Bass Strait.

This is a finely-wrought historical novel of great compassion that brings to life the extinction of a race.

Branded is one of my favorite dystopian novels and really inspired how I write my own dystopian because it explores the dystopian realm beyond chosen ones and government overthrows. This book gave me permission to make my fans cry because I put their hearts in a blender and laughed just like these authors did to me. Branded is about a girl thrown in prison, branded with the sin of lust, and forced to rely on her gorgeous guard…who puts us through a whirlwind of emotions as we see his hatred…and not-hatred…expressed throughout the story. Tissues are required for several different exciting and heartbreaking reasons.

The only non-fiction book on my list, this prescient, chilling work examines the geopolitics of climate change.

Written in 2008 by an ex-naval officer turned journalist, this book works on two levels. First, cogent explanations of the science and interviews with senior military personnel from America and Great Britain. Then, eight scenarios that describe how the world might react as emissions rise.

Scenario One: 2045. The average global temperature is 2.8°C higher than in 1990. Prognosis: Awful.

And the scary thing is that’s pretty close to the trajectory we are currently on.

Do not read this series if you have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). 

Coral is on vacation when her world lights up. It starts with a fire so intense that the ash entirely blocks out the sun, not for a season, but for years. The sky is perpetually grey, and her world goes seriously cold. She must survive the elements, but the real threat comes from the desperation of those left alive and fighting for their lives. This is a brutal world. 

As a paranoid survivalist, this book had me taking notes. Some books you read and forget, others teach you something. Most authors push a moral agenda, but this book teaches real-life skills, like how it’s a good idea to burrow into snow when it’s REALLY cold, or why hanging out in caves isn’t just for Neanderthals, and my personal favourite, how to spot a cannibal. 

I was recommended this novel by one of my students and loved it instantly. It has all the features you might expect of a dystopia: environmental damage, scant resources, and an authoritarian government controlling where people live, work, and travel.

I research contemporary women’s writing and the history of feminism, and I love Hall’s focus on how future dystopian scenarios might specifically affect women. Facing a world where women’s reproduction is controlled by the state, Hall’s narrator runs away to join a rebel women’s stronghold in the Cumbrian hills.

The experience is anything but gentle and sisterly; Hall is brilliant on both the brutal landscape of the north and the strength and violence of female resistance.

In a sparsely populated world settling into ruin, Makepeace patrols a city’s remains alone as the last sheriff. It isn’t until the shocking intrusion of people from the outside world that she realizes she will need to leave her quiet orbit and grapple with the problem of wider humanity.

One of the things I love best about this novel is how far into it you get before it’s even specified that Makepeace is a woman. Her thoughts, dreams, and ambitions are the defining points of her character rather than her gender and she won’t let any of the people around her forget it. This is a rough novel of survival but Makepeace is as tough as they come, at times providing the only positive human note.