Most Likely Dystopian

In today's modern society, many types of dystopia are possible in the future. The government could take control and become a totalitarianism all in the name of 'national security', criminals could become even more violent, requiring more extreme measures from the penal system and police forces in an attempt to curb the violence in the streets and prison. But perhaps the most likely scenario is a dramatic environmental event that causes mass destruction and chaos. For example, drastic climate change could cause the ice caps to melt, causing the sea level to rise, and coastlines to flood. While this may not sound too bad, it has the potential to cause massive power outages, destruction of thousands of homes, a dwindling food supply, and even a nuclear power plant failure and leakage of nuclear material. My guess is that the government would set up refugee camps for all the families displaced by flooding, but eventually the food supply would run out and all families would be forced to find alternate sources of food, supplies, shelter, and water. And 'alternate sources' could mean stores, it could mean farms, or the most likely scenario, is that it means other people's homes. And so, with invasion of homes, massive flooding, and other catastrophes, an environmental dytstopia is the most likely dystopian scenario for the United States to encounter.

A Clockwork Orange

Anthony Burgess published "A Clockwork Orange" in 1962. The novel takes place in America and is set in the future. However, the main character and narrator, Alex speaks a slang-riddled mix of Russian and English, so that leads the reader to believe that either the Soviet Union/Russia has influence in America, or that the main character has a fascination with the Soviet Union/Russia and has decided to adopt parts of the language.
The book follows the misguided adventures of Alex and his band of cronies as they terrorize the town and everyone in it. They attack an old man on the street, they break into a house, beat the husband, and rape the wife. In that house, Alex also notices that the husband is writing a book called "A Clockwork Orange", (coincidence????) Alex finally gets arrested when he breaks into a woman's house, but gets attacked by her many feline compatriots. Alex gets bogged down trying to escape the house, and eventually gets apprehended by a police officer and taken into custody. Alex is then brought to prison where he is beaten, abused, and forced to write all his crimes on paper. His lawyer arrives, but does not offer much help.
My predictions for the rest of the book is Alex will be sentenced to a juvenile rehabilitation of sorts, where he will be beaten and tortured. When he gets released he will become a target for street gangs and thugs, and he will struggle with his past, and try to remain out of trouble, but it will be extremely difficult for him. I think the book will end with Alex ending his own life due to the constant pain and grappling with his past.

The Handmaid's Tale #2

In The Handmaid's tale, another important issue that is presented throughout the novel is the idea of persecuting people due to their religion. In her book, Atwood states, "Five members of the heretical sect of Quakers have been arrested..." The way Atwood integrates that statement into the book shows that the persecution of other religions is common in this dystopian world. This article, from the Huffington Post outlines the religious persecution of Christians by the military in Myanmar. Unfortunately religious persecution still happens in today's society, and has happened many times in the past. Perhaps the most famous example is the Nazi persecution of European Jews during World War II(1939-1945).  The Handmaid's Tale does a very good job playing off religious persecution as en everyday occurrence, when in reality it is a serious and wide-spread problem. This really helps the reader realize the extent to which this extremist religious government is ethically wrong. It is perhaps ironic that something many people see as a sense of peace, and righteousness, the church, can become so twisted and controlling when given complete power over an entire population. In conclusion, Atwood's commentary on religious persecution through her novel is extremely relevant in today's society, and is something that should not be taken lightly.