9. 1984 - George Orwell
1984 is probably the most famous dystopia on this list, whether directly (it's a classic novel!) or indirectly (reality show Big Brother has brought the fascist regime of the same name in the book unprecedented fame). 1984 is set in a broken England that is constantly at war, where its citizens are under perpetual surveillance and are punished for independent thought. Protagonist Winston works for the Ministry of Truth, which is anything but. Winston's job is to rewrite past newspaper articles so the current political party is always supported. In spite of harsh punishments against "thoughtcrimes", he dreams of a rebellion against the totalitarian regime personified by Big Brother. Winston's downfall comes from these dreams and his personal rebellion becomes physical when he begins an illicit affair (sexual desire is illegal in 1984). The second half of the novel deals with his capture and sadistic "rehabilitation" into this society. The influence and indoctrination into society that this book had and has is unquantifiable. The most powerful sign is that the term "Orwellian" is synonymous with governmental totalitarianism. Though he wrote several novels, most people are hard-pushed to name one that isn't 1984 (or Animal Farm). There are many dystopian fictions that pre-date 1984, or arguably have better plots, or are more convincing, but 1984 unanimously takes the title for most prolific dystopia to date.