Defined by the Oxford dictionary as &ldquo;an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic,&rdquo; dystopia is a term that is here to stay. Since graphic novels offer a window into this genre, three well-known writers share their picks.
<h2>Debasmita Dasgupta, recommends</h2>
<img title="pic" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/may/Debasmita-profile-image.jpg" alt="pic" />
The Arrival by Shaun Tan: Published in 2006, this book by the Australian artist was a Hugo Award nominee. &ldquo;It is one of the finest pieces of wordless graphic novels that I have come across. The story is about an immigrant fleeing a land populated by monsters to a new space where he could bring his wife and daughter. It&rsquo;s dystopian as well as uplifting at the same time,&rdquo; Dasgupta says.
<h2>Vishwajyoti Ghosh, recommends</h2>
<img title="pic" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/may/Vishwa.jpg" alt="pic" />
Building Stories by Chris Ware: After a decade of working on it, this title that follows the lives of inhabitants of a three-storey brownstone apartment building in Chicago came out in an unconventional format &mdash; in a box comprising 14 printed elements including cloth-bound books, leaflets, broadsheets and an unfoldable board. &ldquo;So, Ware plays with architecture. His works are relevant today because a lot of them explore loneliness and are about talking to oneself,&rdquo; Ghosh says, also suggesting the Acme Novelty Library series by Ware.
<h2>Priya Kuriyan, recommends</h2>
<img title="pic" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/may/priyakuriyan.jpg" alt="pic" />
The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan: This picture book was adapted into an Academy Award-winning short film. &ldquo;The protagonist discovers a strange creature resembling a combination of a crab, octopus and an industrial machine while picking bottle tops by the beach. He discovers that the creature is lost and ends up at a government agency, which is in turn, responsible for keeping things under wraps. The art is really beautiful and it has a hopeful ending,&rdquo; Kuriyan says.
<img title="Chris Ware&rsquo;s Building Stories box set" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2020/may/chris-ware.jpg" alt="Chris Ware&rsquo;s Building Stories box set" /> Chris Ware's Building Stories box set
Cicada by Shaun Tan: Touching upon the theme of disillusionment of workers in large corporations, the book revolves around the insect that has been working hard in the office for 17 years but doesn&rsquo;t get noticed by anyone. &ldquo;It ends with a surprise. I remember Tan speaking about this book in an interview, saying that he was inspired by a Chinese factory that had installed safety nets to ensure workers wouldn&rsquo;t commit suicide, and also the fact that cicadas remain underground for 17 years, and die as soon as they mate,&rdquo; Kuriyan shares.
V for Vendetta written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd: One of the most popular novels around, this one is a commentary on fascism and anarchism.
The Incal written by Alejandro Jodorowsky and illustrated by Jean Giraud: The best-selling French novel series is set around an intergalactic struggle.
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Bathe your best

Drawing from the times we're living in, three graphic novelists pick works from the genre that make for a good read right now.

A leaf out of dystopia

Debasmita Dasgupta, recommends

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