Tapan Kumar Panda,

Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar, Odisha

DoI: CJBES/ Vol.2.1/ June-2025…

Abstract:        

This paper investigates the representation of financial themes in contemporary dystopian literature, focusing on how recent novels address issues of economic inequality and the role of technology in shaping societal hierarchies. By analyzing financial dynamics and technological impacts within dystopian narratives, this study sheds light on the genre’s reflection of real-world economic concerns. The research examines the evolution of dystopian financial themes from classic works to modern novels, highlighting how current authors explore wealth concentration, debt culture, scarcity economics, and the digital divide. The findings suggest that technology often functions both as an enabler and enforcer of inequality, establishing rigid economic classes maintained through surveillance, artificial intelligence, and automation. Selected novels are analyzed in-depth to identify patterns in how financial disparities and power structures create social stratification, with specific emphasis on the role of advanced technologies in limiting economic mobility.

Using a framework of thematic categories—such as wealth concentration and technology’s influence on class divisions—the comparative analysis in this study underscores commonalities in the portrayal of wealth and control hierarchies across different narratives. Ultimately, this paper highlights the relevance of dystopian fiction as a lens through which contemporary society’s financial and technological challenges can be understood, suggesting that these narratives offer critical insights into ongoing discussions about economic justice and technological ethics. Future research is recommended to expand the study to include additional novels and diverse cultural perspectives, further exploring the multifaceted economic dimensions of dystopian literature.

Keywords:

Dystopian literature, economic inequality, technology and control, wealth hierarchies, social stratification.