Thomas More penned *Utopia*. It is a book describing an imaginary island and the way life unfolds there.
If you enjoy books that explore how societies could be organized, particularly if those books touch on political ideas, there are authors with a similar approach you might find interesting.
Francis Bacon was an English philosopher and author from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, famous for works that explore ideal societies and human progress. If you appreciate Thomas More’s “Utopia,” you may find Bacon’s “The New Atlantis” equally fascinating.
In this short but thoughtful book, Bacon portrays an advanced, isolated society on a hidden island called Bensalem. The island thrives thanks to its dedication to learning, experimentation, and the careful use of science to improve society.
Bacon uses this story to explore themes of social improvement, justice, and the potential of scientific discovery to shape a better world.
Readers who appreciate Thomas More’s blend of satire, social commentary, and imaginative storytelling will also find Jonathan Swift engaging. His book “Gulliver’s Travels” is a satirical adventure structured as the travel diary of Lemuel Gulliver.
Gulliver is shipwrecked onto strange lands with each journey, where he encounters peculiar societies. In one, he meets the tiny Lilliputians, who embody absurdities of political ambition and pettiness.
In another land he visits giants who reflect human flaws on a larger, embarrassing scale. With sharp humor and imaginative scenarios, Swift makes insightful critiques about human nature, politics, and society.
Readers familiar with “Utopia” and its thoughtful satire will recognize similar cleverness and wit in Swift’s writing.
Plato was a classical Greek philosopher whose dialogues explored justice, politics, morality, and ideal societies. If you enjoyed Thomas More’s “Utopia,” you might appreciate Plato’s “Republic.”
In “Republic,” Plato imagines an ideal city-state, where philosopher-kings rule, warriors protect, and workers produce. Through vivid conversations between Socrates and his companions, Plato raises intriguing questions about justice, ethics, and human nature.
His hypothetical city challenges readers to rethink societal values, similar in spirit to how More questions society’s norms in “Utopia.”
Tommaso Campanella was an Italian philosopher and writer from the late Renaissance period, known for his thought-provoking ideas about society and politics. If you appreciated Thomas More’s “Utopia,” you might find Campanella’s “The City of the Sun” fascinating.
This book presents a fictional dialogue between a sailor and a knight, describing an ideal society governed by reason, science, and communal ownership, with no private property and total equality.
It captures many intriguing concepts about governance, human nature, and the pursuit of knowledge, all wrapped up in an imaginative vision of the perfect city.
The story paints vivid details about daily life and institutions, making it a memorable exploration of utopian thinking.
Books by Sir Thomas Malory offer engaging insights into medieval ideals of chivalry, virtue, and honor. If you admire Thomas More’s deep exploration of morality and human nature, you might find Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” equally fascinating.
Written in the 15th century, the book compiles and refines various legends of King Arthur and the noble Knights of the Round Table.
Malory gives readers vivid tales of bravery, doomed romance, and tragic betrayal among characters such as Arthur, Guinevere, Sir Lancelot, and many others.
A reader familiar with More’s thoughtful storytelling style will appreciate how Malory portrays knights struggling with their own flaws, loyalties, and profound quests.
Niccolò Machiavelli was an influential Italian writer and thinker who explored politics with realism, pragmatism, and sharp insight. If you appreciate the depth and provocative nature of Thomas More’s “Utopia,” you might find Machiavelli’s “The Prince” intriguing.
In this short yet impactful treatise written during the Italian Renaissance, Machiavelli examines power as it actually operates rather than how it ideally should.
He looks closely at the qualities effective rulers need, often advocating difficult decisions if stability and control are at stake.
Offering historical examples drawn from ancient Rome and his contemporary Italy, “The Prince” remains controversial centuries later for challenging conventional ideas about morality and leadership.
If More’s vision for an ideal society piques your interest, Machiavelli’s candid exploration of the complexities behind political reality provides a thought-provoking contrast.
If you enjoy Thomas More’s “Utopia,” you might find H.G. Wells equally fascinating. Wells often paints imaginative visions of alternative societies and futures.
His book “The Time Machine” introduces a Victorian inventor who travels far into the future with his remarkable machine. At first, this future world seems peaceful, inhabited by gentle Eloi beings. However, there’s an unsettling twist beneath the surface.
Soon, the traveler encounters the darker depths below, where the sinister Morlocks dwell. Wells carefully explores class divisions, human nature, and societies shaped by extreme evolution.
The story is short yet thought-provoking, offering a glimpse into what humanity might become. If themes of ideal societies and their troubling realities capture your attention, Wells’s “The Time Machine” provides a classic and absorbing read.
Readers who enjoy Thomas More’s “Utopia” may find Yevgeny Zamyatin’s “We” equally thought-provoking. Zamyatin was a Russian writer known for his sharp satire and original science fiction ideas.
His novel “We” is set in a future society under strict surveillance and governed by logic alone. Citizens live transparent lives, identified by numbers rather than names, and are expected to function entirely for society’s benefit.
The story follows D-503, a faithful mathematician who becomes unsettled after meeting a rebellious woman named I-330. Through their interaction, he begins to question the supposed perfection of the State.
Zamyatin uses this dystopian setting to raise compelling questions similar to those in More’s work, exploring freedom, humanity, and individual identity.
Books by Aldous Huxley often explore ideas about society and human nature through imaginative storytelling. In “Brave New World,” Huxley creates a futuristic society driven by technology, pleasure, and rigid control. Citizens are engineered for specific roles.
Happiness is mandatory, and personal freedom does not exist. The novel follows the experiences of characters confronted by the limits and costs of such an artificial life.
Readers interested in Thomas More’s “Utopia” might find this thought-provoking portrait of a carefully-structured but troubling society fascinating.
George Orwell is an author whose novels offer sharp social critique and compelling exploration of society’s flaws. Readers who appreciate Thomas More’s approach to social commentary in “Utopia” will likely find Orwell’s “Animal Farm” both engaging and thought-provoking.
“Animal Farm” portrays a group of farm animals who overthrow their human owner to establish a society founded on equality and fairness. Over time, their idealistic community becomes corrupted by greed and power struggles.
Orwell masterfully shows how noble ideals can be twisted into oppressive realities. This insightful allegory highlights the complexities and contradictions within political revolutions and societal structures.
Hermann Hesse was a German-Swiss author known for profound explorations of self-discovery and spiritual quests in his novels. If you appreciate Thomas More’s philosophical approach in “Utopia,” you might enjoy Hesse’s “Siddhartha.”
This novel recounts the journey of a young man named Siddhartha in ancient India who abandons a comfortable life in search of enlightenment and inner peace.
Through conversations with monks, merchants, and riverboat ferrymen, Siddhartha challenges conventional wisdom and norms to find his own path.
The story beautifully portrays themes of personal freedom, spirituality, and self-realization, prompting readers to reflect deeply on their own values and life’s direction.
If you enjoy Thomas More’s “Utopia,” you might also appreciate Margaret Cavendish’s “The Blazing World.” Cavendish was a unique English writer from the 17th century who pushed literary boundaries with imaginative storytelling and bold ideas.
In “The Blazing World,” a young woman becomes shipwrecked and discovers herself transported to a fantastical realm filled with talking animals, advanced technology, and fascinating political structures.
This work combines adventure and philosophical reflection, offering readers a captivating vision of an alternate society that reflects deeply on human nature, power dynamics, and the possibility of utopian ideals.
Fans of More’s exploration of alternative civilizations should find plenty to enjoy in Cavendish’s vivid world-building and sharp insights.
Books by William Morris explore thought-provoking visions of ideal societies, a subject fans of Thomas More will recognize from “Utopia.”
In his novel “News from Nowhere,” Morris describes a future England that has abandoned industrial capitalism and returned to simpler, communal living. The book follows a man named William Guest as he wakes in this pastoral future after falling asleep in Victorian London.
Morris weaves a narrative rich with political ideas, vivid settings, and meaningful conversations. Readers drawn to More’s critique of social structures might appreciate Morris’s exploration of alternatives to the industrial age.
Edward Bellamy was an American author known for his visionary perspective on social reform and utopian ideals. Readers who appreciate Thomas More’s “Utopia” might enjoy Bellamy’s influential novel, “Looking Backward: 2000–1887.”
In this engaging story, the protagonist, Julian West, wakes up after more than a century of sleep to find himself in a dramatically changed society.
He discovers a future where poverty, crime, and inequality no longer exist, replaced instead by a peaceful and cooperative social order. Bellamy’s vivid depiction of a harmonious future offers an interesting exploration of human potential and societal transformation.
If you enjoy Thomas More’s “Utopia,” you might appreciate Chen Qiufan, a modern Chinese science fiction author who tackles big questions about society, technology, and our future. His novel “The Waste Tide” paints a vivid picture of Guiyu, a polluted island off China’s coast.
The story follows Mimi, a migrant worker whose life changes dramatically when she becomes involved in a conflict between corporate powers, ecological disaster, and human rights struggles.
Chen’s storytelling makes readers think deeply about environmental crises and social inequality in a future that’s disturbingly realistic.