Archiving the Resistance: Memory and Oppositional Recordkeeping in Dystopian Fiction

As imaginary good places located elsewhere and/or in another time, literary utopias may articulate nostalgic yearnings for an irretrievable past, but more significantly, they express socio-political discontent with the present and anticipations future. The role of memory is thus central utopian configurations since better alternatives primarily by “remembering” evaluating specific historical conjunctures. In line increasing prominence dystopian fiction starting from early twentieth century, issues concerning preservation destruction have become relevant. Authors portray how totalitarian regimes corporations reshape or sever links between present, future while defiant characters resist political oppression forming alternative narratives. struggle to construct personal collective archives against obliteration past records makes recordkeeping a common theme trope many This paper examines various forms what I call “oppositional recordkeeping” selected major examples genre through theories dystopia, memory, archive. will conclude that authors preserve possibility change imagining oppositional practices without overlooking problems entailed authority authorship.