1984 - George Orwell

"Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmarish vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life—the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language—and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written."

This book is far from perfect. The characters lack depth, the dialogue is didactic in places and the lengthy bit in the middle where the main character, Winston, reads from a book causes whiplash in structure change. 

All that aside it is one of the most terrifying books I have read in a long time. Working, eating, drinking, sleeping, talking, thinking, procreating...in short living, all are controlled by the state. Any hint of obedience or even momentary dislike can be detected by various state apparatus such as the Thought Police, telescreen, or even your children, who will not hesitate to betray you to the authorities. Even language is modified in such ways that you cannot express yourself, since individualism is a crime, or have the tools to convey your dissatisfaction. 

I have always thought that one of the best and most important qualities of science fiction is that it frees the author to take the controversial, politically charged issues and trends of the day and create a possible future based on exaggerations of such trends and in so doing present a compelling and critical argument for change. Well NO ONE has ever done a better job than better Orwell in showing the possible nightmare (and thus potential danger) of a society without basic civil liberties and a government with complete and unchallenged control. 

Of all the unhumane, terrible and bleak things described in this book, the horrifying levels of brainwashing and psychological distortion where the elements that terrified me to my very core. 
"Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.” That the human race would so submit their minds, their consciousness, their very being to an institution is truly nightmarish. 

Age Rating 15+. Torture scenes and concepts that need a certain level of maturity to grasp.