Studies on dystopian books in the PNLD: a literature review

Abstract

The National Program for Books and Teaching Materials (PNLD) is a public policy aimed at promoting reading in public schools across Brazil. The program distributes books from a wide range of genres, including novels, comic books, and dystopian literature, which is the focus of this research. Based on this, an investigation is conducted on scientific texts that address both the program and the dystopian works made available by the PNLD, with the objective of assessing recent scientific production related to this reading incentive policy. The methodology consists of bibliographic research with both qualitative and quantitative approaches. To this end, searches were conducted on two platforms: the CAPES Theses and Dissertations Database and SciELO. Six pairs of descriptors were used on each platform, resulting in a total of 64 academic texts with the potential to contribute to the research. The results indicate a limited number of scientific articles based on the investigated descriptors, revealing gaps in these research areas. Additionally, some dystopian authors were frequently cited in various studies, notably the Canadian writer Margaret Atwood and the Brazilian author Ignácio de Loyola Brandão, suggesting that they are key references in the dystopian genre. Finally, it is considered that dystopian literature contributes to the development of critical thinking. Therefore, further research in this field is essential, particularly in alignment with Basic Education, given that this literary genre is present in schools through the PNLD book distribution program.