7 Tips for Writing a Near-Future Dystopian Novel In this article, debut author Christina Sweeney-Baird explains how writers can expertly craft a near-future dystopian novel. Author: May 6, 2021 At its best, dystopian fiction provides a completely believably insight into an alternative world. It should show the reader what this world looks like and what it feels like. A near-dystopian setting makes this easier in some ways as your starting point for the practical consequences of your "What if?" question is the here and now (or so few years away as to make little difference). And readers can, often, more easily identify with characters who are living lives similar to theirs and feel like they could be friends or people they know.