Why is Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We considered an early dystopian novel?

Yevgeny Zamyatin’s novel We (written in 1920) is considered an early and fundamental dystopian novel because it established the genre's core tropes and served as the literary ancestor to later masterpieces like Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell.412

The novel depicts the "Single State," a totalitarian society that warns against the dangers of extreme conformity and strict utilitarianism. Key elements that define its dystopian nature include:3

• Loss of Individuality: Citizens are identified by numbers rather than names, wear identical uniforms, and live in glass houses that allow for constant state surveillance.43
• State Control: The society is ruled by a "Benefactor" who is perpetually reelected, and personal life—including diet and sexual partners—is strictly regulated by the state.43
• Inhumanity: Rather than a perfect society, the Single State is portrayed as an inhuman system that suppresses emotion and nonconformity.2

By presenting this "worryingly plausible" future, Zamyatin created a template for the genre, effectively critiquing the political and social pressures of his time.32