Critics agree that taken in context Utopia, written in 1516 by Thomas More, is more a commentary on the politics of Reformation-era England than a treatise on "Utopia". However, the book is the namesake of utopian literature. Regardless, More describes Utopia, situated upon an isthmus that has been severed from the surrounding continent to form an island. The Utopians have a classless society with no poverty, not much crime, and a distaste for war. Unlike England of the time (and More's own Protestant-persecuting views) there is religious tolerance. They have communal property and no "love of gold".
The Utopians believe that technology is the key to progress and a better life. The Citizens of Utopia are agrarian. They farm the communal land around their identical cities and share their surplus freely with other cities. They have no locks on their doors, and no meaningful privacy.
Utopians do not work long hours, but as a whole are able to be productive enough to meet the needs of their society. Citizens who show an aptitude for music or science may be excused from physical labor. Loafing is not tolerated and is punishable by strict laws. Vocations can be chosen, subject to the needs of society. Utopians spend their idle hours in intellectual and artistic pursuits. They believe in education an enlightenment for all citizens.
Public office is a duty, and there is no election campaign. There are no attorneys and, as there is no money, no bribery of judges.
The Utopians hate war, and when it cannot be avoided hire mercenaries to fight for them.
The Utopians enjoy universal health care and euthanasia (or assisted suicide) is promoted when there is no hope of a meaningful, pain-free life.
The Utopians believe in one God, but foster many different religions. The religions must coexist in harmony and cannot exhibit any practice offensive to another religion in public.
There is slavery in Utopia, but only of outsiders captured in war or Utopians guilty of terrible crimes, including adultery.
In New Atlantis, written by Francis Bacon 1614, Bensalem is another isolated island world. It is controlled by the mysterious House of Solomon, whose members keep many secrets from the common man (purportedly for their benefit). The citizens practice Christianity.
What is outstanding about New Atlantis is that Bacon proposes that science and technology is the key to supplying the needs of the citizens; a profound prediction at the time.
Never the less, the society does not have freedom of information, necessitating a ruling class and promoting corruption.
In 1921 Yevgeny Zamyatin wrote We, in which he describes a modern dystopia in which humans ("numbers") are willing to give up virtually all freedoms for material comforts. In his world there is strict regimentation, brutal enforcement of law, and daily indoctrination by the State. There is almost no privacy, with all citizens living in glass houses (later upgraded to video cameras in 1984), a theme shared both by More in Utopia, and Orwell in 1984. Sex is controlled and allowed at prescribed times only.
Ultimately the main character undergoes a "curative" medical procedure of having the frontal lobe of his brain irradiated so that he may happily conform (upgraded to Soma in Brave New World).
Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1932, in which a powerful totalitarian government controls the population through advances in science and technology. Humans are specifically bred, indoctrinated, educated, and trained to function in their future job and caste. Sex has been made a childish game, detached in any way from reproduction. In these ways, each person is designed to be fulfilled and happy. Despite these "advances", citizens are given their Soma medication rations to numb their minds and make them feel satisfied. Huxley chooses to medicate the population rather than use fear and punishment as in We and later 1984 to control the masses.
In 1945 B. F. Skinner wrote Walden Two in which behaviorism is used to create an experimental community of 1000 persons. They live communally, work within the community, and use no money. This is achieved by manipulating the environment of the community and by conditioning its inhabitants. The most important feature about the management or government of Walden Two, is that they are able to respond quickly to research that suggests changes in operations can improve conditions; even if the improvement affects a trivial aspect of life. People are then Culturally Engineered (conditioned) to expect and appreciate the changes, and children are conditioned from an early age using aversive techniques as well as rewards.
As there is no money used, the citizens acquire Labor Credits by performing their jobs, and incentive is given for the performance of undesirable jobs by giving those jobs a higher credit value.
The Planners and Managers are not elected; they are appointed by their predecessors.
In 1984, George Orwell plunges the reader into yet another dystopia, with regimentation and the loss of individual identity. Written in 1949, The Government (using its personification as "Big Brother") watches the Outer Party constantly with television cameras for any sign of rebellion, even punishing "thought crime". Fear of discovery and punishment deters insurrection. All information is rigorously controlled, and history is altered daily to support the policies of the Party. Sex has been stripped of any emotional qualities and abstinence is indoctrinated to the Junior Anti-sex League. Ultimately the main character is caught, involved in subversive activity and taken to the Ministry where he is tortured and brainwashed to love Big Brother and he becomes a docile, happy citizen.