Utopia was published in Latin in 1516, the beginning of what is known as the early modern period of English history. Also referred to as the English Renaissance, this period spanning the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries enjoyed flourishing artistic, literary, and social landscapes. By the end of the sixteenth century, the theater would become a staple of early modern English culture, producing celebrated playwrights like Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and William Shakespeare. Thomas More, as part of the early sixteenth-century literary Renaissance, occupied a particularly influential role as both a proponent of revitalizing classicism and a trusted advisor to King Henry VIII.
More was an influential person, and Utopia as a text has had its own significant influence over the development of literature since the Renaissance. "Utopia" is a Latin term that literally translates to "no place." After More published Utopia, the word was adopted into English vernacular, where it is still used frequently today. As such, More is credited with the coining of the term "utopia" to refer to an ideal, perfect society. Beyond the term itself, however, More's seminal text has inspired entire genres and sub-genres of English literature. Both Francis Bacon and Margaret Cavendish would go onto write utopian "novels" themselves during the Renaissance, entitled New Atlantis and The Blazing World, respectively.
Today, though, one can still observe the literary and culture influence that Utopia had on western literature. What has evolved from utopian literature is the antithetical genre of dystopian narratives, in which a purportedly perfect society is actually home to immense injustice and suffering. Novels like Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, and more recently, The Hunger Games all fall into this category of dystopian literature. These dystopian texts are all dedicated to producing skepticism over the notion of authoritarianism and totalitarian government. There is a fine line, dystopian literature argues, between regulation and complete control. Some have argued that More, in writing Utopia, was exploring a similar argument, but had to remain ambivalent given his close relationship with the king.
