Note that, while ``dystopia'' is generally considered an
antonym of ``utopia'', this is not necessarily the case. Dystopias are often called ``
negative utopias''; they are often contrasted with ``
positive utopias'' (since ``
eutopia'' is pronounced the same as ``utopia'', it is not commonly used).
Though it generally is taken in the positive sense, ``utopia'' does not have a necessary positive connotation. Etymologically speaking, ``utopia'' means ``nowhere'' or ``not a place''. The general positive connotation comes from Sir Thomas More's book. Thus ``negative utopia'' is not a contradictio in adjecto.