Final answer:
Dystopias are characterized by the extension of a current societal trend to an illogical extreme, serving as a critique of potential future societal issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks which characteristic is commonly associated with dystopias. Dystopias are often a portrayal of society that takes a perceived trend in current society and extends it to an illogical extreme.
This genre of literature typically reflects a deep concern for societal issues, including the impacts of political, social, or technological changes.
For instance, George Orwell's 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury are classics of the dystopian genre that explore totalitarian regimes and a society obsessed with media and censorship, respectively.
Works like these are intended to offer a critique or warning about the path society might take if current trends are allowed to reach extremes.