In the last few years there has been a virtual tsunami of dystopian
fiction released for young adults, known as the ‘new age dystopian literature’.
Dystopian literature is defined as using science fiction elements in a future
setting to create a supposed perfect utopian society; however the reality is
discovered to be the exact opposite.
Commentators are wondering what is it that
is engaging young adult readers in stories of near future worlds with beaten
down populations, war ravaged landscapes, cruel and corrupt governments. Is it
pure escapism, is it exploring issues of control, societal constructs, beauty,
and strength. Is it a genre that teachs us about survival and courage in a
world where a lot of our current circumstances seem slightly dystopian anyway?
Maybe
you can tell us. Here at Marrickville Library we’d love to hear what you have
to say about The Hunger Games, dystopian fiction in general, as well as the
titles we have mentioned in this blog.
We assume that you have read The Hunger Games and loved it. The blog postings will present four aspects of The Hunger Games that may have appealed to you:
- Maybe you would like to explore more books with the dystopian theme, we let you know of some classic dystopian novels some written decades ago but still surprisingly relevant today.
- Maybe you enjoyed reading about Katniss’ exploits and long for more dystopian titles with a female protagonist.
- Are you fascinated by the way authors build a world, with a back story of how this world came to be and using sci-fi imagery.
- How about the themes of courage or survival within a dystopian society?
You will find these in the four tabs along the top.
Print out a reading guide for the titles mentioned in this blog, from the top tabs.
Feel free to post your comments, and add your favorite quotes.
No comments:
Post a Comment