What is dystopian fiction?

There are many various definitions of dystopian fiction, but in my search, I found the explanation by writer Meagan Spooner to be the best, clear explanation:


"A dystopian society is usually a futuristic one, in which the laws and morals that govern the people within it have regressed to the point of repression or loss of human rights, designed by the author to highlight and explore the flaws in his current society. ... The best dystopian fiction today continues this practice of highlighting the flaws in our society and extrapolating them into the future, imagining what our world could become if we don't repair the cracks now while we still can. ... Science fiction is all about the "what if." What if the qualities that define our society today are the very cause of our downfall tomorrow?..." — Meagan Spooner

Three great YA dystopian novels I read last fall

With renewed interest, I'm conquering the genre of dystopian fiction. Actually, I'm addicted. As I mentioned in my previous post, I didn't even realize that dystopian fiction piqued my interest so long ago with 1984 by George Orwell. Thanks to my graduate course in children's book publishing, I now have endless resources to find and evaluate this popular genre — especially with young adults.

Forgive me for a first couple more of my entries to this blog may be about a dystopian fiction novel. I currently have a reading list of 10 books, but may have to switch genre's here or there to keep the reading fresh.

So this past fall, I embarked on a dystopian journey. And I came upon...

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. My dystopian journey started with this first book in the series. And I've been lost in the dystopian world ever since. I read all three books in the trilogy in seven days — I kid you not. Got behind on some school work actually because of it. Who hasn't heard about this series by now...

In the nation of Panem, the capital is surrounded by 12 districts, and each year the capital sends a boy and a girl from each district to fight in the annual Hunger Games. A fight to the death on TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen takes her younger sisters place in the games ... and the journey begins. 

This book is definitely a page turner!
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2. The Giver by Lois Lowry. It's a pretty small book compared to others published of the same genre. I read it in two days. It's definitely very thought provoking, and left you rethinking things in the end to exactly "what just happened?"

Eleven-year-old Jonas lives in a perfect world where there is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices because every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns twelve he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. This person hold the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. There is no turning back...

Though the author hasn't stated, I believe there are a lot of religious undertones to this novel, especially in the end.
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3. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. The first book in a series about teens who get surgery to make them "pretty" when they turn sixteen. But the main character soon finds out that they may not only change your looks, but the way you think.

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and in just a few weeks she'll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty. Her only job then will be to have fun. But when her friend runs away, Tally learns a whole new side of the pretty world — which isn't very pretty. 

I think this book offers great discussion about society's role in image and self-awareness. What is ugly and pretty? Why does it matter to us?

My love for dystopian fiction and its renewed popularity

1984 by George Orwell was the first dystopian fantasy book I read — though I didn’t know it at the time. I was in high school. And I didn’t read another until the Hunger Games trilogy, which I recently finished. I loved them.

Laura Miller’s analysis of the likeness between this genre and what young adults are going through makes sense. But I don’t think teens realize it at the time. It’s interesting and popular because it’s different. It’s edgy. The suspense of everything and the wonder of a world being the way the story portrays is what nabs readers — young and old.

The thing that fascinates me about this genre is how much conversation could be had while reading and after, about what the story really means. I know I wouldn’t have taken away all that I did reading Hunger Games today versus when I was a teen. British academic Kay Sambell says the typical arc of the dystopian narrative mirrors the course of adolescent disaffection. The Uglies series is a perfect example, which is on my list to read.

For myself I look at the two books I read at two different times in my life — 1984 in high school, and Hunger Games today — and wonder what future dystopian novels will be like. Like Miller says, they’ll likely still include “the part about the world being broken or intolerable, about the need to sweep away the past to make room for the new” no matter what new technology and social trends there will be.