By Rachel Seigel DYSTOPIAN FICTION FOR TWEENS & TEENS

WHAT IF?

What if the world ran out of fresh water?

What if you could create the perfect Stepford Teen?

What if all of the ice caps melted?

What if a plague wiped out most of the population?

What if love were a curable disease?

What if the Government chose who you married?

What if the world runs out of oil?

What if we lived in a totalitarian society?

What if we could be harvested for spare parts?

WHAT IS UTOPIA?  Coined by Thomas More in 1516 in his book Utopia  Term is a Greek pun on the word “ou-topos” meaning no place and is translated as “Good Place”  Describes any society governed by an ideal socio-political legal system  Refers to any theoretical or fictional community

WHAT IS DYSTOPIA?  Evolves from the term Utopia, and derives from the ancient Greek meaning “bad place/landscape”  First known use is by John Stewart Mill in a parliamentary speech given in 1868  A dystopia is a flawed Utopia

A RECENT TIMELINE OF DYSTOPIAN FICTION  The Giver by Lois Lowry  Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix (First in the Shadow Children series)  2001-Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick  Feed by M.T. Anderson  City of Ember by Jeanne Du’Prau (First in the Books of Ember series)  The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (First in the Uglies series) And then came……..

THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY BY SUZANNE COLLINS

WHY IS THIS GENRE SO POPULAR? Critical ThinkingAppeals to idealism of teensMirrors teenage experienceWant to fight for somethingOrdinary heroesTeens have autonomyDramatic, action-filled plotsMorally complexHopeful

FEATURES OF DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE

SOCIETY: Degraded into repressive and controlled state Social class is strictly defined and enforced Emphasize a pressure to conform Old ideas are difficult to shed for older generation

SOCIAL Absence of social groups other than stateIndependent religion is absent Society is cut off from the rest of the worldRepressive control systemsParanoia is prevalent

POLITICAL Individual is powerless under Government control Totalitarian or Authoritarian rulerView of ruling class/government is pessimisticSociety is a constant state of warfare/violence

ECONOMIC Mass povertyState planned and controlled economyBig Businesses have controlBlack Market for banned/rare items

FAMILY Institution of family exists at service of state One or both parents are eradicated, helpless, absent Kids function in adult roles at a young age

ENVIRONMENT Geography is drastically differentDisaster has devastated large citiesNature is dangerous and to be avoidedSafety exists inside physical or proverbial wall

Matched by Ally Condie & Delirium by Lauren Oliver

INCARCERON & SAPPHIQUE BY CATHERINE FISHER, THE MAZE RUNNER & THE SCORCH TRIALS BY JAMES DASHNER

THE DECLARATION, THE RESISTANCE, LEGACY BY GEMMA MALLEY, BIRTHMARKED BY CARAGH O’BRIEN

THE WATER WARS BY CAMERON STRACHER, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND BY ALLEGRA GOODMAN, SHIBREAKER BY PAOLO BACIGALUPI

UNWIND BY NEIL SHUSTERMAN & CANDOR BY PAM BACHROZ

EPITAPH ROAD BY DAVID PATENAUDE THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, THE ASK AND THE ANSWER, MONSTERS OF MEN BY PATRICK NESS

ROT & RUIN BY JONATHAN MABERRY, THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES BY CARRIE RYAN

WITCH & WIZARD, WITCH & WIZARD: THE GIFT BY JAMES PATTERSON

“You want the world to be full of good and evil. But it’s only shades of grey. This world is full of saints who perform unspeakable acts, and monsters who try to do good” (Source not found)