So, this coming week I am doing a Book Discussion on
Dystopian Science Fiction. What is
Dystopian Sci-
Fi you ask? Well... think Utopia (perfect, peaceful, happy, etc.)
Dystopia would be the opposite of that.
Dystopian Science Fiction imagines a future world (usually earth) in which something has gone terribly terribly wrong (horrible disease, nuclear war, political upheaval, environmental disaster, etc).
Dystopian Science Fiction does not generally have the more fantastic sci-
fi elements like invading aliens, space/time travel, telepathic transportation or communication, etc.
If you are a classics reader, think
1984 by Orwell,
Brave New World by Huxley,
Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury,
We, etc. These are great books and they will really make you think, but as with many of the classics that you will meet on your required reading lists at school... they aren't easy reading. Be prepared to pay attention and get a little depressed.
Unless you have been hiding under a rock (or have no interest whatsoever in science fiction) you will know that there have been lots of new and popular teen
dystopian science fiction published over the last several years. These new novels are a little different from classic
dystopian sci-
fi, the
dystopian worlds themselves have distinct similarities, however they are more plot driven, and thus in my opinion, easier to read. The
Hunger Games Trilogy by Collins,
The Uglies Series by
Westerfeld, and
Ship Breaker by
Bacigalupi (which won the
Printz Award this year) are fast paced, action packed, books that you will have a hard time putting down. Other new and popular titles include
Wither by
DeStafano and
Matched by
Condie which are both about forced marriages. Maybe that's the difference, classic
dystopians are all about the
dystopias, whereas the new teen models use the
dystopias for setting and as a catalyst for the plot, but still keep the story focused on the story.
Good reads, either way, but I wonder whether dystopian readers are going to fall into two categories now. I can't say that both types will appeal to the same audiences. Maybe we'll find out at the book discussion? Come ready to talk about whatever type of science fiction you are fondest of, and I will book talk a whole pile of dystopian sci-fi both classic and contemporary.
