Monday, July 18, 2011

Different Kinds of Dystopias

A Goodreads comment said "Tomorrow, the Day the World Ended" didn't seem to have the elements of a dystopia--at least not the ones he is used to. Okay, Let's compare "Tomorrow" to "The Hunger Games." Both are very different dystopias.

"Tomorrow" is set in the near future in a city we know--not many years from now. "Hunger Games" is more like Star Wars--a long, long time from now in a world we hardly recognize. "Tomorrow" shows our world messed up by a natural catastrophe and how young people cope in the mess. "Hunger" has a lot of glitz and gadgets that make neat special effects--almost like magic or a fantasy. The one thing the books have in common is a hero(ine) struggling in the world in which she is given.

I must admit that my "Blending Time" and sequels lean toward "Tomorrow" because they don't ask the reader to suspend scientific belief. All the stuff in the books seem possible. "Hunger," as fabulous as it is, has near-fantasy elements that defy belief. But you let that disbelief go and enjoy the ride. To each his/her own. Personally, I enjoy most dystopias.

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