Has anyone read Unwind by Neal Shusterman? That's a great dystopia, Feed by MT Anderson, Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness and I saw someone mentioned The Maze Runner by James Dashner - loved that one.

Some I want to read in 2010 are - Genesis by Beckett, The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Lloyd, House of the Scorpian by Farmer, The Declaration by Malley and Tomorrow when the War Began by ?

Oh, I loved this book (thanks, Ann and Michael, for spotlighting it)! I was trying to make Thanksgiving dinner the week I read it, but could not tear myself away. I liked the variation on 'Lord of the Flies'. . .instead of turning feral and destroying each other, the boys in this book figured out a system and worked at it together to survive. It was so intense that I checked out the ending when I was 2/3 of the way through- the ending was more intense still! I hope the next book is released soon.

Stephanie wrote: "I read The Maze Runner this week and really loved it. If you like this genre of reading, I would add it to the shelf. "

I'm reading this right now for the DystopYA Challenge! I've just started, but its already reminding me of William Golding's Lord of the Flies.

I read The Maze Runner this week and really loved it. If you like this genre of reading, I would add it to the shelf.

Loved Life as We Knew It and it's sequel, the Dead and the Gone. They were beautifully written books. They felt very real. Also, they weren't written in some distant future. I felt when I was reading the books that these incidents could happen tomorrow which added to the realism in the stories.

Heather wrote: "It seems dystopian novels, movies, and whatnot are in fashion right now. Which is good, since I enjoy them so much!

There are several dystopian YA reads I can recommend. The Hunger Games by Suzan..."

Life as We Knew It, gave me anxious dreams. I live in south Louisiana and I read this book after Hurricane Katrina. I think it cut a little close to home at the time and I haven't been able to bring my self to read the sequel. It is very well written and I recommended to people, but I feel compelled to warn them that it might bring up sensitive subjects. Most people do enjoy it in spite of or because of the anxious feeling it invokes.

I loved The Hunger Games. In my group, it is listed as one of the best YA books for adults. I had a hard time putting it down. I can't wait to read the sequel. I am waiting for Thanksgiving or Christmas break from school so I can stay up late. :)

Ann wrote: "I am actually very excited about The Stand graphic novel. I read and loved the book ages and ages ago and while I won't re-read the book, I think I'll read the new edition"


I agree - The Hunger Games was fantastic. I haven't finished Catching Fire yet.

Michael wrote: "I've always wanted to read The Stand. Folks started telling me I'd love after I read World War Z... Will probably never get to the book... nice to know a Graphic Novel is headed my way too!"

I loved The Stand and the idea of it as a graphic novel really appeals to me. I can't wait to read that. Oh, but I didn't like the movie.

fantastic insights on these books Tanya and I love the concept of one book "recommending" another.

I was "late" in reading THE HANDMAID'S TALE, having only picked it up and read it 2007. I was stunned at it's lasting relevance and even with some of it's prescience. When it was written, 1986, the Soviet Union was still the scary monster under the bed, but in the book, it's the Middle Eastern states that pose the political threat... The woman in the book used a credit/debit card instead of cash, at a time in real-life when ATMs were still in their nascence... The social conservative movement using Biblical literalism and misogynistic interpretations to force cultural Medievalism (draw your own parallel there!)

Sometimes, after I read a book, another book immediately comes to mind as being "related" and I'll often say the first book recommends the second. In this case, THE HANDMAID'S TALE recommended to me George Orwell's 1984. I listened to 1984 (audiobook narrated by Simon Prebble) and was again struck by it's timelessness and relevance. Political allegiances shifted quickly and the public was manipulated by its sole dependence on an engineered media for information... Cash flow was nearly non-existent in the book keeping people in their places by denying them affluence or even a hope of legitimate affluence...The mantra of "Ignorance = Strength" is very much analogous to the "Faith vs Reason" argument that has its currency in today's scientific communities... The individual's nature and character, including sexuality, was to have been suborned to the party (I believe Julia even wore a red sash to connate her anti-sex role in the party)...


OK, I'll stop. I'm sure I could go on and on, but the horse I'm clearly beating to death is that both novels impressed me with their acute insight as to the impact of certain social policies that represent a very real danger to liberty, but only if we allow them to be.

Rita wrote: "Ann wrote: "Rita, while a "Dystopia" section would be very cool, I'd really prefer that bookstores had a "Featured on Books on the Nightstand" section. ;)

(I guess for that to happen, we'd have to..."

Me too!

Ann wrote: "Rita, while a "Dystopia" section would be very cool, I'd really prefer that bookstores had a "Featured on Books on the Nightstand" section. ;)

(I guess for that to happen, we'd have to own our own..."

My dream is to have my own store. So when I do, I'll be sure to have a "Featured on BOTN" section!!

Rita, while a "Dystopia" section would be very cool, I'd really prefer that bookstores had a "Featured on Books on the Nightstand" section. ;)

(I guess for that to happen, we'd have to own our own store...)

I just started reading Neuromancer by William Gibson. The used book store has it in Science fiction, I imagine it's because they don't have a dystopia section, although after listening to this podcast they probably should

Oh yes, that's what we do best around here ... "make" people read stuff. That will be my super-power when I'm granted entry to the League of Justice.... (see that, Michael? Are you proud of me? I made a comics reference ...)

I'm listening to The Handmaid's Tale on tape now. I have been avoiding reading it because I knew what it was about and it just sounded so miserable. But it was recommended in the audio books episode, then Ann mentioned it in the dystopia episode. I'm glad y'all MADE me read it!

Just to chime in -

I didn't like The Stand, nor have I ever liked anything by King. It is big and fat and not worth the time. The graphic novel format, however, might be interesting.

The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favorite books of all-time. Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite authors.

I read The Hunger Games for a YA group I am part of, and we all LOVED it. While it is YA fiction, it is a book that is VERY difficult to put down, the concepts are incredible and horrendous, and all of the adults are anxiously awaiting the second book.

Thanks for that Katherine. WE is a novel RH republished a few years ago, but I still haven't read it. I've also heard that Orwell read it and publicly said how much he loved it, several years before 1984 came out. hmmmm....

One dystopian novel that so many people seem to miss is WE by Yevgeny Zamyatin. It was written in 1920 USSR. Zamyatin wrote it in reaction to his experience of the Russian revolution and the first couple years of Soviet Russia. It's amazing to read knowing what that state actually became.

One aspect I particularly enjoy (and I hope doesn't scare others off) is that it plays a little with math. One of the things that the State feels threatened by is imaginary numbers, so the irrational or square root of -1 gets a bit of play in the book. How often can you say that about a novel?

It's a quick great read and arguably the first of the great dystopian novels, so it makes a great grouping with 1984 & Brave New World; or it's fun in a group with Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich & Master and Margarita.

The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favorite books. So thought-provoking. I even thought they did a respectable job with the movie version.

Michael, you should really read The Stand. If you could stomach The Road, you can read anything : )

I agree with Jeff that you'll never look at the flu again after reading-I used to tell a co-worker he had Captain Trips when he got a cold (Captain Trips being the nickname they gave the superflu in the early days of it.) The Stand is downright cheerful in comparison to The Road and my favorite King book. It may not be classic literature, but it is one of my alltime favorites. Truly epic in nature and also full of heart. The miniseries they made of it in the mid 90's was also excellent.

Having said all that, graphic novels just don't work for me so I'll probably skip that.

Ann wrote: "You know, we could totally do an entire episode on YA dystopic fiction. The Hunger Games, City of Ember, and I can think of a few more. Hmmmm ...."

I think that would be fantastic! There are so many terrific ones out and more coming soon! I know I would enjoy it.

Ann - I love Handmaid's Tale also - it's one of my favorite books now, still and I've read it at least 3 times. I agreed with you when you said that it was still just as relevant now as when it initially came out 25 years ago.

I did also just pick up Divided Kingdom from my local library and am going to start it soon.

You know, we could totally do an entire episode on YA dystopic fiction. The Hunger Games, City of Ember, and I can think of a few more. Hmmmm ....

I enjoyed this episode as well. I had to dig up my copy of LOOKING BACKWARD. I read it in college and parts of that book have stayed with me. I now need to go back and re-read THE HANDMAID'S TALE. I'm thrilled to hear, Ann, that it holds up!

This episode reminded me that I still have CITY OF EMBERS on by TBR list. I've always considered it a YA dystopian read but now I will have to move it to the top of the pile and find out for certain.

Deby

I have never had any desire to read this genre until I listened to your podcast. Now I'm looking for the Margaret Atwood book that Ann mentioned.

Also just found this great list of Dystopic Books, here on Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/563.D...

There's a great post-apocalyptic YA book I read way back when called Z for Zachariah. I don't remember all the details, but there's a girl who lives in a valley. Her parents are out of the valley when nuclear war hits. The valley protects her from radiation. She thinks she's the last person left, then sees a man in a radiation suit coming closer.

Michael, Heather,

You should REALLY consider reading THE STAND. It's a powerful book and a page-turner. And, you'll *never* view those newscasts re: the H1N1 flu the same ever again. Hint - I'm always waiting for one of the news anchors to sneeze during the flu story. In THE STAND, a superflu wipes out most of the population.

But THE STAND is much more than just a scary book.

Also, I should have added I'm also reading THE STRAIN, which may end up as a dystopian novel. Not sure yet. The Strain is super creepy and lots of fun. It was co-written w/ Guillermo Del Toro, the movie director, and Chuck Hogan. Great summer thriller!

It seems dystopian novels, movies, and whatnot are in fashion right now. Which is good, since I enjoy them so much!

There are several dystopian YA reads I can recommend. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (and also the very eagerly anticipated Catching Fire!) comes immediately to mind, as well as Life as We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Feed by MT Anderson, Cory Doctorow's Little Brother, the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, and loads more.

I've always been terrified of The Stand, but I might have to look into the graphic novel. Thanks Ann and Michael, for another great episode!

I am actually very excited about The Stand graphic novel. I read and loved the book ages and ages ago and while I won't re-read the book, I think I'll read the new edition

I've always wanted to read The Stand. Folks started telling me I'd love after I read World War Z... Will probably never get to the book... nice to know a Graphic Novel is headed my way too!

I enjoyed this episode as usual. There are two dystopian books that I enjoy and have read more than once - SWAN SONG by Robert R. McCammon and THE STAND by Stephen King.

In fact, The Stand is now about to be published in graphic novel format.