Candice Kamencik answers “Why did Suzanne Collins rip off the idea...”

Jason asked this question about Battle Royale:

Why did Suzanne Collins rip off the idea from this book and pretend she didn't?

Candice Kamencik The whole idea of "only one can survive" is a popular theme that's been around for a long time - even far before this book. One extremely mainstream e…moreThe whole idea of "only one can survive" is a popular theme that's been around for a long time - even far before this book. One extremely mainstream example was the show Highlander. So did all these people rip each other off? I don't believe so. The "only one" idea is made unique by the way it is set within a story. The Hunger Games series does share a lot of common threads with this novel, but even so, to see this idea and say, "Hmm, I'm going to write an "only one can survive" book, but base it as a culminating activity within an entire population, and stipulate political intrigue as the main guiding factor." is what makes them different. To say books/stories with the "only one" theme are the same is like saying that books with "good vs. evil" are all the same. It's the story crafting that separates things.(less)

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Jason Very well put. Thanks for the thoughtful answer. I probably shouldn't have posed my question as aggressively as I did. ...more
Jun 01, 2015 07:46PM · flag

Hallo Weena Lord of the Flies, anyone?
Aug 12, 2017 01:02AM · flag

Jay Croker They both have political intrigue and many other extremely suspicious "similarities" which I will not fully go into but as many others like Raul Marti ...more
Mar 25, 2020 07:05AM · flag

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