Mia Pargellis 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?

Mia Pargellis I think the whole premise is the same: a totalitarian government shoves kids in an arena with rules that say that only one can survive. The goal is to…moreI think the whole premise is the same: a totalitarian government shoves kids in an arena with rules that say that only one can survive. The goal is to squash hope and disrupt the possibility of rebellion.
We'll never know if she took the idea from this or not. What I find hard to believe is that she didn't look up the premise just to make sure that it hadn't been done before. A lot of authors don't read books in their niche when they write, but I'd think that they would at least check? I'm really not sure. The announcement system, goal of the game (prevent the hope to unite), and other aspects are extremely similar so it's difficult to say.
But most importantly most people compare the movie BR and the book HG and that's not a fair assessment. I have never read an allegory / satirical novel as good as BR. It does a very good job of addressing issues of morality and fear in a way that I found much more philosophical and thought provoking than HG (although I love HG too). So I'd highly recommend the book.
Sidenote: It weirds me out how certain things are EXACTLY the same - but I don't think that this means that Suzanne Collins took them from BR. Like others have said it's basic survival game tactics 101.
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