Dystopias and Social Critiques discussion
What are you reading right now?
Patrick wrote: "Anybody here read Crash by J.G. Ballard? I've been thinking about the lack of empathy and compassion in our society and that novel's achievement of a clinical, emotionally detached narrative a..."
i've read some Ballard (the sci fi stuff). while i've been curious about Crash i've not tackled it. funny i have the idea that i need some kind of fortification or strength to "tackle" it. i did see Cronenberg's movie of it and am curious about it's source. i will get around to it one of these days.
The Glass Bees .... i like the title. can you say something about it William?i've just started Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky. it's some years after a huge nuclear accident has sent everyone in Moscow to live in the underground tunnels of the metro lines. so it is definitely p.a. but given how much time has past, a society of sorts has been restored. i am only a few pages in and i've yet to learn how far spread the radiation effects are felt,and what kind of society they are creating down there in the dark. only a few pages in but i have it on good authority that it becomes hard to put down.
I'm a YA addict, so I've been loving the trend toward dystopian and post-apocalyptic settings in teen literature.Two recent and excellent reads: WITHER by Lauren DeStafano and DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver. There will be sequels to both books.
A stand-alone YA dystopian classic I just read and loved: FEED, by M. T. Anderson. It's about advertising and its hold on society, and more poignantly, about how this separates us from one another in stark, and even dangerous, ways.
I'm reading Watchmen. It's my first graphic novel and I'm really enjoying it.
Anna, I'm not much of graphic novel reader, but I really enjoyed Watchmen when I read it last year. I'm glad that you're liking it so far.
Anna and all, I just finished my first graphic novel, TRIBES; THE DOG YEARS and enjoyed it for several reasons: the art is amazing; the layout clever; the plot well conceived. It's a horizontal format about 8x11a or 8xi2 when opened. A bit gory, but an amazing dystopian romp in graphics. It's part of series.
I just started Brave New World the other day. It's kind of an odd book so far. Just finished A Clockwork Orange before I started BNW, Idk if Clockwork would be considered a dystopia but I just thought I'd add it :)
I just started reading The World Inside, by Robert Silverberg. So far so good. It takes place in 2381, Most humans on earth now live in giant skyscrapers that are tousands of stories high. Despite the obvious overcrowding, they are obsessed with reproduction. It's told in vignettes. I am only on page 70 or so, but I am really enjoying it.
Almost finished with, The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, then excited to start Divergent by Veronica Roth.
Read Human.4 over the weekend. Although not a totally original concept, it was quite a good story. The idea is that humans evolve, yes that is not new, but think of it in terms of software versions. Now that is a twist. The story is reminiscent of Body Snathers, Langoliers and some AI. Told as a transcript of cassette tapes. So there is a narrator and an editor of sorts. The story ends up belonging to the editor. Nice way to end it.
DIVERGENT was an excellent read--reminded me more of the wonderful UGLIES series by Scott Westerfeld than THE HUNGER GAMES, though I can see the comparison.
Kelly wrote: "I just started reading The World Inside, by Robert Silverberg. So far so good. It takes place in 2381, Most humans on earth now live in giant skyscrapers that are tousands of stories high. Despi..."I read this many years ago and recall it as one of my favorite Silverberg novels. -Bruce
Has anyone read my dystopian novel The Guardener's Tale?
I only read ebooks now and it doesnt show your book for sale as an ebook?
Pat wrote: "I only read ebooks now and it doesnt show your book for sale as an ebook?"It is for sale as an ebook. At Barnes & Noble as a Nookbook. And at Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/
as a Kindle and a bunch of other formats. Both for $6.45.
Oh really! I had only ckd Amazon and didnt see it there. I will ck B&N, because i have a B&N gift card! Thanks
If you read the novel, hope you enjoy as much as other GoodReaders have. Comments are always welcome.Cheers, Bruce
Angelo wrote: "I just started Brave New World the other day. It's kind of an odd book so far. Just finished A Clockwork Orange before I started BNW, Idk if Clockwork would be considered a dystopia but I just thou..."My read of Brave New World was not a compelling one but it was a satisfying one. The world and characters come to life and the story is rich in speculative ideas about life, politics, and our species.
If you read the novel, hope you enjoy as much as other GoodReaders have. Comments are always welcome.
Well, my goal is to read 60 dystopian books for 2011, so I'm only reading dystopian books now,so i will ck it out.
Thanks!
Well, my goal is to read 60 dystopian books for 2011, so I'm only reading dystopian books now,so i will ck it out.
Thanks!
Pat, that sounds like an epic goal. I hope that you achieve it.
Thanks! I read so much more now since getting my ipad. Im at 23 right now, and it will be 24 by the end of today because I only have about an hours worth left to finish "Divergent". I average 4-8 books per month and that isnt really reading alot, because I still make time to do other things. Im really enjoying the dystopian genre!
Well Bruce, I just purchased your ebook at B&N and I'm really looking forward to starting it tonite after I finish Divergent! Thanks for the heads up, because I find out about alot of books from checking Goodreads from time to time!
Just started another YA dystopian take, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND by Allegra Goodman. Have heard good things about it. Yay!
Pat wrote: "Well Bruce, I just purchased your ebook at B&N and I'm really looking forward to starting it tonite after I finish Divergent! Thanks for the heads up, because I find out about alot of books from c..."Thanks for the order. I look forward to any comments you might have.
Sixty dystopian novels in one year sounds ambitious to me. If you don't mind my asking, why did you decide to do this?
I saw this Dystopian 2011 reading challenge, and thought it would be pretty cool to do, since dystopian books are my new love lately!
http://bareadingchallenges.blogspot.c...
http://bareadingchallenges.blogspot.c...
Pat wrote: "I saw this Dystopian 2011 reading challenge, and thought it would be pretty cool to do, since dystopian books are my new love lately!http://bareadingchallenges.blogspot.c..."
Intresting. Thanks for the link. Maybe I'll try this someday. Of the 15 he recommends on his blog, I've read only ten. Of those, I think The Road was my least favorite. I didn't dislike it, but failed to understand why it received such applause from most readers and reviewers.
I just finished, "The Guardeners Tale", by Bruce Boston and I must say, it was a book worth reading! A story that will stay with me for awhile.
Pat wrote: "I just finished, "The Guardeners Tale", by Bruce Boston and I must say, it was a book worth reading! A story that will stay with me for awhile."Pat,
Thanks for reading, rating and reviewing. Always good to know I've reached another reader in a positive way. At the rate you appear to be reading, I don't think you'll have any trouble meeting your goal of 60 dystopian novels by the end of the year.
Cheers, Bruce
The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. ~James Bryce
The best part about any good book is the enrichment you feel afterwards,
Thank you....
The best part about any good book is the enrichment you feel afterwards,
Thank you....
Finished Genesis by Bernard Beckett yesterday and it was a great read with an awesome twist at the end! I'm now reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky- both good so far!
Oh, and besides buying Awaken for my Ipad, I also bought Meat by Joseph D'Lacey, which I've read good things about!
I was a bit bewildered by Genesis. Just didn't know what to think when it was done.I am currently reading Life As We Knew It. I like it so far, at times it seems to be the most pragmatic depiction of PA times. At other times I think things are much too quiet, a lot more chaos should be happening. Perhaps that is because of the POV of the narrator.
Anybody else read this one?
Also am reading Harmony which is an interesting take on dystopia, IMHO. A medical society is not very hard to imagine, since currently the only thriving business in USA seems to be medicine. Used to be Starbux on every corner, seems now to be either a Walgreens or a Medical Care Center.
Dana,
Just ckd B&N website, Harmony is not sold as an ebook with B&N, only in mobi format with Amazon. Bummer... :(
Just ckd B&N website, Harmony is not sold as an ebook with B&N, only in mobi format with Amazon. Bummer... :(
Pat, I read Life As We Knew It fairly close to when it came out. I thought that it was good, but it was ok. It has two companion books, but I've never read them.
I've read the three Life As we Knew It books. There's a lot to be said for them--hard to tell what a "typical teen" would think of it all. I related to the narrator most in the first two books. You don't have to read all three, as Julie said, they are companion novels. I thought the second book was more graphic.
Have started new group book blog called Dystopian Divas. Wouldn't normally put book blog listing here, but because of topic, thought people might like to check it out!http://dystopiandivas.com
Thanks, everyone!
Oh sorry, thanks for taking the trouble to look it up! Very much appreciate it!
Pat wrote: "Dana,Just ckd B&N website, Harmony is not sold as an ebook with B&N, only in mobi format with Amazon. Bummer... :("
I got my library to buy a copy. I know it is kinda hard to find.
Really? How does that work? I havent used a library in forever! lol
Schuyler-Have started new group book blog called Dystopian Divas. Wouldn't normally put book blog listing here, but because of topic, thought people might like to check it out!
I just started,
, and I found it from seeing it on your poll on what book next to review, thanks!
Also started,
I just started,
, and I found it from seeing it on your poll on what book next to review, thanks!Also started,
Had to get these also for my IPad-
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Pat, Glad you found The Marbury Lens! It's a very unnerving read. It nearly won the review poll, so I'll be reviewing it at some point.All of the above reads look fantastic. I've read XVI, Outside In, Bumped, and Drought. Anxious to hear your thoughts on each as you read them. So fun to have people to talk dystopian reads with!
Just finished Life As We Knew It and since it is a trilogy, guess i better find the next one. Thought it was pretty decent.About halfway thru Harmony now and still very intrigued as to what exactly is going on.
There are some on Pat's list I havent heard of so gotta check those out also.
I just finished Test by William Sleator yesterday. It was young adult, and I usually enjoy his books very much. I really likedHouse of Stairs, but this book was not as good.
I've just started reading Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451 - a world where firemen burn books and never read because it's illegal? Noooooooooooooooooooo!
Dystopias and Social Critiques
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Pat-Thanks for this post! I also enjoyed Matched and Hunger Games and I have put the other books you mentioned on my "to read list"