(Funny, this could figure in as my D-post :P)
Hey all!
As I mentioned on Sunday, I would try to post something review-related either yesterday or today and, since I was a lazy bum (as usual) all day yesterday, it is, obviously, being posted today.
Okay, as I have mentioned numerous times (like...3), the theme for this month(s) reviews is all about dystopian societies. Now, there are a fair few who might be reading this that may not know what a dystopian society is, so I'll take a moment to explain.
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, a dystopian society is "an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives ," (click here to view entry).
The Hunger Games
Hey all!
As I mentioned on Sunday, I would try to post something review-related either yesterday or today and, since I was a lazy bum (as usual) all day yesterday, it is, obviously, being posted today.
Okay, as I have mentioned numerous times (like...3), the theme for this month(s) reviews is all about dystopian societies. Now, there are a fair few who might be reading this that may not know what a dystopian society is, so I'll take a moment to explain.
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, a dystopian society is "an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives ," (click here to view entry).
Although you may not know it, it is very likely that you have either read a book or viewed a filmed that featured a dystopian setting. For example, here is a list of some famous dystopian novels and films: (click on the film's name to view it's IMDB [Internet Movie Database] page)
Movies
Children of Men (2006)
Idiocracy (2006)
I, Robot (2004)
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
Books
The Hunger Game - Suzanne Collins (2008)
The Giver - Lois Lowry (1993)
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood (1986)
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess (1962)
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (1953)
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury (1953)
1984 - George Orwell (1949)
As you can see, the idea of a dystopia has been around for a long time, however, the notion of dystopia versus utopia existed long before 1949. In 1516, Sir Thomas More (a dear friend, advisor, and confidant to the famous King Henry VIII of England) published a book titled Utopia. More, in fact, coined the phrase "Utopia," which is Greek for "no place" (with "Dystopia" being Greek for "bad place"). The first known use of the word dystopia is in 1868, in a speech before Parliament by John Stuart Mill.
In literature and film, the dystopian genre generally falls under science fiction, as many of them deal with futuristic settings (think The Jetsons, but with guns).
In literature and film, the dystopian genre generally falls under science fiction, as many of them deal with futuristic settings (think The Jetsons, but with guns).
Dystopian fiction has exploded in recent years, particularly after the release of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games in 2008. I, like many others, have been drawn in by dystopian novels. In my childhood, I read Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, and 1984 (all mandatory for school, but I loved them). It's both easy and difficult to understand why the genre is so popular. Generally written with thrilling language and vibrant visual vernacular (yay for unnecessary alliteration), dystopian novels leave you sitting on the edge of your seat, gripping the pages with stiff, white-knuckled fingers. They leave your pulse pounding and mind racing.
However...
They are also quite depressing because they generally feature a loss of free will and happiness, and the inhabitants of the society are either blissfully ignorant or fearfully informed.
Still....people love them. I recently found a blog post from January of this year featuring the subject of dystopian literature and the almost inexplicable enjoyment of them.
So, now that you have the general gist of what a dystopian society is, here is the how the reviews are going to go.
While I can't give an exact date as to when each review is published (tons of details are being factored in like work, Internet availability, etc), I can give you a listing of the books that I plan on reviewing.
They are as follows:
The Hunger Games
Wither
Matched
1984
The Giver
Fahrenheit 451
A Clockwork Orange
The Maze Runner
Uglies
City of Ember
The Handmaid's Tale
Brave New World
The Road
Across the Universe
Among the Hidden
Those are the fifteen books that I will be reviewing over the next month. While the order listed above is not necessarily the order the reviews will appear, my first review will indeed be on The Hunger Games and will appear on this blog within a couple of days.
I hope you're looking forward to this as much as I am. It's been some time since I've done reviews and I'm very excited to be doing this again.
Happy reading, all!
P.S. I don't believe I've ever said so, but I do enjoy reading comments. However, any comments that are rude or antagonistic to myself or other readers WILL be reported and your comments will not be posted.
P.P.S. Here is a fun image I found will looking for pictures for today's post.
