Re-entering my dystopian era
And wondering why we ever left it
So my workplace, The Literature Centre, hosts a program called Young Writers. In Term 1 this year, we had WA author Brendan Ritchie in, talking about dystopian writing. And I was like, you know what? I really feel like reading a dystopian novel. And I’ve been scratching that itch ever since.
It’s supposed to be common knowledge that dystopian is a thing of the past. But take a little look at the bookshelves and you’ll notice they keep trickling out every year. I don’t know what to believe anymore - whether it was a trend that died off, or whether or not young people aren’t interested in the genre anymore - except that there are plenty of books out there to satisfy my craving. Here are three I’ve really enjoyed lately.
The Extinction Trials by S. M. Wilson
Dinosaurs were my first ever love, but I haven’t read many fiction books that feature them. But just look at that endorsement on the cover that calls The Extinction Trials by S.M. Wilson as The Hunger Games meets Jurassic Park… SOLD.
And this book delivered. I’ve just started the third and final book in the series and I’m enjoying the story so much. The dystopian world is one that is made up of overcrowding and low resources. Because of this, the people in charge want to colonise the neighbouring island. The only problem? The island is filled with dinosaurs. The characters are imperfect and loveable, and the writing style is engaging and fast paced that make the books so easy to read and very hard to put down.
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
I’m aware that I am very late to the party on this one. But all this talk of dystopia was making me nostalgic for the early 2000s books, and I know the Shatter Me series is huge, so I’ve been curious.
I did enjoy the book, though it was much slower and quieter than I thought it would be. It felt like the preamble before the real plot begins at the end of the book, but that’s the structure of the first book in a series, I suppose.
Shatter Me gave me everything my nostalgia was craving, and nothing says early 2000s YA like a young and attractive villain. The second book is already on my bedside table and I can’t wait to dive in.
Snowglobe by Soyoung Park (translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort)
Apparently, Snowglobe by Soyoung Park is trending on BookTok right now, but I just gotta say I discovered this one through the publisher’s newsletter and obviously it fit my dystopian craving perfectly.
I really enjoyed this one, and it was hard to put down because the story - and the mystery - morphed rapidly until I had no idea where it was going to go or what was going to happen. I’m not overly familiar with Korean dramas, but I want to be now. The reality TV part was really interesting. It was so much fun and unlike anything I’d read before. The translation was excellent, too.
So, after reading a couple of dystopian novels, I’m still not sure what to add to the commentary. They definitely hit different, as two of them were about climate, so obviously these scenarios didn’t feel so fantastical or unbelievable as they might have. Talks of rising sea levels and catastrophic weather are now broadcast every night on the news. It’s not something an author made up for a story. But the idea of dystopian has always been less about the world and more about the characters and their reaction and fight to living in that world. No matter what our world is going through, it’s always comforting to read about the plight of others and how they not only survived, but made the world better.
Have you read any of these? What are your favourite dystopian novels, or ones that scream nostalgic YA for you? I’d love to know!