Dystopian Literature, Film and Culture 1

I thought this picture was a good example of how dystopian fiction has developed over the last century. It shows the most popular books to date and how they reflect the cultural climate of the time that they were written. There has been a recent increase of book to film releases particularly in the Young Adult category with The Hunger Games and Divergent (to be released in 2014). Both these books and films show that there is still an interest/anxiety in fear of the state, government control, manipulation –subjects that may appeal to teens.

The teenager is at a stage of their lives where they are learning about themselves, understanding the world around them and forming relationships; who to trust and who in the adult world, if anyone, is an ally. Is the popularity of these stories a result of society, development of an understanding of what is going on politically/environmentally or is it just a result of a more disposable income for the teen reader/audience? Perhaps it is a combination of all of these.

Reference:- http://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/351-the-dystopian-timeline-to-the-hunger-games-infographic [sourced on 28/12/2013]

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