Dystopia in YA....your thoughts and feelings?

Nogetsune · Apr 3, 2012

I know that there is mixed opinions on the idea of dystopian settings in YA. While Hunger Games has had great success, some people just think that dystopian settings just can become too cliche'. However, I personally love dystopian worlds, but dislike the fact all of them tend to be basically the same.

One of my more developed concepts that I have started takes place in a dystopian setting...but instead of being purely technological it is one in which technology and magic work together. In addition, it is one based on the concept of perpetual total war with an inhuman enemy. It is a world in which mankind is in a state of constant conflict with dragons, and as a result society has basically become one massive war-machine, with everybody being a part of the war effort like it or not. The governing body of the setting, a giant defense corporation, makes use of child and teen soldiers and the story follows one of them who has the ability to speak to dragons and, in turn, learn magic and secrets from them...but that's besides the point...

My main point is that there are so many more ways to make a dystopia beyond the "repressive super-massive government rawr!" I chose to go with a "military-industrial complex" theme and run with it, but there are even more themes then that. Why don't we see more "green" dystopias where extreme environmentalism has brought oppression to people? Why not more theocratic dystopias where religion gone mad is the issue? Heck, there are plenty of ways to make a dystopia and despite what some people say dystopian settings can be interesting if you move away from the tired 1984 cliche' big faceless government model.

My question to you all is thus: what kind of dystopias do you like? Which do you dislike? What to you makes a good dystopian setting? Share your thoughts on dystopias in YA here.

Stiger05 · Apr 3, 2012

Hi Ryukami, not sure if this is the sort of discussion you're looking for, but there's a thread on dystopias here: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238831

It starts with the question of whether dystopia is dead, but then delves into the nuts and bolts of the genre. You might want to check it out. : )

Oh, and welcome to AW. Have you posted in the "introduce yourself" thread?

Nogetsune · Apr 3, 2012

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be sure to check that thread out.

shiva777 · Apr 15, 2012

I like to read dystopian books too, but I especially like ones that offer a positive vision for the future. I can think of a couple like Ecotopia and the Fifth Sacred Thing. I've just finished off book one of a utopian trilogy...course it's more of a dystopia based on our current world when it starts, but it will end in pure utopia where people have evolved pass the need for war and violence.

-shiva

Castaspella · Apr 15, 2012

I haven't read too many in the YA genre (yet - my backlog of books grows ...) but one problem I have with novels defined as "dystopic" is that ... they aren't really. Or not completely - to me, anyway. For me a feature of dystopia is that people in the novel's setting generally believe, despite their hardships or how deadly life is, the world is actually in a good place i.e. the powers that be have worked on convincing everyone (through whatever means and for however long) it's actually a paradise and part of the story is antagonists realising "hey, this is actually a completely harsh and unjust society and I shouldn't have to die for industry or entertainment, let me do something about that immediately instead of being part of the problem".

Most dystopias just seem post-apocalyptic (in that world residents are aware things are bad but don't do anything) - I'm not sure if that is a big enough distinction for people in general to care about, but I'd be interested in a story where people think they're actually living a utopia before they discover it is in fact the opposite.

lolchemist · Apr 15, 2012

I've read a bunch of dystopian YA lately and besides The Hunger Games and Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, they all seem so formulaic (Matched, Legend, Shatter Me, another one I forgot the name of already...) The formula is pretty much this:

repressive government who hides the truth from it's people + teenagers in love + the fate of the world lies on the shoulders of (the teenagers in love) + (optional) love triangle

I mean yeah. Hunger Games and Uglies have that formula too, now that I think about it but those series have so much more meat on their bones that it's easier to forget the "WHO WILL KATNISS/TALLY PICK?" stuff.

I guess after all this rambling, my point is that authors should worldbuild their dystopias a lot more rather than letting them just be an 'evil strawman' for their glorious couple to defeat.

lyrwriter · Apr 15, 2012

Ryukami said:
Why don't we see more "green" dystopias where extreme environmentalism has brought oppression to people? Why not more theocratic dystopias where religion gone mad is the issue? Heck, there are plenty of ways to make a dystopia and despite what some people say dystopian settings can be interesting if you move away from the tired 1984 cliche' big faceless government model.

My guess? Those examples you gave are touchier issues. We've all grown up in a world with books like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 and Little Brother. Attacking the establishment is safe. It's even cool, at this point. Attacking something like environmentalism or religion strikes me as being riskier because there's more moral judgment attached to the subjects. If you don't handle it well, you could get a lot of backlash, and even if you do handle it well, you'll probably still get some backlash.

So, to be clear, I'm not saying people shouldn't write about those kinds of dystopias. Just that I think there's a reason they haven't done that as much. But I'm definitely not opposed to breaking out of the 1984 model.

lolchemist · Apr 15, 2012

Lyrwriter said it best and I think nowadays authors would be scared of including religion in their books in that way because they don't want to offend anyone or stir up negative drama and controversy or imply that they might be criticizing an actual religion.

And also, I think tackling issues like environmentalism and religion would need a lot of research and maybe some authors dont feel comfortable or willing to do that much research? (Unless someone's going to just make up an evil cult version of Christianity like the Casts did in the House of Night series, in which case I will just scream "PLEASE DON'T DO THAT!!!")

eggs · Apr 16, 2012

The classic YA novels that deal with your theme (endless war with alien beings in dystopian future: young folks involved) are Heinlein's Starship Troopers & Card's Ender's Game. Broadly similar starting points, but wildly dissimilar novels. I would suggest that 10 different writers presented with an identical dystopian world would each produce very different stories within that world.

Think about it this way: there are hundreds of thousands of novels published every year set somewhere on contemporary earth. Romances, westerns, literary fiction, horror, science fiction, mysteries, action/suspense, etc, etc, etc. Nobody reads We Have To Talk About Kevin and complains it's too much like Twilight because both are set in contemporary America, with the same basic governmental/social/economic structure, even though this is true. The story, if it's good enough, will always transcend the setting.

juliatheswede · Apr 16, 2012

lolchemist said:
I've read a bunch of dystopian YA lately and besides The Hunger Games and Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, they all seem so formulaic (Matched, Legend, Shatter Me, another one I forgot the name of already...) The formula is pretty much this:

repressive government who hides the truth from it's people + teenagers in love + the fate of the world lies on the shoulders of (the teenagers in love) + (optional) love triangle

I mean yeah. Hunger Games and Uglies have that formula too, now that I think about it but those series have so much more meat on their bones that it's easier to forget the "WHO WILL KATNISS/TALLY PICK?" stuff.

I guess after all this rambling, my point is that authors should worldbuild their dystopias a lot more rather than letting them just be an 'evil strawman' for their glorious couple to defeat.

I couldn't agree more

Erin Latimer · Apr 16, 2012

lolchemist said:
I've read a bunch of dystopian YA lately and besides The Hunger Games and Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, they all seem so formulaic (Matched, Legend, Shatter Me, another one I forgot the name of already...) The formula is pretty much this:

repressive government who hides the truth from it's people + teenagers in love + the fate of the world lies on the shoulders of (the teenagers in love) + (optional) love triangle

I mean yeah. Hunger Games and Uglies have that formula too, now that I think about it but those series have so much more meat on their bones that it's easier to forget the "WHO WILL KATNISS/TALLY PICK?" stuff.

I guess after all this rambling, my point is that authors should worldbuild their dystopias a lot more rather than letting them just be an 'evil strawman' for their glorious couple to defeat.

I'm going to agree with you on this one. You would think the ideas were really original, until you realize you've just read one exactly like, but with a different set of lunatic rules.

I'm sick to death of seeing them in book stores. I enjoyed them at first and bought quite a few, but now it seems like every second book I pick up is about an evil totalitarian government who has outlawed love/picks your "mate" for you/made you pay for oxygen/genetically altered you to live until twenty-four/made you fight to death over a hot dog.

Dystopia in YA....your thoughts and feelings?

Nogetsune

Stiger05

Nogetsune

shiva777

"Every Word is a Spell"

Castaspella

smiling poison and suspicious craft

lolchemist

Shooting stars.

lyrwriter

A Fuzzy Mango With Wings

lolchemist

Shooting stars.

eggs

juliatheswede

Got the hang of it, here

Erin Latimer

Stay in and write.