Literary Development: The progression of the dystopian genre in young adult fiction.

Topic discussed: Is

a new breed of dystopian young adult fiction

being developed in the literature of todays popular books?
Article completed by Lewis.
The genre of dystopia is a subject of immense fascination, interest, delight and perusal for many bookworms who
tread into the realm of science-fiction, whether it be introductory or complex forms of the even larger literary
category. Comprising a primary subset of science-fiction and sometimes juxtaposed with its literary counterpart
utopia (a different subject entirely), for a book to be classified under this term, it must typically be set in an
imagined place or state in which everything is bad, especially a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.
Post-apocalyptic environments comprise yet another subset of dystopian fiction with several primary works of the
genre coming under this label. John Wyndham (The Day of The Triffids, Chocky, The Chrysalids, The
Kraken Wakes) is an example author who fits into this sphere, and he stands alongside great dystopian authors
such as Orwell (this particular writer with obviously a more mature political underlay), Aldous Huxley and Ray
Bradbury.
But what relevance does dystopian science fiction possess to the fiction of the younger generation in this day and
age?
The Hunger Games, the bestselling young adult trilogy published by author Suzanne Collins, is one very popular
example of this genre cropping up in the larger category of young adult fiction, with immensely popular and
positive results. What I am here to discuss with you today is some speculation from us here at YouthLiterary
concerning the idea if perhaps this popular young adult trilogy galvanised a new breed of very similar plots and
environments featured in the content of bestselling young adult books that happen (perhaps coincidentally,
perhaps not) to be dystopian.
I myself perceive the Hunger Games to be the advocator and embodiment of this type of young adult dystopian
fiction, which is characterised by the young protagonist (sometimes female, sometimes male) being trapped in a
disturbingly damaged dystopian society and this characters movements in helping to change (for the better) this
environment and revolt against its cruel leaders or orchestrators.
Below I have listed some novels and series that I believe to be born of this breed of incredibly popular young adult
dystopian literature. Note that the Hunger Games was first published in 2008 (the next installations being
published in the following years consecutively).
Examples include:
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins (2008)
Divergent (trilogy) - Veronica Roth (2011)
The Maze Runner (quartet) - James Dashner (2009)
The Gone Series - Michael Grant (2008)
Chaos Walking - Patrick Ness (2008)
Do you perhaps also perceive this literary trend to be present amongst popular literature today?
And if so, do you identify its presence in the examples listed above?
Do try to search for similar developing trends in the world of literature as you continue to peruse, for I am sure
there are many more and may you enjoy discovering them!