Happy New Year fictional friends! It’s officially 2023, and that means a whole new year of books to talk about and movies to watch… more of the same sounds like just what the doctor ordered. To kick things off, this January we’ll be talking about every YA authors’ bread and butter: Dystopian fiction. All month long, we’ll be traveling to distant planets, competing in cutthroat competitions, and being brainwashed by a totalitarian government entity. In our minds, obviously. Come along for the ride while we tackle trope-filled and possibly and-possibly-overwrought genre, with some forgotten titles sprinkled in for good measure.
As we, embarked on another episode of our podcast at the start of 2023, we decided to dive into a genre that we hadn’t explored before on our show: dystopian fiction. Despite the somewhat grim nature of this genre, we felt it was a fitting way to begin the new year, a time when we often reflect on the state of our world and envision what the future may hold.
Our conversation started with a broad discussion of dystopian fiction as a genre. We shared our thoughts on what makes these narratives compelling, despite their often bleak outlook. We appreciate how dystopian fiction prompts us to consider the potential consequences of various social, political, and technological trends. These stories provoke us to ask critical questions about power, freedom, and the nature of human society.
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One of the key works we focused on was “The Knife of Never Letting Go”, the first book in the “Chaos Walking” trilogy by Patrick Ness. This novel creates a unique dystopian world where everyone’s thoughts are audible to others, a phenomenon known as “Noise”. We explored the various implications of living in such a world, where privacy is virtually non-existent. This relentless onslaught of information raises questions about how society functions and how individuals form relationships and maintain their identities in a world devoid of privacy.
We also delved into the theme of colonization within the novel. The story takes place on a planet where the indigenous population, known as the “Spackle”, were eradicated by the first settlers. This narrative thread provides a sobering commentary on the historical and ongoing issues of colonization and cultural erasure. We appreciate how Ness doesn’t shy away from these difficult topics, but instead uses his dystopian setting to shed light on them.
Another key topic of our discussion was the film adaptation of the book, starring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley. We compared the book’s portrayal of “Noise” to the visual and auditory interpretation of it in the film. While we had some reservations about certain aspects of the film’s execution, we acknowledged the challenge of translating such a complex concept from page to screen.
We also reflected on the performances of Holland and Ridley, discussing how they brought their characters to life. Despite some differences between the book and film, we agreed that the film provides a powerful visual representation of the novel’s world, adding another dimension to our understanding of the story.
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Throughout our conversation, we continually circled back to the importance and relevance of dystopian fiction. These stories serve as mirrors reflecting our society’s fears and anxieties. They force us to confront uncomfortable realities and ask ourselves tough questions about where we are heading. While these narratives can be grim, they also offer us a chance to imagine different futures and consider what we can do to influence the path we take.
In our journey through dystopian fiction, we experienced a wide range of emotions and found our perspectives challenged. We appreciate the depth and complexity these stories offer, and how they make us think critically about our world. We invite you to join us as we continue our exploration of these dystopian worlds, using them as a lens to better understand our own world and to imagine how we can shape the future.
Enjoying Dystopian fiction month? Be sure to check out all of our coverage of the genre over at https://fully-booked.ca/. We’re a listener-supported podcast! Please consider pledging and helping Fully Booked to grow our library over at https://ko-fi.com/fullybooked, or by leaving us a 5 star rating and review wherever you’re listening. Thanks bookworms, and don’t forget to keep on reading.