Three
Thoughts about Dystopia
By Brad R. Cook
Dystopia has come to dominate Young
Adult novels – because they are awesome – but the genre has scooped up everything
and labeled it Dystopian. Some I’d label standard sci-fi. If you’re writing the
about the next destruction of society, you’re in good company, but here are
some of my thoughts, three to be exact, about Dystopia for the next time you
sit down to write.
1 – Dystopia does not equal
Post-Apocalyptic
The dystopian market has been saturated
with post-apocalyptic literature. Post-Apocalyptic is a breakdown of society
and civilization. Dystopia is the breakdown of the idealized, or utopian,
society. As an example, 1984 by
George Orwell is a dystopian novel but I wouldn’t classify it as
post-apocalyptic. Yes, most Post-apocalyptic literature is dystopia, but that
doesn’t mean all dystopia is post-apocalyptic.
2 – Modern Dystopia is about Hope
The classic dystopian novels like 1984, or The Handmaid's Tale are warnings to society – stay on course or this
horror might happen. The last thing they offer is hope, but the modern dystopia
novels like Hunger Games, or Divergent have a central character that
embodies hope. These characters carry the promise that the dystopia will end
and a utopia will follow. For those who might think the modern dystopia
movement is a rebellion against modern society, fear not, these are really
stories of hope.
3 – Dystopia is about Breaking
Society's Conventions
The real genius of the modern dystopia
is the shattering of ingrained conventions held within our own civilization. In
our society a young woman is not encouraged to become a warrior. In fact, the
youth of today are taught to ignore the warrior way, but dystopia rips those
conventions away and levels the playing field between boys and girls, the young
and old. With convention ripped away, a young girl can fight, rise up against
society, and lead the world to utopia.
Dystopia will never go away, literature
might swing back to utopia stories for awhile, but the idea of the breakdown of
society, and shattering of the world around us, will remain a part of
literature until it actually happens. Then we’ll all tell utopia stories about
Camelot or Star Trek.
Add your thoughts on Dystopia Novels in
the comment section.
Want to hear more? Write Pack Radio has
an episode about dystopia novels.
Dystopia: What is it Really? ListenHere
Brad R.
Cook, author of the YA steampunk series, The
Iron Chronicles, http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Horsemen-The-Chronicles/dp/0989207951. He
currently serves as Historian of St. Louis Writers Guild after three and half
years as its President. Learn more at www.bradrcook.com, on Twitter @bradrcook https://twitter.com/bradrcook, or on his blog Thoughts from
Midnight on tumblr http://bradrcook.tumblr.com/
