Since the success and popularity of best sellers turned blockbuster motion pictures such as Twilight and Harry Potter, young adult fiction books have become more popular than ever. Now, after the supernatural vampire/magician wave wears out, we welcome a newly discovered passion for end-of-the-world scenarios. As the world faces terrorism, wars and swine flu and prepares to aboard the believed-to-be apocalyptic year 2012, it seems teens have found catharsis in futuristic chaos.
It is not a new concept; apocalyptic tales have been around for ages. But even the reluctant reader is finding a new hobby with these action-packed, sci-fi sub-genres. The difference and much of its appeal is that some of these things could actually happen. We never know what the future holds for us. Could be weather disasters, running out of basic resources, genetic manipulations, a zombie invasion or, more commonly, totalitarian leaders suddenly ruling us; possibilities are infinite.
One of the current popular titles is Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, which is set in future North America ruled by a tyrannical government that uses reality television as a morbid punishment for past rebellions, sending one teenage girl and one boy from each district to fight for survival in a televised spectacle. The book has been on the New York Times best-seller list for 74 weeks, along with the sequel, Catching Fire, which has been in the list since it was first released in September. The third and final book to the series, Mockingjay, is set to release on Aug. 24. The rights for The Hunger Games movie have already been sold to Lionsgate and the movie is currently in production.
With so many post-apocalyptic titles published, the dystopian young adult reader will be quite busy. Furthermore, between this year and the next, the young adult book industry will publish a vast amount of dystopian fiction.
This new wave will keep growing and has come to stay.
