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18 February 2009

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Brian F.

If you're feeling dystopia-y, have you given Pete Hautman's RASH a look? Or maybe Meg Rosoff's HOW I LIVE NOW? You might also consider Max Barry's JENNIFER GOVERNMENT, if you like funny dystopia. (Although, given everything you've mentioned, I think you lean towards bleak dystopia.)

Leila

Already read all three. And loved all three, actually. Looking back at the titles I listed, I think I'm especially hankering for stories where the media and our role as an audience really plays in. Know what I mean?

Elizabeth

I HIGHLY recommend Doomsday. It's kind of Mad Max meets 28 Days Later meets, umm, I dunno...Timeline? There's a killer zombie virus, some cars-of-death, lots of post-societal punk hair, some medieval knights (for color) and an ass-kicking, one-eyed female lead.

Elizabeth

Oh, and Babylon Babies has an interesting take on the influence of organized religion (and so, I suppose, the media) in the dystopic future. It's the basis for the Babylon A.D. movie, which made very, very little sense, but piqued my curiosity. I had a hard time getting Vin Diesel out of my head while I was reading the book, but I eventually succeeded in replacing him with The Rock.

Sandy

Maybe In the Forest of Hands and Teeth, if you can't find an ARC, it'll be out in a couple of weeks. Post-zomibe apocalypse story with a strong female lead. I didn't like it as much as The Hunger Games, but I felt there were similarities.
I'd love to know what other people would like to see in the Hunger Games sequel. As much as I love Katniss and Peeta, I would really enjoy reading a story from the point of view of someone from the Capital.

Eric Berlin

The novel "The Running Game" is vastly superior to the movie. I'd say it's the very best of the Bachman Books, in fact, and is one my favorite dystopian novels.

Kelly Fineman

If memory serves, you already read THE LOTTERY in recent times, which was one of the references I invoked in my review (along with RUNNING MAN). But the Stephen King miniseries STORM OF THE CENTURY might make for a fun read (related more to the lottery issue than to the Running Man issue).

cc

Elizabeth: "I had a hard time getting Vin Diesel out of my head while I was reading the book, but I eventually succeeded in replacing him with The Rock."

That cracked me up. Thanks.

Leila

Ooo, Bob Hoskins is in Doomsday. I'll Netflix it. Why in the world would you want to replace Vin Diesel with anyone else?? I heart him.

Sandy, I'd love to see more about the Capital as well -- I'm hoping that Cinna will end up being part of some sort of underground resistance.

I'm going to snag both King books while I'm at the library today. Thanks, all!

Elizabeth

Why??? Because The Rock = THE SCORPION KING!!

Leila

But Vin Diesel = VIN DIESEL!!

Elizabeth

Heh. Our differences are great. I will admit Vin made a nice Riddick. Still...The Rock 4eva, bb!

Rebekah

The effect The Hunger Games has on people is really interesting but seemingly pretty homogenous - out of all the various reviews of read, both professional and candid, no one who has read this book could/wanted to put it down, and most of them finished it off in one sitting. When I started it I was about two seconds away from sleep, but then I became totally engrossed and read well into the night/morning to finish it.

Brian F.

OK, well, then I recommend you rent VENGEANCE ON VAROS. Or, I've still got MAX HEADROOM on VHS from its run in the late 80s. That remains my favorite dystopian media commentary of all time. Seriously, why isn't MAX HEADROOM on DVD yet?

Leila

I actually thought of Vengeance on Varos, too, but I didn't bother mentioning it because you'd be the only one who knew what I was talking about.

But I'm not watching it again because the part where they try to turn Peri into a bird freaks me out.

Brian F.

Bald Evil Peri in MINDWARP freaks me out more than Bird Peri.

Becky

You should rent Series 7: The Contenders. It's about a reality tv show where people are randomly selected to hunt and kill each other.

Lianne

You might want to check out Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White. This one is about a future where overpopulating means that people mostly live in slums, education is done through television, anything past high school is allotted based on a lottery, not merit, and the most popular 'educational' show is a future version of Survivor that recreates historical events, complete with the participants possibly dieing (such as in Suvivior: The Black Plague).

But ratings aren't as strong as they should be, so the Director of Entertainment comes up with a 'revolutionary' idea. They will do a Survivor recreating the Scott expedition to the South Pole (where most of the expedition died). But to really grab the audience, they're going to do it... with kids.

There's also the camera man in DC who is assigned to the show, and who the crew picks as the one to be this show's contact. No one is supposed to have contact with the contestants, but the crew always has one person who quietly contacts the contestants as an invisible voice.

So like your description of Hunger Games, it involves death as television entertainment. And I really, really enjoyed it.

Michelle

I first saw The Hunger Games when I was on Goodreads and was intrigued but didn't get it from the library until I saw your review. Count me as another fan who couldn't put it down. I was up WAY too late last night finishing it and September is going to be a long time to wait for the next one.

elizabeth

how much i loovve the hunger games. it is such an awesome book. i still haven't finished reading it however from i have read so far, i am absoloutly loving it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jubba french

I forgot, who were the final eight in the story?

Jenna

Would you say that the hunger games is about keeping your humanity and dignity/sanity as you try to survive??Just thinking about topics fro essays:) i have to relate this book to another.Touching the Viod, both there themes are survival, but i need to go deeper any ideas?? thanks

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