Dystopia

Again with my local library, this challenge was all about the current craze that's taking the book world by storm: dystopia. Being a dystopia fan, I immediately was intrigued by the questions the challenge required you to answer. Here is my views on the futuristic, end-of-the-world genre. 

Do you like dystopia? Why or why not?

I LOVE dystopia!!! It is one of my favourite genres. I enjoy reading dystopia because it makes you think about so many things. Dystopic books are very thought-provoking, and provide interesting scenarios that make you want to know more. All the dystopian books I have read are very engaging because they are filled with action, and make you really think. When I’m reading dystopia books, I find myself asking questions, making inferences, and making connections to our society today.

Of all of the dystopic books you have read, which 'end of the world' scenario do you think is the most realistic?

I'm going to have to go with Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. Somehow it doesn't surprise me that humans (or the Rusties) would be the ones to destroy our own world. In the book, humans create a nano that results in oil being destroyed when coming into contact with oxygen. Of course, after that it was complete chaos, and our world was destroyed. If you think about the human race, and our desire and need to keep revolutionizing everything, as well as our constant evolution in science and technology, it is actually likely that this scenario could be plausible.

Why do you think people are obsessed with the end of the world?

I think people are obsessed with the end-of-the-world because so many end of the world predictions are going on right now. With the Mayan calendar predicting we’re going to die at the end of this year, it is not surprising that there is a lot of hype about dystopia. Because of the way human nature is, I think people are so intrigued because it could happen at any time. Plus, it's an interesting concept. Think about it: what would actually happen if the world did end?

What is your favourite dystopia novel?

I am planning on reading many more dystopic novels (Matched, Blood Red Road, the Maze Runner, and more!), but the book I enjoyed most was the Uglies quartet by Scott Westerfeld. I thoroughly enjoyed all the books (unlike the Hunger Games where Mockingjay ruined the entire series), and Scott Westerfeld did an excellent job of detailing how their society came to be. I also really enjoyed the Hunger Games series and Divergent/Insurgent. I can’t wait to read more!