Dystopian Nonfiction

I recently finished the book Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by MT Anderson. It's a moving account of how music can stir our passions and give us the will to survive. Leningrad during World War II was harsher than many dystopian settings we're given in fiction, and it all really happened: barbaric leaders, purges, cannibals and streets full of dead people.

Shortly after finishing, I was talking to Author SJ Kinkaid and she told me about a non-ficition dystopian she is reading:

I've only started Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea  but it struck me while reading that we in the YA community have been writing dystopias, and people like Jang Jin-sung have been living them... And the real dystopias are so much more chilling than any imaginary world could be. This is one of many books I've read about North Korea lately, but this is the first from the perspective of an insider to the regime. This man truly, earnestly believed himself to be living in a utopia, with a living God presiding over it, and he comes face to face with Kim Jong Il and is shocked to realize his leader is capable of getting blisters on his feet. There's a moment when Kim Jong Il sheds a few tears hearing a moving song, and all the men about him find themselves swept into uncontrollable weeping just at the sight of that... It's difficult to imagine the sheer psychological terror gripping such a society. It's a horrific but fascinating read.

Sometimes, when it comes to dystopians, truth can be harsher than fiction.

SJ Kinkaid is the author of the Insignia series and the forthcoming The Diabolic. Follow her on twitter @SJKinkaidBooks

Traditions of the Future

Okay, so I've been giving a lot of thought to traditions and holidays recently, and I thought today would be a good day to discuss it what with Easter on Sunday and whatnot.

I'm a huge lover of the dystopian genre, and I'm still devouring every dystopian novel I can get my hands on. I've noticed that very few of them make reference to holidays or traditions, and it's caused me to wonder.

When (or If, I suppose some could say) the apocalypse hits, will we abandon those things we hold dear? Will we stop celebrating birthdays or having family traditions that form crucial bonds? It seems to me that when people go through crisis, it's those things that prevail the most, those traditions--those family lines--they cling to the hardest.

I recognize new traditions or ceremonies in dystopian novels (The Reaping in The Hunger Games, for example, or The Matching ceremony in Matched, or the assigning of careers in The Giver).

But what of holidays and traditions we have now? I'd like to think--and hope, perhaps--that even if I functioned under a severely limiting government, that I'd hold my children's birthday celebrations by the light of a candle in the dead of night. That we'd find a way to continue the bonding traditions that build the loyalty and relationships that are needed to endure life in such a society.

Maybe I'm just nostalgic from reading The Little House on the Prairie books with my daughter, where Mary and Laura labor in secret to create Christmas gifts for each other. As part of my childhood, I loved saving and creating simple, secret gifts for my family. And I'd like to think that those kinds of traditions, those kinds of binding events, wouldn't be eradicated in the future, no matter who's in a position of power.

What do you think? Do you see more value in holidays and traditions than simple ceremony?

Using Fear To Create A Dystopian World

Okay, so we know that a lot of writers use their personal experiences in their fictional works. And if you didn't know that, well, now you do. (Of course, this is not always true, but there is a piece of each author, I believe, in everything they write.)

For me, I use my fears to create a scary dystopian world. Maybe fear isn't the right word. I think about things I'd really rather not live without, and then take those away in my society.

For example, I love to take really long, hot showers. So, in my world, shower time is regulated to five minutes, and five minutes only. The temperature of the water is decided for you, and it never varies.

For me, that would suck. I'm hoping that readers will think so too; that I can use something as simple as a shower to make a connection.

I've seen this used in other dystopian works I've read. Let's look at THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner. He creates an immediate sense of world--and suckage--by having Thomas lose his memory. Isn't that something we're all afraid of? Not remembering what we need to remember? Have you ever felt frustrated when you couldn't remember?

It's an instant connection. And a terrifying one.

Another device I see used a lot is the idea of a fence, or a wall. I've been blogging about it a lot on my personal blog, but I love fences/walls/barriers. To me, they symbolize fear. This thought of "There's something bad out there."

I saw a fence in DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver, a wall in BIRTHMARKED by Caragh M. O'Brien, social walls in SHIPBREAKER by Pablo Bacigalupi, a fence in THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins, nothing but walls in the space ship in ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis.

Walls are caging, confining. And who likes feeling like that? Using fear to make a connection helps in dystopian world-building, and it establishes an emotional connection from the reader to the story.

I'm all about the fear.

What do you think? What do you love that if taken away, would really stink? Could you write that into a dystopian novel? What have you read in dystopian fiction that you thought, "Wow, this world sucks. Wouldn't want to live without [fill in the blank]."?

Worldbuilding With Music

Okay, so I’ve been hard at work on my second novel. It’s another dystopian-type novel, and I decided to include a song that would have an impact on my MC as the story progresses.

But see, my society is a brainwashing society, and well, music doesn’t really fit into that very well. Which, of course, got me thinking about music and the impact it can have on a culture.

And after a lot of thought and struggling to figure out how to include this song in my book, I realized something else. I was worldbuilding.

Worldbuilding includes so much more than just city names and setting. It takes the little things, like music and food and dress and cultural things, and brings them to life so that your readers can really feel established in a world not that different—but completely different—from their own.

And so I took a few minutes (okay, hours) to really think about music and it’s role in my invented culture. I think the book will be better for it.

What do you think? Can you think of any examples where the “little things” have added another dimension to a book? For me, I’m thinking of MATCHED by Ally Condie, simply because it’s the last one I read and I really liked what she did with the Hundred Poems and the Hundred Songs and such.

And what do you think our music of today says about our culture?

The Backstory

So this is a dystopian/science fiction blog for young adults. We talk about writing, the genre, philosophies, books, etc. I've been reading a lot of dystopian novels lately (and for a while). Sometimes when I go to star them on Goodreads, I'll get sucked into the reviews.

And something I've seen recently is readers commenting on the lack of backstory. Yeah, you read that right. The lack of backstory. They want to know at some point how the world evolved from our present state to the storyworld that exists in the book.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I think it's something the author knows--they have to know--and requires careful placement in the novel so readers can find out in an authentic way. But how to do it?

Here's my loose guide:
1. Drop us into the world in the first chapter, but make sure to slip in one-sentence explanations in the narrative. I think the best way to do this is to allow the MC have an opinion on the society. Or be in a heightened emotional state about the society. That can allow the reader to get a feel for the world quickly.

2. In the next several chapters, the MC could either conform to the laws of the new world, or defy them. Either way, the author has the opportunity to establish what goes in this society and what doesn't. Along the way, the author can slip in a sentence or two about the society that contributes to the transition, but without really divulging the whole story.

3. Later, when the MC is realizing things they didn't know about their society, carefully insert how the world we know evolved into the one in the book. Not pages and pages, because the reader already knows the laws and intricacies. They've been living it for hundreds of pages. Just a taste, a few sentences or paragraphs maybe, that give more detail of the journey from now to then.

What do you think? In the dystopian/futuristic books you've read, have you been satisfied with the amount of backstory? Have you found yourself wishing you knew more about the transition from this world to the storyworld?

Have You Ever...?

Okay, I'm just going to propose this, and then I'll probably run and hide. No, just kidding, I'll stick around to read what you have to say.

So I read a lot of dystopian novels. Not as many as some of you, obviously. I've written a dystopian novel. And as I was reading a few months ago (I won't say what book), I wondered something: Is this really that bad? Is this government really wrong? Maybe some of what they enforce is actually good...

So today, I'm playing Devil's Advocate. Think of the last dystopian novel you read. Tell us what it was (Mockingjay, anyone?) and try to see life from the point of view of the other side. Can you see why they rose to power in the first place? Do you see any good they're doing/did? Are there aspects that actually protect the people, provide for their basic needs?

I know that the governments in dystopian lit are usually portrayed as evil. But I'm wondering if you've ever stopped to think that maybe the evil sprouted from something good. Or that the entire government isn't all bad.

So have you ever thought of the other side?

Celebrate Good Times

Come on! (A little Lionel Richie never hurt anyone, right?)

Today, I'd like to talk about a world-building detail that I think can add depth and believability to futuristic novels.

Celebrations. Holidays. Traditions.

As I sat watching the Boston Pops play their patriotic concert on the Fourth of July (a tradition for my family) I got to thinking about the traditions or holidays in my dystopian society. I realized that the only thing I have is a birthday mention. Nothing big, nothing overtly different than what we do now.

But I think in future novels I write, I'm going to pay a little bit more attention to the holidays, traditions, and celebrations that are prevalent in the new society. I think they can give great insight into the world and how it came to be, provide setting details in a unique and rich way, and give the reader something somewhat familiar that they can grasp onto.

So will there be an Independence Day in my next novel? Will the people celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, births, or weddings? Will there be baby showers? Graduation parties? Funerals?

Of course, I'm not sure right now, but I think this aspect of culture is one that should be considered when developing a futuristic society.

What do you think? Have you read a novel with a futuristic society that references the celebratory traditions? If so, let me know -- I'd love to read it to see how it's done.