Thinking Through Thursday (2)

Welcome once again to Thinking Through Thursday!! This weeks discussion is on...


"Why I like the dystopian genre"


All right, its not exactly news that the dystopian genre has taken over the YA scene as of late. I decided to discuss this genre this week because I recently saw an interesting article on Wovenmyst talking about dystopian novels (definitely check it out!). It really is interesting how such a dark genre has really taken over. Whatever happened to all those happy ending books I liked as a kid? :P


The first dystopian book I ever read was The Hunger Games (really, is it any surprise?) and I loved every moment. It was only a matter of time before I found other dystopian books to fill that gaping hole received after The Hunger Games trilogy ended. 


So why has this genre so intrigued us? I started thinking it over and decided to compile a list of reasons (well, the reasons I can think of at the moment) why I'm so in love with this genre.


1. No shortage of action!


I like my books like I like my movies: action-packed. Honestly, the more action the better! If it's got fights, car chases, sword-play, explosions, guns, ect. then I'm bound to enjoy it! And almost all dystopian books have action in them so it's really no surprise that I like em :)
Legend by Marie Lu



2. They make you think:


There are many dystopian books where the authors blend the line between good and evil. Nothing is absolute. No, I often don't agree with the government, however, what's so interesting is that they actually think what they are doing is right. They fully believe that what they are doing is best for the people. Is this always the case? No. Some just like power. But in some books, like Birthmarked, the government thinks they are doing the right thing. 


Also, I've always found it so incredibly interesting when I can actually understand why they do what they do. Do I agree with it? No. But, their logic isn't exactly off. I don't really believe that people are born absolutely good or absolutely bad, I believe it is the persons choice on which aspect they choose to act on. While some have good intentions, the execution is wrong. 


I know some people just like to read, and I do too! But I do love to really delve into the minds of the characters. I like to understand them even if I don't agree with them. Maybe its because I like psychology too but whatever the case, I love when a books make be think and question. 




3. Rebellions abound!


Power to the people! 
I've always been interested in politics and often when I think of dystopias, it reminds me of that famous quote "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." A dystopia is defined as "the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian (via Wikipedia)". 


Often dystopia's come about after apocolyptic events and whoever becomes in charge says that they are doing this "for the people" and that it's "for the best" when more often than not they just want the power. However, after such a devastating event, people are more willing to go into such a totalitarian state if it means safety. But in this totalitarian state, freedoms are limited. It's more along the lines of "fake freedoms" where the citizens think they have choices but they are just cleverly disguised rules. 


Growing up in America where we have freedoms, it's hard for me to imagine what it would be like to be in such a state. Having this taste of freedom would make it very hard to live under such awful conditions. In dystopias, the main characters often get a taste of freedom or realize that their goverment is lying to them or something along those lines and they want to do something about it. To be honest, that right there is why I like them so much. Being an Army brat, I've grown up learning to really be thankful for all the freedoms that I have but I also know freedom isn't free. I definitely think freedoms are worth fighting for and that is why I enjoy dystopian novels so much. These characters are fighting for choice and standing up for what they believe in, something I've always treasured. I often fall in love with the  characters of these books because I find them incredibly honorable and love their sense of justice. 


4. Emotional


When I read, I like to feel emotions. Whether its sadness, anger, happiness, or if it just get my heart pounding and blood pumping, then I enjoy it. I like to care about the characters and what might happen to them. I like to fear for their lives or hope they can accomplish whatever it is they set out to do. Because I feel such strong opinions for their situations, strong emotions often accompany them. I want them to fight their government, I want them to fight for what they believe is right. Since I feel a connection with the characters fight for freedom I often feel these emotions and it adds to my enjoyment. 


Overall:
Are these the only reason I like this genre? No. I'm sure I could name many, many more but these are all I thought of at the moment :P But I'd love to know what y'all think about this genre. Do you love it? Hate it? Why? 
Leave answers in the comments below! I love to hear other people's opinions :)


All the best ♥