Why is Current Young Adult Fiction so Dystopian?

 Definition of Dystopia:

-a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding; Dictionary.com

-an imaginary place where people are unhappy and afraid because they're not treated fairly; Merriam-Webster

-an imaginary place where everything is as bad as it can be; British Dictionary

 

Current Dystopia YA novel examples:

Hunger Games Divergent The Maze RunnerThe GiverThe Host

 Early Dystopia YA novels:

War of the WorldsA Wrinkle in TimeHouse of StairsLord of the Flies

 What is dystopia YA?

 In a dystopian novel, our society is changed by a set of circumstances. The changes vary from alien take over (War of the Worlds), to humans consuming all our natural resources (Interstellar), and the world as we know it, is different. The rules have changed, the government has changed, our priorities have changed--we are in new state of normal. As the story unfolds, the heroes of the story, usually teenagers unravel the truth and devise a plan to reestablish their world.

Why write in the dystopia genre?

From the early days of the radio broadcasts like War of the Worlds to the current movie production of the Hunger Games, we are obsessed by the 'what if'. What if we destroy our world? What if aliens came from space came to harvest our planet? We read in the paper about global warming, the hole in the ozone, the sun flares, the alien cover-ups, and many, many other things that if true, would change the way we live. The "what if's" can go on and on and it's because of this, writers have a plethora of avenues to explore.

Reasons to write dystopia YA:

1. The market puts the age of readers from about 12 to 18 years of age; however studies show the ages go well over 18.

2. A writer has a greater chance of getting his or her novels circulating in the school system.

3. YA books break sales records.

4. We live it. We all want change and have different ideas on how to do that.

So why is YA dystopian novels everywhere?

We've all heard, "the youth are our future". Just the word youth represents change with new ideas, revised hopes, and dreams of a better future. Youth also represents struggle. They are struggling to break off from their parents to become their own person. This brings on frustration and learning from mistakes or rebellion. In most of the dystopia novels, the teens are the ones who notice things aren't right. They are struggling and therefore the readers (who are YA) feel like they can relate to the characters. In the end, they feel empowered in some way, that they can make a difference, just like the characters in the story.

Questions & Answers:

Do you think the events of the last 15 years or so have had an impact on YA dystopian fiction?

Absolutely! I think with social media, teens are more likely to see news headlines, right/left wing articles, conspiracy propaganda, circulating on the social sites. Global warming, holes in the ozone, the apocalypse, science experimentation, computer technologies--all influence the "What if's". If we as writers can tap into "I can see that happening" anchoring our fiction in something that's not so far-fetched, we'll bring in the YA readers.

What elements have become so cliché nobody will touch them?

I'd say anything currently on the big screen or on the top reading lists becomes cliche'. As writers, we need something different, something that isn't down the same premise. With dystopian, there are so many avenues to take, sub-genres to mix (I pulled up the new agent list on Writer's Digest and found a lot of these agents are looking for combined genres.), I think this wide genre will always be sought after--if it's well written and focused on something different that what's currently popular.

How saturated is the market? Are publishers actively looking for certain types of dystopian novels?

According to Sarah Flowers, the president of the Young Adult Library Services, "Books set in post-apocalyptic times, will continue in popularity, especially in the YA market. She also stresses the importance of the 'trilogy trend' in this genre. Several popular dystopian fiction series are still on the first book, and she suggests that the continuation of such series in the future will allow this genre to hang onto its popularity among teen readers, and even increase its appeal. Kingston Publishing 2013

Despite the article above, articles in Writer's Digest suggest the opposite is true. Agents and publishers are NOT seeking dystopian submissions--however there is the disclaimer that anything written well, has something unique about it, and knocks the socks off an agent, they'll sign it.

Do you see a difference in the trending fiction than was present after the publication of dystopian novels like The Hunger Games and Divergent?

Have you ever noticed that similar books all come out about the same time? Right now, it's the Hunger Games, Maze Runner, The Giver...A few years ago the focus was on Greek gods with Thor, The Olympian's, Clash of the Titans, etc. Same goes for the popularity of Twilight with vampires and werewolves on television shows. The point is bestselling books seem to set the trends and then others follow under them, but only for a short time. Our goal as a writer is to write what our passions are, write it well, write it with a unique twist, build our platform, and press on to be the first.

Wrap-Up

Doesn't matter what we write, but we need to be original and we need to write well.  My suggestion for any new writer is to find a writing group that will give honest feedback.  I always tell people, those who redlined my work early on are the ones responsible for my growth as a writer.  I still pass on my work to readers who enjoy line editing and really going deeper into a conceptual edit.  I'm not perfect and I'm no Stephen King, but my goal is to continue to grow and learn.  Doesn't matter if what I write starts to fall into the 'been there and now I'm tired of it', because if that's where my heart is and I write it well, someone will either take notice now or when it all circles back around.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think dytopia novels are on the decline?  Any thoughts on the upcoming trend?