I am a big fan of futuristic or post-apocalyptic science fiction novels. A really good futuristic novel is not only intriguing and engrossing because of the fictional future world it depicts, but it is also rather frightening because the reader can see parallels to our own present-day societies. Books like 1984 or The Giver are prime examples of this. These novels would not be nearly so powerful if we didn't see Big Brothers or vestiges of the community in our own lives.
Two such novels look at some very important questions: do some members of society have more value than others? Should some members of society be used to improve the lives of others? Are some people dispensable for the greater good? This isn't a new issue. We see it everyday in abortion clinics and in the debates about euthanasia. This blog isn't intended as a platform for either of those issues but it is hard to dispute that the futures described in The Unit and Never Let Me Go are very frightening possibilities.
In Ninni Holmqvist's The Unit, there is a special place reserved for those who don't contribute meaningfully to society. The unit is full of unmarried and childless men and women, past middle age who do not work in important industries. They are given fine food and entertainment, art, recreation and the company of others. While the unit is a pleasant place, it has a much more sinister purpose: the residents of the unit are kept healthy for as long as possible while their bodies are slowly harvested for the desirables. The men and women of the unit are fully aware of their role in society. They are even accepting of their imminent deaths- but what happens when two people on the unit fall in love? Holmqvist keeps the reader emotionally invested in the novel, right up until the surprising- but perfect- ending.
Kazuo Ishiguro explores similar themes in Never Let Me Go. Kathy narrates her experiences growing up in an unusual English boarding school. As Kathy transitions from childhood to adulthood, she dares to deam about a future with the boy she loves. More than anything, Kathy just wants to be a normal girl- will she be given the chance? As you put the pieces together, you will be captivated by Ishiguro's commentary on humanity and value. This is a complex, multi-layered and intelligent novel.
I hope that you will enjoy these novels and, more importantly, I hope they will make you see the frightening possibilities.
Showing posts with label Science Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science Fiction. Show all posts
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Is anyone else sick of Twilight?
So what do we call the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombies/strangeness genre that is dominating teen novels these days? It may have started with the wonderful Harry Potter series, but it has become darker and weirder and in some cases, just bad. I thought I would highlight the best and worst of the genre that I have personally read.
Okay, I'll admit it. I got sucked into the Twilight craze just like all the thirteen year olds out there. I ended up reading all four books in a mad rush over Christmas. They are highly addictive. They're the kind of novels that are great in the moment, but when you think about them once the Twilight-induced haze has passed, you realize they're really not very good. They're not very well written, the characters can be so annoying (especially Bella) and two-dimensional (again, Bella) and the last couple novels are very anti-climactic. You can tell that Stephanie Meyer was really grasping at straws in the last book especially.
Another series that became very popular (though not as popular as Twilight) is The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. This series also has some vampires, and also witches and demons and other weird things. I was sad to hear that the first novel in this series, City of Bones just might be the 2010 YRCA winner. These are not very well written either, and yet they became ever so popular.
I recently read another novel, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libby Bray. This novel was highly recommended to me by a teen at the library, and I was sorely disappointed. In this novel, a young girl (Gemma Doyle) discovers her magic powers at a boarding school in Victorian times. She and three of her schoolmates form a mysterious group called "The Order" and discover a magic world. Gemma must also discover the truth about her mother, who was mysteriously killed at the beginning of the novel. It was just strange and not memorable at all. Yet, this very popular book (first in a series) is reportedly being made into a movie.
Another vampire series is the highly popular Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris. This series is intended for adults, and it chronicles the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse, a psychic barmaid who strikes up a romantic relationship with a vampire. Think of this series as a harlequin romance with vampires. I'll admit it- this series is also highly addictive, but it is certainly not amazing.
Now to discuss some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre. I recently read The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. In this novel a young girl grows up in a post-apocalyptic society. This society is closed off from the world because of the 'unconsecrated' (aka zombies) that live outside the fence. As Mary is trying to find out where she belongs in the community, the community's very existence is threatened when the fence is breached. I really really enjoyed this novel. I thought it was very well written and the plot kept me engaged and interested. I liked the ending- Ryan stayed away from the tried and true formulas. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel- The Dead-Tossed Waves.
Another post-apocalyptic novel (this one is free of vampires and other magical creatures) is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is an absolutely wonderful novel, and one of the nominees for YRCA 2011. In this future society, the nation is divided into thirteen districts- the rich and powerful Capitol and twelve other poor districts. Every year, a boy and a girl from each district is chosen to fight in the Hunger Games- a competition to the death. Katniss takes the place of her younger sister to fight in the games. Can she survive to see her family again? This is a great novel, and the first in a trilogy. I highly recommend. it.
A Curse Dark as Gold, also one of the 2011 YRCA nominees, is a wonderful retelling of the Rumpelstiltzkin fairy tale. Elizabeth C. Bunce combines magic and fairy tale with the history of the industrial revolution, adding other elements to make the story her own. This story had a great twist at the end.
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is first in another great series. I mentioned this one in my YRCA 2010 post, so I'll just say that this novel is a great blend of history, mythology, magic and fantasy. Wonderful!
Scott Westerfeld has written a couple of good teen series, The Midnighters and The Uglies, the former being more dark and magical, while the latter is another post-apocalyptic series. Both are enjoyable.
Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline and Stardust has written another great fantasy novel called Neverwhere. In this novel, a young man falls into a secret world under the streets of London. This magical world is dark and vicious and it is uncertain whether he- or the young woman that accompanies him- will survive it.
Before you dismiss Stephanie Meyer altogether, she has written another novel, The Host, which I highly enjoyed. Aliens have come to earth and taken over human bodies. But one girl struggles for dominance of her own body against the creature occupying it to protect her loved ones. This novel puts Twilight to shame.
Finally, if you're dying for a good vampire novel, I do have one for you. It's called Sunshine by Robin McKinley. A young woman is kidnapped by a group of vampires and brought to an abandoned mansion. She is clothed in a red gown and chained to a wall. Chained to the opposite wall - just within reaching distance-is a very hungry and emaciated vampire. Will she survive the night?
So, there are some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre out there. Now we just need to come up with a shorter name! The Modern Gothic perhaps?
Okay, I'll admit it. I got sucked into the Twilight craze just like all the thirteen year olds out there. I ended up reading all four books in a mad rush over Christmas. They are highly addictive. They're the kind of novels that are great in the moment, but when you think about them once the Twilight-induced haze has passed, you realize they're really not very good. They're not very well written, the characters can be so annoying (especially Bella) and two-dimensional (again, Bella) and the last couple novels are very anti-climactic. You can tell that Stephanie Meyer was really grasping at straws in the last book especially.
Another series that became very popular (though not as popular as Twilight) is The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. This series also has some vampires, and also witches and demons and other weird things. I was sad to hear that the first novel in this series, City of Bones just might be the 2010 YRCA winner. These are not very well written either, and yet they became ever so popular.
I recently read another novel, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libby Bray. This novel was highly recommended to me by a teen at the library, and I was sorely disappointed. In this novel, a young girl (Gemma Doyle) discovers her magic powers at a boarding school in Victorian times. She and three of her schoolmates form a mysterious group called "The Order" and discover a magic world. Gemma must also discover the truth about her mother, who was mysteriously killed at the beginning of the novel. It was just strange and not memorable at all. Yet, this very popular book (first in a series) is reportedly being made into a movie.
Another vampire series is the highly popular Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris. This series is intended for adults, and it chronicles the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse, a psychic barmaid who strikes up a romantic relationship with a vampire. Think of this series as a harlequin romance with vampires. I'll admit it- this series is also highly addictive, but it is certainly not amazing.
Now to discuss some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre. I recently read The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. In this novel a young girl grows up in a post-apocalyptic society. This society is closed off from the world because of the 'unconsecrated' (aka zombies) that live outside the fence. As Mary is trying to find out where she belongs in the community, the community's very existence is threatened when the fence is breached. I really really enjoyed this novel. I thought it was very well written and the plot kept me engaged and interested. I liked the ending- Ryan stayed away from the tried and true formulas. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel- The Dead-Tossed Waves.
Another post-apocalyptic novel (this one is free of vampires and other magical creatures) is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is an absolutely wonderful novel, and one of the nominees for YRCA 2011. In this future society, the nation is divided into thirteen districts- the rich and powerful Capitol and twelve other poor districts. Every year, a boy and a girl from each district is chosen to fight in the Hunger Games- a competition to the death. Katniss takes the place of her younger sister to fight in the games. Can she survive to see her family again? This is a great novel, and the first in a trilogy. I highly recommend. it.
A Curse Dark as Gold, also one of the 2011 YRCA nominees, is a wonderful retelling of the Rumpelstiltzkin fairy tale. Elizabeth C. Bunce combines magic and fairy tale with the history of the industrial revolution, adding other elements to make the story her own. This story had a great twist at the end.
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is first in another great series. I mentioned this one in my YRCA 2010 post, so I'll just say that this novel is a great blend of history, mythology, magic and fantasy. Wonderful!
Scott Westerfeld has written a couple of good teen series, The Midnighters and The Uglies, the former being more dark and magical, while the latter is another post-apocalyptic series. Both are enjoyable.
Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline and Stardust has written another great fantasy novel called Neverwhere. In this novel, a young man falls into a secret world under the streets of London. This magical world is dark and vicious and it is uncertain whether he- or the young woman that accompanies him- will survive it.
Before you dismiss Stephanie Meyer altogether, she has written another novel, The Host, which I highly enjoyed. Aliens have come to earth and taken over human bodies. But one girl struggles for dominance of her own body against the creature occupying it to protect her loved ones. This novel puts Twilight to shame.
Finally, if you're dying for a good vampire novel, I do have one for you. It's called Sunshine by Robin McKinley. A young woman is kidnapped by a group of vampires and brought to an abandoned mansion. She is clothed in a red gown and chained to a wall. Chained to the opposite wall - just within reaching distance-is a very hungry and emaciated vampire. Will she survive the night?
So, there are some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre out there. Now we just need to come up with a shorter name! The Modern Gothic perhaps?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Young Readers' Choice Awards 2010
There's just sometihng about a children's book that appeals to me. I don't know if it's the magic and innocence or the ability to escape from adult problems for a short while, but I can completely immerse myself in a juvenile or teen novel. This must be why I love the Young Readers' Choice Awards titles. I can still remember voting for my favourites back in elementary and junior high school. Now that I work as a Library Assistant, I have started reading the YRCA nominees again.
For those of you that are wondering, the YRCA nominees are chosen by kids and teens, librarians and teachers in the Pacific Northwest- Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Once the final nominees have been chosen, it is up to kids to read the nominees and vote for their favourites in each category. Since the voting is now complete and the results will be out any day, I thought it would be fun to put in my two cents.
For the junior division (grades 4-6), my favourite is The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, author of the wonderful Fablehaven series. Candy that is both delicious and magical- what could be better? But a group of kids soon learn that the grandmotherly owner of the new candy shop is hiding something more sinister. My second place vote goes to The Mysterious Benedict Society. In this novel, gifted children are handpicked to join said society to help save the world. Think of this one like a clever combination of Harry Potter and Lemoney Snicket, though it certainly has standing power on its own.
For the intermediate division (grades 7-9), two books have my vote for first place. Michael Scott's The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a delightful blend of magic, fantasy and history. In this fun read, a brother and sister help Nicholas Flamel keep his secrets of immortality out of the wrong hands. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale reads like an exotic fairy tale- a girl and her maid are locked into a tower for refusing a cruel suitor. As the days go by and the supplies dwindle, they wonder if they will even survive, let alone find true love.
I read almost all of the books in the Senior division (grades 10-12), and only two books really stood out. My vote for first place goes to Caroline B. Cooney's Enter Three Witches. Whether you enjoy Shakespeare's MacBeth or not, you will enjoy this novel that tells the story through a young girl's eyes. In second place is Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted. I first encountered Ms. Anderson when I read her stunning novel Speak, and this one packs almost as much of a punch. Like Speak, Twisted tackles some tough teen issues, but from a male perspective.
The nominees for the 2011 nominees have recently been released, and I've read several of them already. Some of my favourites so far? Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix. For more information on the YRCA nominees, go to http://www.pnla.org/yrca/index.htm
In the meantime, happy reading!
For those of you that are wondering, the YRCA nominees are chosen by kids and teens, librarians and teachers in the Pacific Northwest- Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Once the final nominees have been chosen, it is up to kids to read the nominees and vote for their favourites in each category. Since the voting is now complete and the results will be out any day, I thought it would be fun to put in my two cents.
For the junior division (grades 4-6), my favourite is The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, author of the wonderful Fablehaven series. Candy that is both delicious and magical- what could be better? But a group of kids soon learn that the grandmotherly owner of the new candy shop is hiding something more sinister. My second place vote goes to The Mysterious Benedict Society. In this novel, gifted children are handpicked to join said society to help save the world. Think of this one like a clever combination of Harry Potter and Lemoney Snicket, though it certainly has standing power on its own.
For the intermediate division (grades 7-9), two books have my vote for first place. Michael Scott's The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a delightful blend of magic, fantasy and history. In this fun read, a brother and sister help Nicholas Flamel keep his secrets of immortality out of the wrong hands. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale reads like an exotic fairy tale- a girl and her maid are locked into a tower for refusing a cruel suitor. As the days go by and the supplies dwindle, they wonder if they will even survive, let alone find true love.
I read almost all of the books in the Senior division (grades 10-12), and only two books really stood out. My vote for first place goes to Caroline B. Cooney's Enter Three Witches. Whether you enjoy Shakespeare's MacBeth or not, you will enjoy this novel that tells the story through a young girl's eyes. In second place is Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted. I first encountered Ms. Anderson when I read her stunning novel Speak, and this one packs almost as much of a punch. Like Speak, Twisted tackles some tough teen issues, but from a male perspective.
The nominees for the 2011 nominees have recently been released, and I've read several of them already. Some of my favourites so far? Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix. For more information on the YRCA nominees, go to http://www.pnla.org/yrca/index.htm
In the meantime, happy reading!
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