Why the YA dystopia craze finally burned out
Its much more complex than oversaturation
- By Bashirat Oladele
- on May 23, 2021 10:31 am
The 2010s saw the rapid rise and equally rapid fall of the YA dystopian genre, with The Hunger Games and its followers dominating headlines and popular culture. Its been argued that the dystopia boom was inspired by cynicism and anxiety in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, but for those of us who became teenagers in the YA dystopia-obsession era, the films in particular served a different function: They cultivated a distrust for the government, expressing and amplifying how millennials around the world were tired of tyrannical leaders. The Hunger Games in particular helped popularize what had already become a thriving literary subgenre, with books from Lois Lowrys 1993 novel The Giver to Scott Westerfelds Uglies series shaping the dystopian boom. And then the wave of Hunger Games copycats oversaturated the market and killed the fad or so the popular story goes. But there were other reasons the YA dystopia boom ended, and they were built into its premises and execution all along.
The intensity of the fad certainly contributed to its end. In 2014 alone, four would-be blockbuster YA dystopian films hit theaters: The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1, The Maze Runner, Divergent, and The Giver. But saturation isnt enough to kill a genre, as the last decades rolling wave of new superhero films proves. The YA dystopian genre died because it didnt evolve. Book after book and film after film laid out the same tropes, with the same types of characters all suffering the same generic oppression and experiencing the same teen love triangles. The Hunger Games struck a chord because of its lurid themes and the way it intensified its eras anxieties about capitalism, imperialism, wealth and power inequality, and technology, but its followers largely added more gimmicks and different kinds of violence, and called it a day.
The Hunger Games emerged from similar adults-vs.-youth stories like Battle Royale, but added new layers about media propaganda and the authoritarian structure. Author Suzanne Collins was inspired by Greek mythology, reality-TV programming, and child soldiers, and she used those ideas to give her books more texture. Her protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, is relatable and down to earth: She doesnt want to become a revolutionary or a hero, she just wants to keep her little sister Primrose safe. Her deteriorating mental health feels realistic, and it was mostly unprecedented in a genre full of bold teen heroes who came through the most horrifying adventures completely unscathed.
Following the Hunger Games series, subsequent YA dystopia films werent as richly realized, and the creators didnt seem to care about the traumatic experiences their young protagonists went through. Its unrealistic to have a film about teenagers overthrowing tyrants but little to no focus on their emotions. Katniss wasnt endlessly stoic Collins allows her to be vulnerable, and to learn that feelings are a sign of strength rather than a weakness. Many of the smash-the-state dystopia stories that followed avoided that kind of focus on feelings or just followed the Katniss pattern of anxiety and anguish, without finding new territory to explore.
The Hunger Games series focuses on ending a brutal regime that executes children for sport, which requires a revolution and a complete restructuring of society. But the stories always stopped right after the latest oppressive regime fell, as if that would solve all of societys problems. While actual teenagers were struggling with their own idealism and a wish for a better world, fiction was telling them that systematic oppression is simple and easily solved with a standard good-vs.-evil fight, and that nothing that comes after that fight is interesting or relevant. The stories of how these dystopic societies were rebuilt would be more novel and enticing, but there was never room in YA dystopias for that kind of thought or consideration.
Which left nowhere for these stories to go after the injustices were overturned and the fascist villains were defeated. They all built momentum and excitement around action, but few of these stories ever considered what young-adult readers want to know: After one cruel leader is gone, what comes next? Injustice rarely ends with the death or departure of one unjust ruler, but YA dystopian stories rarely consider the next world order, and how it could operate differently, without stigmatizing its people. Revolution, post-apocalyptic survival, and restructuring society are fascinating topics, but apart from the Hunger Games brief coda about Katniss future PTSD, most YA dystopia stories just dont explore these areas.
And just as YA dystopian stories werent particularly interested in the future, they also were rarely that interested in their pasts, or even their present. They almost never explored their societies in any depth, beyond declaring them to be evil, violent, and controlling. We dont really know much about the destructive regimes in the Maze Runner or Divergent series we just know theyre bad. The run of dystopian movies in particular only offered the quickest, shallowest explanation of why a government would force its children into mazes, or make them kill each other. The Capitols desire to terrorize its citizens in The Hunger Games, or The Maze Runners focus on population control and disaster response these are political excuses for mass murder, but not nuanced ones.
At the same time, YA dystopian stories were always too dependent on the hero model, where a single teenager sparks a revolt and does the bulk of the work in taking down a totalitarian state. Although thats an empowering vision, it feels like a dated, hollow model to the young adults engaging in actual collective action. Were arguably living in dystopian times, amid a changing world where authoritarianism and fascism are on the rise, both in America and around the world. And resistance to it has to be cooperative, not dependent on Chosen One heroes. Inequality and oppression are driven by institutions, not single villains who could easily be brought down. The simplicity of stories where one brave young person stops a monster and revolutionizes a society quickly started to feel like simplistic fantasy.
Part of the way these dystopian fantasies avoided reality was by avoiding the real and relatable issues that teenagers face. Katniss, Divergents Tris, and Maze Runners Thomas are all teenagers, but their stories primary concession to their ages are the minor love triangles they face. Their stories explore issues around technology, environmental destruction, and government control, but without, for instance, explicitly drawing parallels between the innovative ways teenagers use technology, or interact with the education systems designed to shape them. Teenagers experience a plethora of emotions as we grow up, but these dystopian films rarely felt authentic about teen angst or anxieties their heroes felt just like generic adult heroes, played by younger actors.
Of course, non-white people barely exist in the dystopia-film wave. The few BIPOC characters are never fully developed, and the audience never gets to learn about their stories. Studies highlight that white characters are far better represented in YA literature than other groups, which may help explain the way some fans were weirdly bothered by Black characters in the Hunger Games movies in such a white-leaning genre, they not only didnt expect anything else, they couldnt handle it when it arrived.
These dystopias suggest that they take place in some sort of post-racial utopia, but they get there by suggesting non-white people wouldnt exist in a dystopian society. Despite Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley dominating the genre with messages of female empowerment, they still live in fantasy worlds that amplify some real-world issues, like government overreach and profound inequality, but that barely address the other real issues facing women and teen girls, like gender discrimination and harassment. Pretending none of these things would exist in dystopian society, when we know from real experience that oppressive regimes actually significantly compound the issue, feels shallow and false.
But who knows, as the march against new fascist regimes continues, the genre may revive in a new form. Trends come and go, but they tend to be cyclical and the second or third time around, theyre more likely to have evolved. As the diversity wave spreads through different cinematic and literary genres, from fantasy to romance to sci-fi and beyond, the YA dystopia genre could revive in new forms. With the rise of more BIPOC creatives in the industry, maybe well get a distinctive YA dystopian film with more characters of color.
Not everybody wants to live in or imagine a dystopian society. The dystopian fad may have faded in part because young readers and viewers are ready for some positivity, and for less fantastical, simplified problems and solutions. But it may also be that theyre doing the work themselves now. Young people are mounting more and more sophisticated political campaigns against the real-world dystopic futures theyre facing, from the climate crisis and the revival of authoritarian governments to nation-specific problems like sectarian violence, wars, white nationalism, and terrorist attacks. Eventually, it might be possible for authors to take inspiration from that reality, and revive the genre in more convincing and compelling forms.
Comments
Its actually pretty simple why the genre slowed down. They took the cash grab approach to making them, which means they didnt spend the time to make sure they made a quality product.
One thing I find that studios are neglecting to do when choosing books to adapt is to apply inflation when it comes to looking at a books popularity. They kept on touting sales numbers of like 1 or 2 million copies as good a thing when in this day and age a sign of a popular book is really closer to 50 million copies.
By chronium on 05.23.21 11:19am
I worked in a library as a cataloger and saw how many popular books were similar if not carbon copies of each other, as if they were written from a template. Mystery books were a big offender. The characters all blended together into a few archetypes with minor differences based on which demographic the book served.
I dont know how you convince a business to not follow a strict formula that makes them money, but I think a way needs to be found to do so. I think the way the popular and genre publishing world works now results in diminishing returns and makes readers depressed, addicted and stunted.
I barely read fiction any more because I feel like I gained insight into how heavily commercialized or franchised books trick readers into dependency on a comfortable format that explains the world to them in a "Relatable" way. But my favorite stories arent the ones where I relate to the main character: they are stories that bring you into a world or shed new light on your own and then use writing as a tool to shed light on the characters and setting.
I think what readers really want is simple: Cool stories that either excite their imaginations [even if they are sometimes challenging] or teach and are done well. I really think it is that simple.
We eat up these comfort food stories and franchises because theyre force fed to us by mainstream reviewers, references and franchise production and are easy to access because theyre popular. But there are no rules to writing [other than that if a story is supposed to make sense, then the writer should make sure it does indeed make sense]. Trying to impose some formula on it lessens it.
By DerGolem on 05.23.21 12:58pm
I worked in a library as a cataloger and saw how many popular books were similar if not carbon copies of each other, as if they were written from a template. Mystery books were a big offender. The characters all blended together into a few archetypes with minor differences based on which demographic the book served.
That applies to a pretty large swath of books. Romance novels are like that, plenty of fantasy novels could have their character names swapped without noticing, even true crime all tend to follow very similar lines.
I think what readers really want is simple: Cool stories that either excite their imaginations [even if they are sometimes challenging] or teach and are done well. I really think it is that simple.
I think we can agree here, but none of that is precluded by a book using a common premise or similar structure. Agatha Christies style is extremely well known and pretty consistent, but that doesnt mean each individual book isnt still an excellent read or doesnt excite the imagination.
We eat up these comfort food stories and franchises because theyre force fed to us by mainstream reviewers, references and franchise production and are easy to access because theyre popular. But there are no rules to writing [other than that if a story is supposed to make sense, then the writer should make sure it does indeed make sense]. Trying to impose some formula on it lessens it.
Theres a tone of elitism here which I hope is unintentional. Theres nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy a simple page-turner. Not everything out there must challenge us nor should people be looked down on for enjoying something that is popular.
By ench on 05.24.21 7:41pm
Were on the same page here mostly.
No elitist intent. You can demand better from the things you love. I love pulp and had a whole collection of Animorphs, Goosebumps, Harry Potter etc. growing up and still read Stephen King, Dean Koontz and other books that are formulaic and fun. My problem is the density of volume and the fact that people get too comfortable with it and dont demand better [Im guilty of it, too]. I just discovered Neal Stephenson and am about binge him even though I think he sucks as much as he is good. I would prefer for him to be edited down 50 percent so I could omit the "Sucks" part.
I want storytelling to get better [ and I think theres a whole lot of room for it to get better and diversify in pulps]. The more we support diversity even with the genres we love, the better it gets.
Put it this way, if you pay $2 for a K.A. Applegate book that was well-written by her and then the publisher puts out the next book by a ghost writer who slapped her name on it to make money and you find it isnt as good but you move on to the next book because youre hoping to reignite your dopamine receptors, why does that series deserve your money, time or respect? The authors already moved on and shown she doesnt think you deserve the same [in the case of K.A. Applegate, she did move on].
Because its fun, sure. But you might also be cheating yourself of something else out there thats harder to find but just as much fun. I moved on from these types of books because they were giving me diminishing returns and making me unhappy even though they have all the things that should satisfy me.
Once again, we can like a thing thats shit but fun but also ask for it to be a little less shit. But also consider this, these truly dangerous culture wars that have started result partly from people wanting their stories to be static and formulaic and publishers bowing to their demands. If we dont demand better, were going to let ourselves be exploited.
By DerGolem on 05.25.21 9:18am
Cryptonomicon Is far and away his best-written book. Snow Crash is, of course, a ridiculously goofy and fun start to a career, and theres nothing quite like slogging through the entirety of the Baroque Cycle.
I hope you enjoy, DerGolem!
By BLGesus on 05.25.21 12:55pm
Im actually in the middle of Cryptonomicon right now and the Baroque Cycle is the binge Im set to start if this book doesnt me swear him off.
By DerGolem on 05.25.21 1:41pm
Baroque is dense. Like dense.
Even as a student of history, theres a lot of historical minutiae, vague allusions and/or long diatribes on long-over debates in philosophy & science, a chronologically shifting narrative [never as clear as in Crypto], and some really thick prose. It honestly took me two read-throughs over the ten plus years from 21 or so to my early 30s to really start to grapple with all thats there.
By BLGesus on 05.25.21 2:40pm
Im not in the YA demo so Im not sure how much this may or may not relate, but I personally no longer have an appetite for dystopian fiction because at this point Im just too aware of the dystopian reality I live in. Engaging with that kind of content no longer feels like escapism, it just makes me feel more hopeless about our own world. Instead, I want to find media that is full of positivity and hope, the kind that reminds me about just how worthwhile life can be, and gives me more energy to fight the good fight for another day.
By Lil Kut-Ku on 05.23.21 11:32am
Totally agree. A dystopian fiction would have been nearly unbearable in 2017 when the US really seemed like it was falling apart.
And just imagine dystopian fiction during COVID! During the pandemic I retreated into comfort watching, especially nostalgic, wholesome Disney movies.
By kalotro on 05.24.21 8:34am
You say that, but people ate up The Handmaids Tale right in the midst of what felt to many like the beginnings of a real-life handmaids tale.
Completely outside of the national debate on things like wearing masks or not, I think some people retreated from learning more about COVID than they needed to because psychologically it was too much and some people consumed everything they could find even tangentially related because the more they knew, the more "control" they felt had over things they couldnt control [and some people in the former group ended up with very wrong opinions on the issue, and some people in the latter would natter on endlessly about microchips controlling us].
By Davvolun on 05.24.21 11:33am
Every generation thinks its the end of the world. Soylent Green, 1984, Oryx and Crake.
By Saskbob on 05.25.21 2:43am
In the early 2000s, movies wanted to be like The Matrix
In the late 2000s, movies wanted to be like Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings
In the early 2010s, movies wanted to be like Twilight/Hunger Games
In the late 2010s, movies wanted to be like Avengers
The YA phase is not complicated. A movie in that genre that made lots of money and other studios emulated that movie until audiences lost interest. I think society didnt give it much more thought than that. Ive never heard someone discuss the social implications of any of these movies because they typically watch movies based on a combination of serendipitous factors unrelated to sociopolitical commentary.
By Lerkero on 05.23.21 12:17pm
Ive also noticed that practically every franchise is trying to assemble their own MCU. And for the most part its really derivative and tiresome but also extremely lucrative.
The fad will run its course soon enough. Its simply not sustainable to maintain 100 different cinematic universes.
By kalotro on 05.24.21 8:37am
The only one really pulling of a universe is Godzilla next to Marvel. But to be fair, Godzilla did universes a long time as well already.
A universe needs to be established to really work. New ones are almost always not going to work as movies. Dune could work [hard sell though like 2049 these days], GOT did till the established ran out.
By Menage on 05.24.21 3:21pm
I wouldnt have been sad to see what the horror Hammerverse couldve gotten up to.
By BLGesus on 05.25.21 12:56pm
You mean the one with Tom Cruises Mummy? Ot was that League of ?
By Menage on 05.25.21 3:42pm
In the past few years someone [Warner? Universal, maybe?] was talking about making a shared universe for all the classic Hammer horror characters Dracula, Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Mummy, et. al.
I was cautiously optimistic as to what modern FX and CGI could do to reinvigorate those classic characters, but once it became known that not everyone can just conjure up an MCU [and after reports about studio drama, IIRC], all these plans fell apart.
By BLGesus on 05.25.21 4:25pm
Oh! and the requisite Avengers style team up wouldve been wild.
Hell Boy meets The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, maybe? Woulda been cool.
By BLGesus on 05.25.21 4:26pm
This really should be no surprise, as it also maps to our own favorite medium:
In the late 90s, video games wanted to be like Final Fantasy.
In the early 2000s, video games wanted to be like Call of Duty.
In the late 2000s, video games wanted to be like World of Warcraft.
In the early 2010s, video games wanted to be like Skyrim.
In the late 2010s, video games wanted to be like Fortnite.
By RealmRPGer on 05.24.21 3:52pm
IT IS LIKE ANY OTHER ART FORM KNOWN IN HISTORY
Something new-ish, something fun, something mass market. it gets hot, its get copied, it gets played out over time, and then moved on. Silently waiting for a re-emergence. And so what, it adds to the body culture that is civilization and the silly man nipples we call humans.
Like westerns, musicals, punk rock, line dancing, and even sweating to the oldies. Something blows up, there is a huge vacuum for more of it, with plenty willing to change their current novels to match that of what is hot- ty money focused publishers. And after a while it needs to be MORE, more western, more comic hero, more sweatin to the oldies-ish and after a while you stretch it farther from what it first was because that first one was just not enough, we need more. And after a while it is so far from what the first craze was, we like oversized 8month old babies hear the jingling of keys that is something new . and we move on.
Dystopian society has been around as long as time itself, just now we have a sexy vampire, and werewolf in it. ah!! next great novel.
By Ronald White on 05.23.21 1:18pm
The reasons were simple. Anytime something cool and exciting, or reallysomething which just blended existing concepts together in a way that resonates with mass crowd shall be copied, imitated, and repeated.
Everyone knows that these fads have a finite shelf life, the question is exactly how long? But then again. The studio heads actually know precisely how long. They milk the ideas until the profits dip, and then move onto the next thing.
By gommerthus on 05.23.21 1:21pm
"With the rise of more BIPOC creatives in the industry, maybe well get a distinctive YA dystopian film with more characters of color."
Its funny that this is the most that is hoped for in this article: more trope-filled dystopian pablum aimed at teenagers, but with descriptions of different hairstyles and darker skin this time.
By FUKK_U on 05.23.21 1:52pm
The article hopes for plenty more than that. Did you read it?
By Sadiki on 05.24.21 6:15pm
I dont think it died it just moved to television where they can do it cheaper and milk it for all its worth.
Not all the shows succeeded but we did get a few good ones like The 100.
By apoclypse on 05.23.21 2:47pm
"Its much more complex than oversaturation"
Is it tho?
By VFastest on 05.23.21 2:59pm