Dystopian Digest Issue #1

Welcome to the very first issue of Dystopian Digest. Dystopian Digest is a weekly feature showcasing some of the latest dystopian links in the blogosphere. My inspiration for DD came from The Story Siren's YA Connection feature.

Dystopian book reviews:

Mr. Maurer of Coffee for the Brain posted a review of The Maze Runner by James Dashner: "If you are looking for a book to quench your thirst of a novel like Hunger Games, then this is a must read. Actually, this is a must read if you just plain enjoy reading books that have the dystopian feel."

A review of The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood at The Last Word Blog: "Atwood’s writing is confident and taut, something I rarely expect from a female writer. There is so much going on in terms of plot, pace and subtext, that you find yourself marvelling at this woman’s talent. "

Kate at The Neverending Shelf recommends Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey to all of her readers: "This book is always on the top of my recommendation list. It is an amazingly vivid novel that sucks readers into its pages. To be honest, this is book remains the grittiest novel that I have ever read. "

Bermuda Onion reviewed one of my favorite dystopian novels this week, Battle Royale by Koushun Takami: "While the overall plot of this book was good, I struggled to finish it. At over 600 pages, I felt that it was too long, and at times, there was too much detail. Several pages would be devoted to a student’s background just to lead up to their death. "

Beth of Beth Fish Reads reviewed Genesis by Bernard Beckett: "Unfortunately, I have no way of discussing this book without ruining the entire experience. Just take my word for it, this is a book worth reading and worth owning, so you can reread it—maybe even moments after you finish the first time."

Dystopian movie and Televesion reviews:

Brad Brevet of Rope of Silicon reviewed the new movie Daybreakers: "There's some fun to be had and it feels unique, but Daybreakers lacks an overall "wow" factor making it hard to suggest it as a necessary theatrical viewing."

Greg Victor of Parcbench.com reviewed the new movie The Book of Eli: "No matter how much I wanted to like this movie (and I did want to like this movie), I have to report that I had absolutely no idea how I felt about it as I walked out of the theater. Was it a great action flick/morality tale or just a ridiculously hyper-violent missed opportunity? Alas, if that question has to be asked, then we know the answer. "

Other articles and posts:

The Top 9 Signs You Are Reading a Bad Dystopian Novel at littlefivers:

"9>This author’s idea of a bleak, grim, and hopelessly angst-making future seems to revolve around not having a Starbucks on the corner." Click here to read the rest of the list.

One of our very own contributors, Gail when to the ALA this past week. Check out the recap on her blog to see what cool dystopian titles she got: "On the day of the ALA I decided to drive into Boston and thanks to my handy dandy GPS I made it to the convention center no problem, parked in their ample parking lot and before I knew it I was all registered and getting my first site of the floor."

Lusty Reader asks: Are apocalypse and dystopian stories now less appealing: "The pictures and news of the earthquake in Haiti is a true post-apocalyptic world. As I scrolled through these images were burned in my brain and merged with all the imaginary images from the books I had been reading. The ash that the characters in The Road had to breathe through and that covered the land is too eerily similar to the concrete dust that coats the faces and streets of Port-au-Prince."

Philip Reeve wrote a thought provoking post titled Apocalypse, schmapocalyspe: "The truth is, we never get tired of seeing the world destroyed. I suspect on some deep level most people secretly look forward to armageddon. We feel we deserve it. "

Dystopian giveaways:

1. Win a copy of Veracity by Laura Bynum at The Bibliophilic Book Blog. Open until 2/5
2. Win a copy of The Passage by Justin Cronin at The Boston Bibliophile. Open unitl 1/31

If you know of any dystopian giveaways that I missed, please link to them in the comments.