Kindle samples: Across the Universe, Delirium

[rachelmanija]

Across the Universe, by Beth Revis: Kindle Sample (first four chapters)Old-school science fiction, the sort a lot of old-school sf fans think teenagers ought to be reading: Amy and her parents are cryogenically frozen to board a generation ship; generations later, the ship has formed its own, undoubtedly dystopian, society. The old-fashioned

Comments

[asakiyume]

The thought of the government controlling masturbation is equal parts terrifying and hilarious.

Belaborment, generally, I find a problem in YA. My book group decided to read Uglies, and I'm only about a quarter of the way through it, and there's been a lot of belaboring already. Straight-man character talks about how wonderful it will be to be made pretty, challenger-character says "oh really? but I think it's better to be unique and idiosyncratic than blandly, uniformly pretty." They have had this conversation several times. And twice we've had a graphic description about how macerated and ripped and torn and re-sewn and implanted and so on a person has to be in order to become a pretty. ... I wonder if I'm just too old for all this? ... But I'm not sure I'd have cared for it as a kid, either.

[rachelmanija]

Those aren't my favorites of Scott Westerfeld's, for exactly those reasons; the sequels, which drift from the "dystopia is mandatory plastic surgery" premise, are more interesting.

I think when I was a teen, as I am now, I would have mostly been into the flying skateboards.

[asakiyume]

The flying skateboards are awesome, as is the explanation for how they work.

Another thing that bothers me about the setup, which bugs me in most dystopias, is the notion that eeeeeeeverybody, most everybody, is okay with whatever the dystopic feature is ... except for a tiny band of rebels. Protag is usually the only one who has any problems with stuff (or, more often, like in Uglies, protag is fine with things as they are but has his/her consciousness raised by someone).

Yet in real life, you get people grumbling and griping about things all the time--different things! Some people hate paying for public schools and others hate paying for the military, etc. etc. And even when you're under the thumb of an authoritarian regime, you have things you grumble about--you find a way to grumble without getting caught. Dystopias always (or often) reduce all dissent to a matter of one key issue.

I'm with you: I'd like to see more of the chaos and the mess, and more shades of opinion. (You guys' story has it, btw, in my opinion.)

[asakiyume]

Do you have links to your comments on those later books anywhere?

[rachelmanija]

I have. I liked but didn't love them. I did appreciate that the actions and emotions were very messy and realistic.

Oh, like you didn't see this coming.

[telophase]

YA Dystopia Story Generator.

It only has a very few terms in it: needs more!

Re: Oh, like you didn't see this coming.

[rachelmanija]

I dangled it before you like bait! I shall do a separate post (you should too) to generate more terms.

Titles: Whump, Tall, Short, Boy, Girl, Bug, Bounce, Float, Rotate, Crunch, Noodle, Light Dark, Pop, Sneak, Shock, Breathe, Brave, Vomit.

Things to be controlled: Height, gender, weight, water, air, gravity, language, shadows.

Things to be banned OR controlled: paper, lace, skirts, pants, underwear, insects, prom, royalty, weather, rainbows, rain, snow, sunlight, happiness, sadness, anger, reading, writing, speech, carpets, apartments, landlords, roads, trees, shrubs, cats, dogs, horses, sugar gliders, children, teenagers, old people, midlife crises, teen angst, romance, BDSM, homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality, hot sauce, light, darkness, furniture, sofas, television, the internet, recess, college, crime, volcanoes, icebergs, numbers, global warming, outer space, telepathy, fire, electricity, elections, erections.

Re: Oh, like you didn't see this coming.

[telophase]

Way ahead of ya!

Pinch: Bringing horses inside a house has been banned and the government controls propeller beanies.

(Adding shortly, thanks!)

Re: Oh, like you didn't see this coming.

[_swallow]

this list is good poetry!

[thecityofdis]

Additionally, have you read the Gone series by Michael Grant? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.

[rachelmanija]

I really liked the concept, but I bounced off the writing style.

[thecityofdis]

Hm, interesting. I found the writing to be pretty invisible, and got through the first 2.5 books before life beat me senseless. Have been meaning to finish the 3rd one and purchase the 4th.

[lady_ganesh]

The government also decides how many children you should have, what your major will be, and no doubt the color of the jumpsuit you wear.

Excuse me, I think you mean speedsuit.