10 Incredible Dystopian Books To Read Once You're Done With The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping
The latest installment in The Hunger Games franchise, Sunrise on the Reaping, tackles the background and story of Haymitch and his Hunger Games. The gruff mentor who Katniss comes to love– or at least respect– in the original trilogy is made even more vivid and richly complex in Sunrise on the Reaping and is a testament to the expansive work that Suzanne Collins created. Within the dystopian genre, The Hunger Games books are some of the most popular today, but there are many other works that scratch the same itch.
The Sunrise on the Reaping movie will expand The Hunger Games franchise and has created exciting new avenues for the dystopian universe to explore. While it will be agony to wait for Sunrise on the Reaping to be adapted into a movie, these titles are perfect to pick up after tearing through the book. With similar settings and themes that touch upon terrifying sci-fi and fantasy worlds and complex characters fighting to survive, there's something for everyone within the dystopian genre.
10 1984 (1949)
Written by George Orwell
Perhaps the definitive work of dystopian fiction, George Orwell's 1984, has been read and taught relentlessly since it was published, and for good reason. It's safe to say that Sunrise on the Reaping and The Hunger Games as a whole wouldn't exist without 1984. Orwell helped the dystopian genre evolve through his work. His uncanny ability to imagine– or predict– the dark future of 1984 through his understanding of the past is a testament to the importance of history in writing, especially within the genre.
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Though it's been many decades since 1984 was published, the book has lost none of its potency. If anything, 1984 is even more sinister and timely when read today. Many of the popular YA fantasy book series and their sci-fi counterparts are inherently in conversation with 1984. To better engage with and understand Sunrise on the Reaping and the characters we follow into the revolution, it's vital to pick up 1984.
9 The Circle (2013)
Written by Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers's dystopia has become more relevant and closer to reality with each passing year. Following the young Mae as she begins working for a sprawling tech company with similarities to major corporations like Apple, Meta, and Amazon, the Circle takes the trajectory of existing technologies and pushes them to their limit. Even revisiting The Circle today, it's shocking to see how right Eggers was when he imagined a world where there is no privacy. The book sees people's lives distilled into pure data and spectacle.
Though Eggers initially rose to prominence for his work in the nonfiction sphere, he blends these skills with fiction and dystopia to create a sharp critique of modern society. The way Mae slowly loses her ability to do anything but perform for the benefit of her audience makes it easy to see the parallels between The Circle and contemporary social media. While Mae doesn't have to fight to the death in an arena, she's just as exposed and exploited as the characters in The Hunger Games universe.
Book | Year of Release |
The Circle | 2013 |
The Every | 2021 |
8 Ender’s Game (1985)
Written by Orson Scott Card
The 1980s were a great decade for sci-fi, both in literature and media, and Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game has stood the test of time in the years since its release. Eventually adapted into a movie in 2013, the Ender's Game book is far more vivid and able to capture the depth and breadth of Card's universe. Though Ender's Game is more science-oriented than The Hunger Games, it still has strong ties to the dystopian genre and tackles the exploitation of children.
Growing up, Ender is sharpened into a tool for the military to use against the alien invasion; he was created to be the perfect war machine.
Like Haymitch, Katniss, and all the other tributes throughout The Hunger Games books, the protagonist of Ender's Game, Ender, is never allowed a childhood. Growing up, Ender is sharpened into a tool for the military to use against the alien invasion; he was created to be the perfect war machine. The book touches upon not only Ender's experience but the political subtleties of a world constantly on the brink of destruction that's become defined by its success in a never-ending conflict.
Book | Year of Release |
Ender's Game | 1985 |
Speaker for the Dead | 1986 |
Xenocide | 1991 |
Children of the Mind | 1996 |
Ender in Exile | 2008 |
The Last Shadow | 2021 |
7 The Selection (2012)
Written by Kiera Cass
Though The Selection series utilizes many of the familiar tropes and formulas of the YA genre, it rises above them and tackles deeper themes, similar to The Hunger Games. The protagonist, America, is shocked to find out she's been picked for the Selection, a competition to find the next consort for the crown prince, a chance to be raised out of the strict caste system. While this competition isn't a fight to the death, the stakes are still high for America, and she has to be clever to make it through.
For fans of Sunrise on the Reaping and The Hunger Games, The Selection is a lighter, more romantic addition to the YA dystopian genre. America is torn between her love for her childhood friend and the confusing feelings she's developing for the prince. Alongside this, America is realizing how the caste system is even crueler than she ever realized, and it isn't something she can be part of anymore. However, she isn't sure if the only way to convince the prince of this fact is to win his heart.
Book | Year of Release |
The Selection | 2012 |
The Elite | 2013 |
The One | 2014 |
The Heir | 2015 |
The Crown | 2016 |
6 Never Let Me Go (2005)
Written by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kazuo Ishiguro's tragic, romantic tale, Never Let Me Go, explores the very nature of humanity and is largely considered a modern classic. Also known for The Remains of the Day and Klara and the Sun, Ishiguro finds the heart and lightness in the darkest and most alienating aspects of the human experience. In Never Let Me Go, the author follows a group of young students who discover that they're clones who have been raised to be organ donors for the people allowed to live their lives normally in the outside world.
Thoughthe characters in Never Let Me Go don't fight against their circumstances like those in The Hunger Games, this gives readers another perspective on dystopian themes.
Never Let Me Go is a sci-fi book that's more fiction than science, as the issue of cloning serves as a way for Ishiguro to demonstrate that the emotions, experiences, and lives of the characters are just as real and fulfilling as anyone else's. This connects to larger themes of prejudice and discrimination in the real world, as well as influxes of new technologies. Thoughthe characters in Never Let Me Go don't fight against their circumstances like those in The Hunger Games, this gives readers another perspective on dystopian themes.
Never Let Me Go
- Release Date
- October 15, 2010
- Runtime
- 103 minutes
Cast
Carey Mulligan
Sally Hawkins
5 Parable Of The Sower (1993)
Written by Octavia E. Butler
Octavia E. Butler, the mind behind Parable of the Sower and many other unforgettable titles, is widely regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi authors in history. Her work was timely and relevant when it was first published in the 20th century, but Parable of the Sower, in particular, has only become more relevant and indicative of the pitfalls of humanity. The near future in which Butler sets the story has already started to become reality, but Butler's words remind us not to be complacent as we look the end of the world in the face.
The protagonist of Parable of the Sower, Lauren, sees her enclave of safety ripped away from her because of natural disasters made worse by humans and must survive the harsh world she's thrown into. It's a dark book full of complexity and unflinching explorations of the world, and like The Hunger Games, Lauren's world isn't hard to imagine. Without works like Parable of the Sower and Butler's contributions to the genre, works like Sunrise on the Reaping wouldn't exist.
Book | Year of Release |
Parable of the Sower | 1993 |
Parable of the Talents | 1998 |
4 Red Rising (2014)
Written by Pierce Brown
Red Rising is the first in Pierce Brown's epic dystopian saga that has evolved into an unforgettable addition to the genre. Following the story of Darrow, a member of the oppressed class of Reds who toil below the surface of the planet for their entire lives, Red Rising sees Darrow refuse to accept this cruelty. After discovering the extent of their subjugation and suffering the deaths of those he holds dear, Darrow embarks on a journey to destroy the system from the inside.
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However, Darrow has to prove his worth and fight his way to the top if he's going to achieve his goal and bring justice to his people. The competition that Darrow has to take part in is frequently compared to The Hunger Games, but Darrow is an even more active protagonist because he intends to start the revolution with his actions. While Haymitch and Katniss are concerned with survival first and foremost, Darrow sees himself as part of a larger movement from the beginning.
Book | Year of Release |
Red Rising | 2014 |
Golden Sun | 2015 |
Morning Star | 2016 |
Iron Gold | 2018 |
Dark Age | 2019 |
Light Bringer | 2023 |
3 Severance (2018)
Written by Ling Ma
Though Ling Ma's Severance might share a title with the hit sci-fi TV show, the post-apocalyptic world of the book will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games. We meet the characters in The Hunger Games long after the world-ending events have taken place, whereas we see the apocalypse unfold in real time through the eyes of Candace, the protagonist of Severance. In the wake of society's collapse, Candace has to develop survival skills in ways that parallel Haymitch's experience.
The issues and terror of the flu that slowly engulf the world take center stage in Severance, but the novel and Candace's experiences serve as a wider exploration of deeper themes. These include the over-consumption and pitfalls of capitalism, which the novels within The Hunger Games also skewer. However, in Severance, it isn't just the hyper-wealthy and elite who are destroying the world. Ma's world-building, imaginative storytelling, and empathetic but unflinching take on the apocalypse set Severance apart.
2 Chain-Gang All-Stars (2023)
Written by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
A searing critique of the prison-industrial complex and insight into the inner workings of a movement,Chain-Gang All-Stars is set in a world where incarcerated people literally fight for their freedom for the profit of private prisons. One of the most engaging and chilling aspects of Chain-Gang All-Stars is how similar the story's world is to our own, even if it's set in a science-fiction future. Focusing primarily on two women, Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a relevant and immersive addition to the genre.
The concept of fighting for the entertainment and profit of the ruling class is a piece of the story that Chain-Gang All-Stars and The Hunger Games franchise have in common.
The concept of fighting for the entertainment and profit of the ruling class is a piece of the story that Chain-Gang All-Stars and The Hunger Games franchise have in common. However, Chain-Gang All-Stars is even more vividly realized because of how close it comes to our reality and its deeper explorations between the intersections of race and class. The love story between Loretta and Hamara is just one part of Chain-Gang All-Stars that encourages the audience to understand and deeply connect with the characters.
1 Artemis (2017)
Written By Andy Weir
Andy Weir, the acclaimed author of sci-fi novels like The Martian, penned the dystopian Artemis in 2017, which chronicles the life of the protagonist, Jazzy, as she grapples with class in the future. Artemis gets its title from the name of the city where the story is set: the first city settled on the Moon. Though this settlement isn't on Earth, that doesn't mean the problems of humanity haven't followed the residents to their new world or that life has become anything close to a utopia.
Jazzy is a smuggler and does whatever it takes to survive in Artemis, not unlike Haymitch and Katniss, two of the sharp, capable protagonists of The Hunger Games and Sunrise on the Reaping. As Jazzy becomes involved in a large conspiracy to change the way Artemis runs, which could upend the existing social and economic power structures, she sees an opportunity and embarks on the adventure. The futuristic setting and advanced technology that's reserved for the privileged few connect stories like Artemis to the larger world of dystopian fiction.
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