Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Dystopia FANTASY
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8th Grade Book Club #2 Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Dystopia FANTASY rantingdragon.com Elements of Fantasy: ● Imaginary worlds ● Magic and/or magical creatures ● Supernatural people or powers ● Animals and/or objects with human characteristics ● Good vs evil Some famous examples: Harry Potter The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Eragon Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Alice in Wonderland Where the Wild Things Are nerdist.com Graceling by Kristin Cashore Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away... Ranger’s Apprentice (series) by John Flanagan They have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied.... Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart - and bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon - and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for. Science Fiction http://io9.gizmodo.com/ ELEMENTS OF SCIENCE FICTION ● Typically set in the future ● Incorporates principles of science and technology ● Explores what effect new discoveries/technologies may have on the human race ● Take place in space, on a different planet, or in a different universe or dimension Some Famous Examples Ender’s Game Star Wars A Wrinkle in Time Frankenstein I, Robot starwars.ea.com/starwars/galaxy-of-heroes/news Red Rising (series) by Pierce Brown Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future -- to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire -- both scientists and scholars -- and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for a future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation. But soon the fledgling Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords rising in the wake of the receding Empire. Mankind's last best hope is faced with an agonizing choice: submit to the barbarians and be overrun -- or fight them and be destroyed. The Boy Who Would Live Forever by Frederik Pohl Stan and Estrella, two young people from Earth, journey to the Gateway asteroid looking for adventure, and discover each other during a flight in one of the ships the alien Heechee left behind when they explored our Solar System. Stan and Estrella settle among the Heechee on a planet in the galactic core, never suspecting that the two of them may be the last, best hope to save the humans and Heechee in the core from destruction by a crazed madman. DYSTOPIA http://www.deviantart.com/browse/all/?q=dystopia Elements of Dystopia ● Futuristic society where the illusion of perfection is maintained through oppressive control ● Natural world is banished/distrusted ● Citizens conform to standard expectations ● Protagonist questions the existing systems ● Worst case scenario ● Make a commentary about current trends, political systems, or societal norms Some Famous Examples Hunger Games Divergent The 5th Wave The Giver 1984 Fahrenheit 451 Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us. Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies. Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden When Ellie and her friends return from a camping trip in the Australian bush, they find things hideously wrong — their families are gone. Gradually they begin to comprehend that their country has been invaded and everyone in their town has been taken prisoner. As the reality of the situation hits them, they must make a decision — run and hide, give themselves up and be with their families, or fight back. Legend by Marie Lu What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. Questions?.