The Genre Merge of Fiction and Dystopian Science Fiction: Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games and Catching Fire

Year 2023, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 79 - 90, 01.05.2024

Khadija Almghrabi

Abstract

By examining elements of science fiction, utopian literature, and dystopian settings, this article sets out to explore whether The Hunger Games and Catching Fire can be well categorized as suggested by Peter Fitting in which he used Darko Suvin conclusion in the article “Utopia, dystopia and science fiction “ gathered by Gregory Claeys in the book The Cambridge Companion of Utopian Literature (2010) as wither it stands upon a certain genera or shifts towards a merge between genres. This article investigates the genre classification of Suzanne Collins' famous series, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, it starts by exploring the definitions of science fiction and fantastic literature, using Todorov's book Introduction la literature fantastique attempting to draw a framework-specific genre such as Si-fi, fantastic, etc. Science fiction offers speculative but conceivable ideas, fantastic literature usually presents the impossible, hence this article dives into the utopian literature genre, as The Hunger Games and Catching Fire novels present a clear divide between the utopian Capitol and the dystopian districts. It explains the characteristics of utopia, such as an idealized society, clarity of imagination, political influence, and reaction to the present, are considered since it seems problematic to define the genres on their own. Since they overlap between different commodities this creates the problem mentioned above as to how to categorize The Hanger Games and Catching Fire. By using several academic perspectives but mainly Todorov's and Fitting’s explanation this results in the examination of the interaction between science fiction and utopian literature. Proposing that utopia may be a sub-genre of science fiction. It searches into the characteristics of science fiction, emphasizing its basis in factual research and

technological possibilities. Thus science fiction contrasts with fantasy literature, highlighting the balance between reality and fantasy within the former. Science fiction authors, such as Suzanne Collins, draw inspiration from contemporary issues to imagine future outcomes, and The Hunger Games and Catching Fire are a prime example of this practice.

Keywords

literture, Todorov, english, Collions, Genre Classifiction, article

References

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