Dystopian or Reality? Why Do We Read Stories That Feel Eerily Real?

As if we need to be reminded that our lives have become perpetual dumpster fires. And yet...

 

Dearest Rogueling,

Why Do We Read Stories That Feel Eerily Real?

The answer is, many people don’t read Dystopian because it feels too real to enjoy. It’s not escapism. Which is TOTALLY valid.

But people like me love them. To note, I am a worrywart—the definition of anxious. So why would I write and read realities that feel more real than fake? I wanted to take a step back and figure out why.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Especially since Covid. My life has felt like a dumpster fire barreling down the road at 75 MPH toward the end of the world.

But that’s where it gets interesting.

Dystopian stories aren’t about the end of the world. They’re about surviving the odds, right? They are about humanity’s brightest and darkest moments. About grit and gumption and the human spirit.

And often, dystopian stories are just plausible enough to feel realistic and relatable, and yet obscure enough to seem mostly removed from the realm of possibility. Not to mention, we love ourselves a good morally-gray villain, and dystopian societies are built on them.

Other interesting correlations I found…

It’s what we know.

When wildfires flicker through the news and supply chain chaos feels one shipment away from Mad Max, we think, “Shit. I’ve seen this movie before. It doesn’t end well.” Then our minds kick into prepper-mode.

These days we have that survivalist voice that pops into our heads, ticking the boxes of what to keep do if and when something happens. We consider what we need to keep on hand in case if an emergency.

• Food.
• Toilet paper.
• Hand sanitizer.
• Generators and fuel.
• Etc. Etc. Etc.

We’ve all lived through a natural disaster at this point. Fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes…

Skies of Fire holds a mirror to that. Not only is Ava’s mental health something I’ve struggled with, but her entire world is in flames, which is a fear I’ve had plenty of times through my personal experience with wildfires.

Which leads me to…

We like relatable characters.

Real people are messy. Our heroes should be too. Take Marshal Cunningham, for instance (Dust and Shadow). He is not the hero, but he wasn’t born vile either.

Dystopians are brilliant at illustrating how good intentions can quickly spin out of control when the circumstances are stacked against you. They are great at graying the space between black and white. Good and bad. Hero and villain.

What is that saying? Villains aren’t born, they’re made?

Dr. Wesley (The Ending Series) did horrible things in order to save her family. I’m sure many parents out there would agree they’d do anything to save their children. Where does one draw the line?

And finally… Being human is hard.

Life is not like in a romantic fantasy where people are fae beings with magic. Dystopian stories look at the nitty gritty workings of humanity. It peels back battle scars and layers and begs questions about ourselves (and others) that fantasy doesn’t.

I’m not a shifter. I can’t fly away from my problems or cast spells. I have to face reality head-on, just like characters in most dystopian stories have to do (Dani and Zoe are the exception 😏).

I LOVED writing Luke and Kaia in Earth and Ember because they thought they had each other figured out. But guess what, folks? They didn’t. We judge people, but there is more to someone than red or blue. Black or white, and we rarely take a moment to learn from each other and empathize.

That’s why I love making Mother Nature my greatest villain in my stories. I want my characters forced to band together—to put their differences aside in order to survive.

So, there you have it. An unsolicited look into my mind wanderings. See any similarities to your mind musings?

Let me know if you’re a dystopian reader and if you have a series or book you recommend I add to my list!

And don’t forget…

April’s Goody Survival Kit:

• 40% off all audiobooks in my bookshop this month. USE CODE: AUDIO40 at checkout. Because if you’re willing to support me directly, I want you to have something special in return!
• Luis’s Greatest Hits: Dive into the Savage North Chronicles and get to know Jackson Mitchell: YouTube Savage North Playlist
• Free The Darkest Winter Alternative Jackson POV chapter (PDF): https://BookHip.com/DMRPBSQ
• Dust and Shadow Audiobook - Free in my bookshop!

Until next time!