Suzanne Collins had just wrapped up a five-part fantasy YA series and was looking towards her next project in the early 2000s when she found herself flipping back and forth between competition reality TV and news coverage of the Iraq War. She knew she wanted to continue exploring just war theory for young readers, and this jarring juxtaposition between war and entertainment helped her flesh out an idea that, until then, had not fully taken shape.
This idea became The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins’s blockbuster YA dystopian novel about authoritarian rule and resistance. Katniss Everdeen’s story of survival and defiance would go on to change the landscape of contemporary YA fiction and shape pop culture at large, and remains Amazon’s bestselling book of all time.
Join Rebecca and Jeff on Zero to Well-Read for a discussion of The Hunger Games. Find it on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find podcasts.
Want some Extra Credit? Volunteer as tribute and head into the arena below for more on this bestselling book, series, and adaptation.
Sequels and Prequels
Having the bestselling book of all time on Amazon is impressive enough, but Suzanne Collins said, “Why stop there?” All three of the original Hunger Games books are in the top five of Amazon’s all-time bestsellers. Sequels Catching Fire and Mockingjay come in at #5 and #4, respectively.
As for the Hunger Games prequels, they aren’t just good—they might even be better. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping are series favorites among OG readers and new ones alike, including our very own Jeff O’Neal’s kids.
- That reminds me of one of my top 10 Book Riot moments: Jeff’s teenage son giving an impromptu review of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes at our joint event with Powell’s, which he began with a detailed comparison of President Snow to Napoleon III. Ames responded to a hearty chuckle from the crowd by pointing at Jeff and going, “Oh please, you’re surprised? I’m his kid!”
Tribute Trivia
- The three-finger salute from The Hunger Games has been used in IRL protest and resistance movements in places like Thailand and Myanmar, where it became a symbol for solidarity and resistance.
- Collins also took inspiration from Greek mythology for these stories, namely the myth of Theseus. As revenge for the killing of his son, King Minos imposed his own kind of effed-up lottery, wherein seven Athenian girls and seven boys were taken to Crete every so many years and thrown into a labyrinth with the Minotaur.
Adaptation Corner
I rewatched all four of the original The Hunger Games movies over the weekend and am pleased to report they hold up! They’re currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+, as is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (also a banger).
- Side note: I use “That is mahogany!” regularly in conversation.
- Aside from the main cast, I forgot how many big actors were in the original Hunger Games films, many before their careers really took off. You probably remember Amandla Stenberg, but there’s also Jeffrey Wright, Gwendolyn Christe, Natalie Dormer, Alan Ritchson (back when he was still schmedium sized), Jena Malone, and Mahershala Ali, to name a few.
- If you don’t have time for a full rewatch and/or want a laugh, may I suggest the Mike’s Mic recap series? I died from the second I heard him say, “…[B]lue hair Lawrence Chaney and facial hair Zaddy having a conversation on the main stage about the significance of the games…”
And don’t forget: Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters on November 20, 2026!
Readalikes
- The Lottery by Shirley Jackson – The whole tribute selection process is strongly reminiscent of Jackson’s 1948 dystopian horror story about a lottery of a different(ly awful) kind.
- Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah – Also features a high-stakes, televised arena combat, but for an adult audience. A brutal critique of the American carceral system.
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding – The OG “kids descending into savagery” novel, one we’ll surely cover on the show in the future.
- Cue the Sun: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum – A history of reality TV and its turn towards the brutal
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro – Shares the theme of maintaining empathy and humanity in inhumane circumstances
Out-of-Context Show Quotes
Bonus this week: an out-of-context screenshot, too.
- “We’re probably not likely to get the platonic hang in this big moment of romantasy.”
- “Eldest daughter energy is the secret weapon”
- “How about a character who puts their grocery cart away at the grocery store?”
- “We would never find Pynchon. He would have Peeta-ed himself!”
- “Calorically, I’m intense.”
“That’s true! I would have to kill you because I would need to eat!”
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