The Game of Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, the worldly phenomenon. HG and its two sequels are in battle against the hundreds of fantasy/young adult novels available in the market, yet it always comes out victor. Why? Well, unlike most FYA novels these days, the Hunger Games series doesn’t only tackle the forbidden, melodramatic romance between three (yes, always three) teenagers who’re trying to survive in a fantasy world, but it also contains political, feminist and revisionist subtexts. It only means that HG is not only for the in-love or the adventure-hunters, but also for those who have an interest on politics, feminism and revision.
Now, who’s the author we need to thank for all that fiery drama? Right, Suzanne Collins, the original ‘Girl on Fire’. Let’s try to know more about Suzy, shall we? For she is the Author of the Week.
Suzy, now swimming in a pool of riches due to above-wonderful sales, didn’t actually start out her writing career with HG, she grew it from her sweet ol’ job as a writer for a children’s show. Ever heard of Clifford’s Puppy Days or Oswald from Nickelodeon? Well, Suzy’s a part of the show. Imagine, her writing for a children’s show! Well, it isn’t actually that bad. I think it’s best, even. From that start, her love for curiosity and youth sparked.
Her first novel for children is Gregor the Overlander, the first from the The New York Times best selling series The Underland Chronicles. The plot of the novel is mainly based on Lewis Carroll’s renowned work, Alice in Wonderland. The inspiration for writing a novel like that, on the other hand, came fr
om James Proimos, a children’s book writer she met while working on the Kids’ WB show Generation O! After five years of writing, she finished her first series of novels.
The real spark, though, started of course with the well known Hunger Games. Inspired by the story of Theseus and the Minotaur and the military experience of Suzy’s own father from the Air Force, the Hunger Games, published 2008, gained too much a public appreciation it garnered the highest pedestal at the New York Times best seller’s list and remained in it for 60 straight weeks. In 2009, published was the second book, Catching Fire, and in 2010, Mockingjay. The series plays with the idea of poverty, starvation, and the effects of war. This unique quality from a YA novel is what attracted Lions Gate Entertainment to purchase worldwide distribution rights to a film adaptation of The Hunger Games. Wow, Suzy must be a billionaire now!
Drowning in money or not, Suzy can still be proud with her array of awards, the most recent being 2011 – California Young Reader Medal. Collins’ dedication in writing for young people is unparalleled. Why? Because nowadays, many YA writers are noveling for the royalties, and not for the wonders it brings to readers. Suzanne Collins is an epitome of having a good goal of writing for the purpose of giving smiles to the crowds. This can be seen from the very start of her writing career, as she was playing with children’s toons to share laughs to many.
