“Grandpa, what was it like when you were young?” “Back then, children grew up fast—too fast.” The Last Children of Tokyo is a dystopian novel set in a […]
Japanese literature
The Emissary
“The future had arrived, but it was nothing like what we’d imagined.” Chapter 1: A Changed World The novel opens in a near-future Japan where children are born […]
Japanese literature
The Memory Police
“The island was shrouded in mist that morning, and the air was thick with the scent of the sea.” The novel follows an unnamed novelist living on an […]
Japanese literature
Battle Royale
“The loser is always at fault in this world.”— Koushun Takami, Battle Royale The novel Battle Royale follows a class of junior high school students forced into a […]
Russian literature
Telluria
“The world is a needle, and we are the thread.” Telluria by Vladimir Sorokin is a fragmented, surreal novel set in a post-apocalyptic future where Europe has collapsed […]
Russian literature
Day of the Oprichnik
“The Tsar’s word is law, and the law is the Tsar’s word.” Chapter 1: Morning of the Oprichnik The novel opens with Andrei Danilovich Komiaga, a high-ranking oprichnik […]
French literature
The Possibility of an Island
“The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed.” Part One: Daniel’s Story The novel begins with Daniel1, a successful but disillusioned comedian in his forties, living in […]
American literature
Allegiant
“I suppose a fire that burns that bright is not meant to last.” Allegiant, the third book in Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy, follows Tris Prior and Tobias Eaton […]
American literature
Mockingjay
“Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!” Part I: The Ashes Katniss Everdeen wakes up in the underground District 13, which was believed to […]
American literature
Catching Fire
“Remember, we’re madly in love, so it’s all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it.” — Peeta Mellark Part 1: The Victory Tour After winning the […]