Anthem by Ayn Rand explores individualism, freedom, and the role of the collective in society. The main character Equality 7-2521 is faced with the harsh decision between giving in to the great "We", thereby giving his life to the idea that everyone has a place in society, but you do not get a personal identity or abandoning everything he had ever been taught in the sake of learning about what it means to be a unique person.
Paul Atreides, heir to the house of Atreides, is a nobleman whose father was given leadership of the planet Arrakis. Arrakis is a very valuable planet due to its vast supply of melange, a spice that increases the lifespan of a human. It also creates an addiction, so people who are addicted to it are forced to continue to use it, otherwise they face a slow and painful death. Paul travels to Arrakis, but a betrayal from the Empire causes chaos, leaving Paul’s father dead and the House of Harkonnen, the previous leaders of the planet, in control.
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson is a thriller book that combines two timelines: World War II and the late 1990s. The book explores cryptography, war and the rise of digital currencies. During WWII, mathematicians and codebreakers like Lawrence Waterhouse and soldier Bobby Shaftoe worked to break Axis codes while maintaining the secrecy of their successes.
Katniss and Peeta have just won the 74th Hunger Games with the help of their mentor Haymitch and want to live peacefully. However, they have become targets of the Capital due to their suicide attempt during the games that sparked rebellion in some of the Districts. Despite their efforts, more and more uprisings occur. President Snow decides to have the next Hunger Game tributes be chosen from the current ring of victors. Now Peeta and Katniss are up against their fiercest competitors yet with so much more on the line.
They Both Die at the End is an emotional rollercoaster that explores life, death and the power of human connection. With its beautifully created characters and thought-provoking beliefs, this novel is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The story follows two teenagers, Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio who live in a world where people are notified on the day they will die. They both receive alerts on the same day.
A plane, brim full of passengers lands after a bout of turbulence, and everyone returns to their normal lives. A few months later, the exact same plane lands, with all the same people within it. How does this change the lives of the hundreds of people on board?
The Scorch Trials, the second book in the Maze Runner series, is about Thomas and the other Gladers trying to survive the second trial the people from WICKED set up. They have to face difficulties like sandstorms, starvation, and worst of all the crazy cranks. If the Gladers don’t make it to the end of the mountain in two weeks, they won’t get the cure they need.
The Giver by Lois Lowry is about a society with citizens who have no memories of its past. The main character, Jonas, is chosen to be the receiver of memory, which means he receives the memories that none of the other characters receive. The more memories he receives, the more he realizes how messed up his community is.
Interstellar is a 2014 science fiction film by renowned director Christopher Nolan. Set in the mid-21st century, the plot depicts a futuristic version of earth. It is not the extremely advanced technological world we imagine but a place of destruction. Governments and countries are falling apart, the environment has completely changed, and people are barely able to grow any food due to water shortages. Joseph Cooper, a former NASA test pilot, is the main character in this movie.
The book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a dystopian novel that follows the main characters Bernard, Lenina, and John. In this world, religion is replaced by drugs that are called soma and individuals worship Henry Ford. All individuals are placed into a caste system which creates a divided and judgmental society, with all individuals having predestined lives. The novel has lots of plot twists with scenarios that are very dystopian compared to our own world.
