
Teenage Wastelands: A Guide to Dystopian Young Adult Fiction
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Narrated by:
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Sherri L Smith
About this listen
Fiction geared toward young adults has been thriving over the past several decades. And while young adult (YA) fiction contains many genres and subgenres, dystopian fiction has become one of its definitive storytelling modes, producing not just best-selling books but also expanding into film, television, and more. What is it about dystopia that makes it so beloved by readers? Why has this dark and often cynical take on the future become a literary and publishing juggernaut? And what makes younger readers so particularly enamored of it?
In the six lectures of Teenage Wastelands: A Guide to Dystopian Young Adult Fiction, award-winning YA author Sherri L. Smith will show you why dystopian stories have become so successful and why they continue to inspire. As you trace the history of dystopian stories and dive into some of YA’s most influential tales of the future, you’ll see why these often dark and challenging works have such a hold on the imagination. From The Giver to The Hunger Games to Orleans, dystopian tales allow us to grapple with hard questions and consider how we want to live—both now and in the future.
While adult dystopian stories are often pessimistic, YA fiction offers something a little different: hope. Speculative fiction—of which dystopia is just one of many subgenres—allows readers to explore all sorts of “what if?” questions. For younger readers, there is perhaps no greater “what if” than the future itself and its many possibilities. While new genres and stories are always on the rise, competing with dystopia’s hold on the young adult imagination, you’ll find that the complex mixture of darkness and optimism that defines these tales continues to thrive as we seek answers to life’s great “what ifs.”
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Story
Dan has accidentally "Noclipped" into the Backrooms—a bizarro, extra-dimensional Alice-in-Wonderland world, overrun with horrific nightmare creatures known as the Dwellers. No one ever gets out. Hell, forget about leaving, if Dan wants to survive the week, he's going to need to harness the strange game-like magic of the Backrooms, make some very sketchy allies, and carve out a little safe haven to call his own.
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Real treasure
- By Nighteyes on 03-19-25
By: James Hunter
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Pink Noise
- By: Audible Sleep
- Narrated by: Audible Sleep
- Length: 12 hrs
- Original Recording
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Tune out the world with pink noise. Pink noise can promote relaxation and improve sleep quality and focus by blocking external noise, and this 12-hour track is designed to support long-term focus and sleep quality overnight.
By: Audible Sleep
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Just Add Water
- My Swimming Life
- By: Katie Ledecky
- Narrated by: Katie Ledecky
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. She is a three-time Olympian, a seven-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and a world record-holder in individual swimming events. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her—what makes her a champion? Now, for the first time, she shares what it takes to compete at an elite level.
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Fantastic Book!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-10-24
By: Katie Ledecky
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Once Upon a Crime
- By: Brynn Kelly
- Narrated by: Chase Brown, Rebekkah Ross
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
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Lana Fleming’s sister has vanished from the set of TV’s hottest show, and no one seems to care. Desperate for answers, Lana sneaks in as an extra, only to get stranded with Griffin Hart, an A-list action star with a reputation for good abs and bad decisions. Though Griffin didn’t expect to be cast as a librarian’s sidekick in a real-life thriller, he’s weirdly into it—and into her. Even more unsettling—she sees right through his playboy persona. But their meet-cute soon turns deadly when they uncover a Hollywood scandal for the ages.
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Never a dull moment
- By Christina Clark on 03-11-25
By: Brynn Kelly
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Sound Therapy: Emotional Stability (285.5 Hz)
- By: Audible Sleep
- Narrated by: Abi Horton
- Length: 24 mins
- Original Recording
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This meditation harnesses the healing properties of 285.5 Hertz, a frequency that promotes emotional stability. Known for its grounding effects, this tone helps to restore emotional balance and reduce feelings of anxiety or instability. By immersing yourself in these vibrations, you can find a sense of calm and resilience in your emotional journey.
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gave me anxiety attack... twice
- By Brandi on 01-22-25
By: Audible Sleep
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The Brontës: Romantic Passion and Social Justice
- By: Deborah Morse, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Deborah Morse
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Original Recording
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Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë created some of the greatest works of 19th-century English literature. How did these three young women, born into a humble parsonage on the isolated moors of Northern England, write such striking work? What influenced them? How did they get their stories out into the world? Why do their novels continue to grip readers to this day? These and other questions are what you will explore in The Brontës: Romantic Passion and Social Justice.
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Outstanding…
- By Jo C. on 08-29-21
By: Deborah Morse, and others
What listeners say about Teenage Wastelands: A Guide to Dystopian Young Adult Fiction
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- NMwritergal
- 03-13-25
Really interesting!
Worth a read—and it’s free. Some great info and audio narration by the author.
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- A_Power
- 03-15-25
A Guide, not a Course
This is a rather superficial, though occasionally interesting, discussion of its topic. I expect a more academic treatment from the Great Courses.
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- Anonymous User
- 03-16-25
Many ideas what to read next
Very cool analysis. I was constantly writing down book titles of what to read next.
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- Gilbert M. Stack
- 03-21-25
A Great Great Courses
You may not have noticed it, but dystopian literature directed at young people is all the rage these days. You seem to bump into another one every time you turn around. But these are not your father's dystopias and Sherri L. Smith explains why.
Adult dystopias are very dark and usually end in defeat for the protagonists. Think 1984 where our hero learns to love Big Brother. But for youths, dystopian literature often ends with hope, making it a more satisfying reading experience. Smith also convincingly argues that the other elements of dystopia all correspond to a teenager's desire to exercise some basic freedom. So, there are always significant societal controls and at least one rebellious person trying at first to make sense of it all and finally to bring the rules crashing down.
This was a very fun set of lectures which I thoroughly enjoyed.
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- Thomas D
- 03-13-25
A Captivating Look at Some of the Best of What Dystopian Has to Offer
This is an organized and systematic review of books many of us have read or will read growing up, why they are so influential, and what we can learn from them, both as readers and writers. The author draws from personal and professional experience both from a literary critique and a creative writing standpoint. It was a fascinating read from beginning to end and added a substantial number of works to my "to read" list.
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- hody
- 03-14-25
UMMM hello I am the teen
Hey author I AM the teen I don't have to imagine that I am the teen
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