
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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Ever thought about all the incredible stories hiding in your favorite tracks? Chasing the Sound is the new Audible series from writer, actor and prolific question-asker Kirk Flash, who’s taking listeners all around the globe on a mission to uncover the secrets, misconceptions, and debates buried in some of the world's most iconic music genres.
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Kirk Flash does it again!
- By jazz charton on 04-03-25
By: Kirk Flash
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Brand Yourself for Success
- By: Octavia Goredema, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Octavia Goredema
- Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
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Your career is one of the most important investments you’ll ever make. But how can you communicate your value and make it stand out in an increasingly fast-paced, competitive, and media-driven business world? According to career coach and author Octavia Goredema, the key to accomplishing your professional goals is to create a consistent and compelling personal brand that highlights your skills, accomplishments, and personality. And that is just what she will teach you to do in the five lessons of Brand Yourself for Success.
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Level Up Yourself
- By A. Mac on 04-03-25
By: Octavia Goredema, and others
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Star Wars: Light of the Jedi
- The High Republic
- By: Charles Soule
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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It is a golden age. Intrepid hyperspace scouts expand the reach of the Republic to the furthest stars, worlds flourish under the benevolent leadership of the Senate, and peace reigns, enforced by the wisdom and strength of the renowned order of Force users known as the Jedi. With the Jedi at the height of their power, the free citizens of the galaxy are confident in their ability to weather any storm But the even brightest light can cast a shadow, and some storms defy any preparation.
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Slow and Boring
- By Jessie on 01-06-21
By: Charles Soule
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Pink Noise
- By: Audible Sleep
- Narrated by: Audible Sleep
- Length: 12 hrs
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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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The Pearl and the Onion
- By: Brittany K. Allen
- Narrated by: Anna Chlumsky, Jasmine Cephas-Jones
- Length: 3 hrs and 43 mins
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When our story begins, Julia Child is an eager but inexperienced codebreaker longing to prove herself in the male-dominated world of intelligence, and Josephine Baker is, well, Josephine Baker—a world-famous entertainer who is now leading a double life as a spy for the French Resistance. When a golden opportunity arises to infiltrate a high-stakes Nazi gala in Vichy France, Julia must put aside her by-the-book mentality to assist her unorthodox new partner.
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Who said opposites don’t attract?
- By Becky S Herrup on 04-15-25
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Mel & Sue: Should Know By Now
- By: Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins
- Narrated by: Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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We all have things in our life that we should know by now, but don’t. Absences in our knowledge and skillset that are frankly shameful in an adult. Things that would be too embarrassing to ask anyone to explain – except our very best friend. Listen in as Mel and Sue tackle their ignorance head on, asking each other to explain something that they still don’t know - but absolutely, as adults, should - from how to parallel park to fully understanding bread (why has it got all those holes in it? What, honestly, is yeast?).
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Mel and Sue are Hysterical
- By Lisa on 04-12-25
By: Mel Giedroyc, 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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- SamH
- 04-10-25
What & Why
All too often I see books that are called "dystopian," and most of those indeed have some of the elements. This set of lectures explains in very clear terms what the term means, especially in young adult literature AND why it is so popular, namely that it strips away the irrelevant and focuses on threats, hopes, and dreams.
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My only complaint is that I wish that a list of titles mentioned was available separately.
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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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- APLMom
- 03-27-25
Really enjoyed this
This was a great quick analysis of YA dystopian fiction books. I really enjoyed it and now want to read a couple of the books mentioned in here that I haven’t read
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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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- 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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- 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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