In 2008, Suzanne Collins published the book The Hunger Games. In a time where YA dystopian fiction was gaining traction, The Hunger Games quickly established its place in literature. The book was such a success, Collins released a second and third book to the series, Catching Fire (2009), and Mockingjay (2010). The trilogy follows a teenage girl in a world controlled by the almighty “Capitol” in which every year, children fight to the death in an extravagant arena. 24 children, a boy and a girl from each district are randomly selected to fight in what is called “The Hunger Games”. The first book tells the story of Katniss and Peeta’s fight and ultimate victory in the games. Catching Fire continues the story in which the pair are forced to compete again. The final book of the trilogy, Mockingjay, culminates in the district rebellion and takedown against the capitol with Katniss being the face and voice.
The books’ popularity garnered such praise they were adapted into a set of 4 films, each book having their respective movie with Mockingjay being the exception, in that it was split into two films. These films, released in 2012-2015, were immensely popular again with the influx of YA dystopian fiction with other titles like The Maze Runner series and The Divergent series. I was in late middle school and early high school when I first read the trilogy and watched the films. I have never been an avid reader, but Collins’ writing and storytelling was so captivating that I quickly got lost in the world of Panem. I was too young to engage in the books during their initial releases, yet when I did eventually read the books, the community of fans was still flourishing.
It has been 17 years since the first Hunger Games novel was published and 13 years since the first film was released. Seventeen years later and this series is still on fire. In 2020, Suzanne Collins gifted the world with the release of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; a prequel telling the story of Capitol President Snow. Its film adaptation was released three years later. In March of this year, Sunrise on the Reaping, another prequel, hit bookshelves worldwide. This book tells the story of a young Haymitch Abernathy, a main character in the original trilogy. The franchise has gained a new life in welcoming back original fans and inviting new fans.
Now more than ever, Hunger Games fans are captivated not only by Collins’ storytelling but by the stories’ cultural and political relevance. The Hunger Games universe is set in a country called Panem. Panem is split into 12 districts which each feed their resources into the rich heart of the country, the Capitol. Throughout the series, Collins notes Panem’s old title of “North America”, alerting the reader that this fictional world may not be so fictional in the distant (or not so distant) future. Some attentive fans noted the intentionality of when Collins released these prequels. Collins included a page of quotes in both The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping. The quotes in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes capture themes of power and the necessity of control. Sunrise on the Reaping’s quotes emphasise themes of propaganda and twisted truths. The quotes and themes are relevant to the stories outlined in their respective books. Readers have connected these themed quotes to the cultural and political climate in the real world during the times of each release. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ release was during an election year for the United States. Sunrise on the Reaping’s release this year falls at a time where AI is running rampant in which lies are disguised as truths. It is also a time in which many individuals in our nation are questioning the values and actions of our political figures.
A few weeks after finishing Sunrise on the Reaping and beginning to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (oops I’m a few years late), I opened my phone to a notification of a New York Times headline reading: A Reality Show Where Immigrants Compete for U.S. Citizenship? D.H.S. Is Considering It. As I read the headline, music from The Hunger Games film began playing in my head. The article explained that the Department of Homeland Security is seriously considering being a part of a reality show in which illegal immigrants compete in a series of challenges to gain US citizenship. CNN and Time Magazine published similar articles reporting the same information. Assistant Secretary to The Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, has since put out a statement that there has been no backing of this proposed show nor has this proposal reached the Secretary, Kristi Noem. Regardless of the validity of these claims, does this show seem that far fetched for our culture? Is it that far from the realm of possibility? I was shocked and horrified by these headlines, and I could also envision this show claiming the “#1 TV Show in the U.S. Today” on Netflix. People may object, yet some would watch. All is fair for the sake of entertainment right? Maybe not entertainment. What about, all is fair for the sake of money? Not money? One more: all is fair for the sake of power and control. The necessity of power and control: this is what is being aggressively affirmed in our political climate today and is what is mirrored in Collins’ timely prequel novels.
Hunger Games fans, once young teens, are now grown adults who are still engaging in the series. Readers’ maturity has lent itself to Collins as her writing has fostered deeper insight and conversation as well as grittier details than her prior writing. Fans noted the intensified descriptions of violence in Sunrise on the Reaping compared to the original trilogy as well as the explicit use of the word “rape”, when before it was just implied. Original Hunger Games fans are no longer adolescents, they are adults engaging in and are a part of the political climate. North America as we know it may not be Panem today, but Collins’ series provides dynamic and relevant commentary for the world we may be living in tomorrow.
Links
New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/us/politics/homeland-security-immigration-reality-show.html
Department of Homeland Security Statment: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/05/16/fake-news-friday-dhs-torches-latest-media-hoax