I Was Hoping For “Utopian”

When I glanced over the topics for the quarter, I thought this week’s was about our favorite Utopian world. When the week started, I found that it was to be our favorite DYSTOPIAN world; big difference.

Over the years, several Foxes have commented on how they would really hate being the Friday Fox, because nearly everything on any topic would probably have been said by others. I have not found that to be the case, since we are all individuals with differing ideas and experiences. In a case like this week’s, I am glad to have had the extra time!

I generally have my posts ready beforehand, but I do edit if I feel that something I wished to cover had been discussed enough, or was referred to in more than one other post during the week. I don’t think that is going to be a problem because I rather avoid dystopia.

Maybe it’s because my own ‘society’ has been well, not necessarily dystopian, but sometimes dysfunctional enough that I like to see a good outcome. I root for the good guys and although I don’t want to read only hearts-and-flower stories, too much hardship is a real bummer to me.

I don’t go looking for suffering.

So while I was thinking, “OK, Tolkien” and how I’d love to move in to Rivendell because, after all, the Elves aren’t using it, still, I don’t want Mordor marching in. Nope, the Ring would have had to be destroyed already and no, I don’t want to picture myself along for that journey.

I heard “The Lottery” read online while I cleaned the kitchen some years ago, but I did not identify with the woman who left her dishes to go to the ‘celebration’. I found the story to be obvious and the great profundity it was supposed to represent was lost to me. [Do you know it? It’s the story of a small-town festival with bands, parades, balloons, the whole works. One by one, every name in the community is read. The joy of the festivities slowly turns solemn the until the last person left is stoned to death. NOT a fun read.]

“1984” is too close for comfort anymore.

The Husband, to my complete surprise, was curious enough to watch“The Hunger Games” movies, all of them. No, thanks; he saw them alone.

But I assume even those ended well. MS and YA books often do, which is why I like them, and I will have to mention again some of those, most of which I have either reviewed here or posted interviews with the authors.

Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson (the early series), Septimus Heap and others all had their worlds go upside-down, taken-over or nearly taken-over by The Bad Guys and the ‘ride’ was thrilling, but I knew the good guys would prevail.

The one series that stands out, however, are the “Chronicles of Egg”, written by a Geoff Rodkey, who was gracious enough to be a guest of mine here  in September of 2016.[Guest:Geoff Rodkey ] Geoff has written a great deal for movies and TV, plus he has a fun series out for kids, (“The Tapper Twins”, a kinder but just-as-funny of The Wimpy Kid books genre). However, my mind keeps wandering back to “Egg”.

The Chronicles are a trilogy, written for Middle School level, I found it profound. The good guys prevail, but their world is still far from perfect and there are many unknowns facing them. My grandson, who is now in High School, will still occasionally comment how he wishes that we could find out about Egg and his friends when they are grown; they became that real to us.

The world Egg was born into was gruesome, ruled by his hate-filled, tyrannical father and his equally horrific siblings. They live on a sweltering island where his father has an ugly fruit plantation, manned by broken-down pirates. Egg is motherless and neglected, but just as often abused; books are his only solace. I almost didn’t read past the beginning, but I am glad that I did because Egg and his world became quite compelling. I think boys would be more apt to take to this story at the beginning, but it is a great adventure which some girls would miss out on if their sensibilities are delicate.

Soon into the on-going story, Egg’s world is broadened to introduce more horrors from a corrupt governor and uncaring wealthy, frightful pirates and natives who believe in human sacrifice: in other words, his world is truly ‘dystopian”.

During his many misadventures, Egg does find a few good souls and friends, although some are false and use him for their own motives. (Geoff Rodkey really keeps you guessing throughout the trilogy.)
So, there we go, my favorite dystopian world was written by the man best known for writing family comedy, (“Daddy Day Care”, “The RV”, and “Good Luck Charlie”).

I wish I could read more of Egg and his friends’ lives.

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