Speaker for the Dead uses some bizarre sci-fi concepts to explore important moral issues—hitting the nail on the head on some, but muddying the waters on others.

This fun fantasy novella offers an opportunity to reflect on identity and self-esteem.

This spinoff to The Handmaid’s Tale, set in the same tyrannical theocracy (the Republic of Gilead), alternates between the perspectives of three very different women. Aunt Lydia, the only character who’s in...

How would you handle the fear of loss and create a purpose if you lived fifteen times longer than everyone around you?

I discuss how dystopian novels can demonstrate the importance of individual rights, using Lois Lowry’s "The Giver" as my primary example.

Can you imagine a threat serious enough to justify (in anyone’s mind) training children in combat?

George Orwell’s iconic 1984 certainly contains some important insights, but its view of authoritarianism has a few notable flaws.

How would you go about learning everything about somebody else’s soul—without speaking with the person?

How can a fantasy series celebrate reason and science? The Memoirs of Lady Trent does it through the main character who is a dragon naturalist.

Is it possible to make an Edgar Allen Poe story both more rational and more creepy?

How important is language in your day-to-day life? Christina Dalcher’s answer: absolutely vital.

Imagine living your whole life in a world that’s black and white—and then getting a glimpse of color. This is what Jonas experiences in Lois Lowry’s young adult dystopian novel...