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cover of episode The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins was inspired by Greek myths and reality TV

The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins was inspired by Greek myths and reality TV

2025/3/18
logo of podcast NPR's Book of the Day

NPR's Book of the Day
AI Chapters Transcript
Chapters
This chapter explores Suzanne Collins' inspirations for The Hunger Games, including Greek mythology, reality TV, and historical films.
  • The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian future where children fight to the death on TV.
  • Suzanne Collins was inspired by the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.
  • Channel surfing between war coverage and reality shows sparked the idea for The Hunger Games.
  • Collins drew inspiration from the film Spartacus and its themes of rebellion.

Shownotes Transcript

The first book in the The Hunger Games series was published more than a decade ago, ultimately launching a hugely popular film franchise, iconic characters and a devoted fan base of readers. This week, Suzanne Collins is out with Sunrise on the Reaping, the second prequel in the series. So we're revisiting a rare interview with Collins from early in her career. In today's episode, she speaks with NPR's Lynn Neary about drawing inspiration from the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, the movie Spartacus, reality television and war coverage.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)