A crime story dealing with powerlessness, alienation, and insanity. A young woman returns to her hometown to look for her father, who has disappeared. She, her lover, and her best friend go to her father’s island, where she follows some clues and concludes that her father has gone mad but must still be alive. Over […]

Stacey and Laney are twins, but couldn’t be any more different. While Stacey hates breaking rules, Laney regularly skips schools to hang out with her boyfriend. So noone is immediately concerned when Laney goes missing,except for her twin. Stacey is convinced something is seriously wrong and is plagued by terrifying dreams of Laney. Can she […]

When everyone in London goes to sleep, the animals come out to play. And although London’s animals do not usually get along, they gather for a celebration of peace and harmony once a year. But when a discussion begins about what the most beautiful place in London is, things get a little tense… This bilingual […]

This novella tells the tragic story of a 14-year-old’s death and the impact gang violence has not only on those directly affected, but their loved ones as well. When Jerome is found stabbed and left bleeding on the street, his mother needs answers. But can the hard truth give her the closure she’s looking for? […]

This short story with its dystopian notion deals with blatant racism and the resulting splitting of society. The society described from the view of Emmanuel, a young black man, is a highly racist one leading to constant monitoring of behaviour. Emmanuel talks about how he changes according to how black he wants to seem depicting […]

This dystopian short story deals with the definition of justice, justification of killing, killing as entertainment, racial profiling, and also hints at the effect watching acts of violence might have on children. Isaiah works as an actor in an entertainment park where people can buy experiences of committing acts of violence firsthand including gunshots. All […]

This short story describes the destructive effect of consumerism on a human level. To this end, the shopping frenzy is brought to absurd perversion. The story is written from the perspective of a salesman working his shift on Black Friday. Especially on this occasion, shopping has become an endeavour of life and death. People turn […]

This humorous story of two fox cubs is the perfect introduction to graphic novels for younger readers. Nancy and Ted, two young foxes, have always lived in the Big City. However, they are driven away by the terrifying street cat Princess Buttons. They seek refuge in the countryside, but Grimwood isn’t as peaceful and quaint […]

Set in the 19th century, this novel tells the story of two slaves, Cora and Caesar, forced into labour on a plantation in Georgia. Desperate to escape their inhumane living conditions, they follow the Underground Railroad, a railroad transport system complete with secret routes and safe houses. They are hunted by a slave catcher, Ridgeway, […]

The musical drama West Side Story is the recent film adaptation of the stage musical by the same name. Set in 1957, the film tells the story of territorial and personal conflict between two gangs in Manhattan’s West Side. Prior to a planned ‘rumble’ between the Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks, Tony and Maria meet […]

This film is a classic in the dystopian science fiction genre. Gattaca presents a world driven by eugenics, in which children are genetically selected and modified during pregnancy. This leads to a society full of genetic discrimination where individuals are hired or disqualified for certain jobs solely due to their genetic makeup. The main character […]

Based on a short story, this award-winning comedy tells the story of an unusual friendship. Victor and Thomas both live in the Coeur D’Alene Reservation in Idaho and have known each other their whole lives. Thomas was saved from a burning house by Victor’s father, Arnold, as a baby. Victor on the other hand mainly […]

This Postmodern utopian/dystopian novel is about artificial intelligence, religion, genetic engineering, and coping with death and guilt.Klara is an Artificial Friend sold to the sickly girl to help her cope with the loneliness and help with her daily challenges. Klara narrates the story and has a remarkable observational capability particularly noticing the little things. Because […]

A dystopian novel on the difference between freedom and security, surveillance, brain-altering surgery, and the power of mind and imagination. In the near future, the rust belt states are reigned by anarchy. Most people have lost their jobs and homes, the streets are not safe and there is a constant threat of being mugged, raped, […]

The dystopian sequel of The Handmaid’s Tale explores the experiences of three more characters regarding Gilead and its regime. It includes the accounts of Aunt Lydia and the two daughters of the narrating handmaid of the first book. It explains the views of someone who happened to be witness to the government takeover and is […]

This painting has become on of the most famous symbols of Romanticism. The wanderer is the embodiment of the traveler from Romantic poetry looking for nature and the sublime. The Rückenfigur as a typical Romanitic picture motif represents the yearning for a unitiy of man and nature in contrast to industrialised cities and growing poverty. […]

This modern short story focuses on Benjamin Button, who is born looking like a 70-year-old and aging backward. His condition is not immediately diagnosed and it takes 5 years until he engages in adult activities. When he is 20 years of age, he marries Hildegarde and has a son with her. However, while she ages […]

This Victorian Bildungsroman is about Victorian society and values ranging from accounts about upper-middle to lower class. The novel follows protagonist David Copperfield through his life and especially highlights the social issues of Victorian times. David is orphaned being quite young, visits a boarding school, and is handed from guardian to guardian. He encounters middle-class […]