According to Suzanne Collins, the Greek story of Theseus and the Minotaur was an inspiration to her while writing The Hunger Games. The story from mythology imagines a society in which every few years, young people would need to be sacrificed to a mythical beast called a Minotaur. Click here to learn more about this tale from mythology! 

Suzanne Collins was also inspired to write The Hunger Games after reading about the Roman Gladiators, who were forced to fight to the death in the Colosseum. For these fighting men, wealth, status, and potentially their freedom were on the line if they were successful in the amphitheater.  Click here to find out more about this barbaric form of entertainment from the 3rd century B.C.E!

The Hunger Games has been one of the most popular dystopian novels among young people since its publication in 2008. Dystopian literature typically covers darker themes of humanity, and its thirst to survive during or after catastrophic events. Teenagers gravitate towards reading these kinds of novels because of the "what ifs" in a society. Click here to find out more about the appeal of dystopian literature!