Cult US teen author Veronica Roth has come a long way in only a few
years. And it seems her next step — at least, in a literary sense — will
be into space. The 26-year-old published her debut novel "Divergent" in
2011, launching a dystopian trilogy that has been turned into a
blockbuster movie franchise — the stuff of dreams for any young writer.
PHOTO | FILE
LOS ANGELES
Cult
US teen author Veronica Roth has come a long way in only a few years.
And it seems her next step — at least, in a literary sense — will be
into space.
The 26-year-old published
her debut novel "Divergent" in 2011, launching a dystopian trilogy that
has been turned into a blockbuster movie franchise — the stuff of
dreams for any young writer.
"Insurgent"
— the second installments in the series that hits theatres in the
United States this week — will be followed in 2016 and 2017 by two
movies made from "Allegiant," the final book in the trilogy.
"My
whole life, I've wanted to be a writer and write books, and maybe I
thought someday I'll get a book published, and that was kind of as far
as my dreams went," she told AFP in an interview.
"The
movie stuff ... I didn't even really think about, it's been really
exciting and gratifying to see it come to life," added the author, who
has had to get used to being the idol of masses of teenage fans.
HUNGER GAMES PARALLEL
Roth — who welcomes comparisons between "Divergent" and similarly dystopian young adult fiction-to-film blockbuster franchise "The Hunger Games" — is in the middle of the media circus surrounding the Friday release of "Insurgent."
The
story follows the fearless Tris, played by Shailene Woodley, who in the
first movie learned that she was "divergent" - not fitting into any of
the five factions into which post-apocalyptic Chicago has been divided.
Those
groupings are Dauntless (the brave), Erudite (the clever), Amity (the
peaceful), Abnegation (the selfless) and Candor (the honest). There are
also the Factionless — those not welcome in any faction.
In
"Insurgent," Tris — helped by her love interest Four (played by
Britain's Theo James) — must confront her inner demons as she fights the
evil Jeanine (Kate Winslet), determined to wipe out the divergents.
The parallels with "The Hunger Games"
franchise are many: a strong central female character, a dystopian
future setting divided into groups ruled by an evil central figure, a
hunky love interest and quirky sidekicks.
The first "Hunger Games" book was published in 2008, three years before "Divergent."
Some might suggest Roth is following a formula, but she is far from offended by the comparisons.
"I love 'The Hunger Games,' books and movies," she said.
"The
best part about it was that those books created a space in the market
for stories like mine ... I feel very fortunate that I wrote that story
when that space was here."
But she added: "It's a tough comparison, because I have a lot of admiration for those books. So it's a lot to live up to."
HARRY POTTER GEEK
Roth
is also crazy about the world of "Harry Potter," going so far as to
call herself a nerd fan of the boy wizard created by British author J.K.
Rowling.
"I think a nerd is just
someone who really loves something or a lot of things... I've always
been a big Harry Potter geek and always loved reading, which of course
will get you labelled as a nerd sometimes."
Roth also describes herself as a feminist, but says she doesn't portray women as ideal.
"Certainly
they're not perfect ... I like to write about women and to render them
as carefully and thoughtfully as possible," she said.
As
the "Insurgent" launch rolls on, and the "Allegiant" one gears up for
the coming years, the young writer is already working on her post
"Divergent" world — her next work.
"It's
set in space... Star Wars-esque, like a space opera. It's about a boy
who teams up with someone who's supposed to be his enemy, to achieve
their very different objectives of revenge and redemption," Roth said.
She is planning two books, and is hoping for publication in 2017.
"But it depends on how quickly I work and how well it goes," she said.
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