Why this fascination for depressing stories lately? [View all]
The two that come first to mind are "The Hunger Games" and "The Road". I haven't read either, but by the sound of it from those that have, they are supremely depressing. I don't read stories to get depressed, no matter how engaging the story. I can do that quite handily on my own, thank you very much 
As I recall, I never finished reading 1984 for this very same reason. All this hopeless, dystopian future isn't all that engaging to me. If anything, it turns me off faster than a Quentin Tarantino film. I have nothing against some post-apocalyptic society. But if there's no hope to look forward to, what's the point in continuing to read it (or go see the movies)?
For example, one of my favorites is Ghost in the Shell. It's kind of inferred that there was a third World War, and the Americans came out on top. They became an empire, which does seem plausible with the way we run our own affairs. Things are in disarray, but they're getting better, too. The world recovered or is in the process of recovering. The technology is advanced and helping in that recovery. There's plenty to look forward to in that world, despite its problems. And, best of all, it's not depressing!
So, why are these kinds of stories so popular now? What are people missing in their lives that makes them "hunger" for depressing stories?
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