Unlock the Secrets of Gen X: 13 Books That Define a Generation Like Never Before
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Octavia Butler was a trailblazer—a Black woman science fiction writer in a time when that was a rarity. Kindred explores America’s history of slavery by way of a gripping science fiction narrative, as protagonist Dana travels in time between her life in 1976 and a plantation in Maryland in 1815. During her lifetime, Butler won the Hugo, Locus, and Nebula Awards, and her influence on successive generations of Black writers—including Gen Xers like N.K. Jemison and Nnedi Okorafor—would be hard to exaggerate. Kindred is the novel that first brought Butler to attention beyond the science fiction world.
The Shining (1977) // Stephen King
“Here’s Johnny!” The film adaptation of Stephen King’s masterpiece of horror, with its unforgettable performance by Jack Nicholson, has become so well known that choice quotes have found their way into all corners of pop culture. The Shining was King’s third novel, after Carrie and ’Salem’s Lot, and was arguably responsible for cementing his reputation as one of the finest crafters of scary tales. The book’s main protagonist, struggling writer and recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance, was based on the author himself—and the setting by King’s own stay in a near-deserted hotel. The Shining thrilled and traumatized countless Gen Xers: As one of them wrote on a Reddit post discussing the film adaptation, “We all experienced Stephen King too young, that’s why we are how we are.”
Dune (1965) // Frank Herbert
Put aside the renewed interested generated by Dune’s recent two-part blockbuster adaptation—in the year of its original publication, the book won both the Hugo Award (jointly with Roger Zelazny’s This Immortal) and the Nebula Award, and garnered critical praise of the highest order: None other than Arthur C. Clarke declared Dune as equal in value to Lord of the Rings. The novel’s success lies in its intricate and highly detailed universe and its fascinating systems of religion, philosophy, and politics (though in the years since, Herbert’s personal and distasteful homophobia has been brought out into the open). The author penned five sequels, and, following his death, his son Brian Herbert collaborated with writer Kevin J. Anderson additional books in the series. At Nerdist, writer Lindsey Romain outlines some of the Gen X-made movies and TV shows that reference Dune, including Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park and Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (1970) // Judy Blume
American author Judy Blume stands as one of the most influential and accomplished authors of children’s and young adult fiction—a writer capable of crafting memorable stories with which their target audience readily identifies, free of any hint of patronization. Her works paved the way for the young adult genre to flourish, and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret remains arguably her best loved. The story follows sixth-grader Margaret Simon as she confronts anxieties common to every early-adolescent girl. Blume writes with humor and empathy, and her refreshing frankness showed the world that children’s fiction doesn’t need to shy away from confronting traditionally taboo issues, not least the challenges and changes faced during female adolescence.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret revolutionized the concept of what was possible or acceptable in young adult fiction, and is still helping its original Gen X readers navigate the world today: In a piece at the Huffington Post, Zoe Zalbrod wrote that “When I talked to Gen X women about their first encounters with Judy Blume, they noted striking parallels between puberty and where we find ourselves now, approaching or past menopause.” One of the women she interviewed told her, “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret helped us talk about menstruation. … now that we’re going through menopause, we are the people saying, this, too, is part of sexual health.”
Other Books Gen X Was Obsessed With That You Might Enjoy
- Bright Lights, Big City
- American Psycho
- Girl, Interrupted
- Where the Sidewalk Ends
- Choose Your Own Adventure Series
- Prozac Nation
- Bonfire of the Vanities
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
- The Bluest Eye
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