Episode 152: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Okay, so we have discussed Suzanne Collins before, but quick recap, because I still find it fascinating that she worked as a writer for children's TV shows before she was writing books, including Clarissa Explains It All.

little bear and the mystery files of Shelby Woo.

Did you ever watch that one? No, but I remember it.

I was like, it definitely rings a bell, but I didn't watch it.

And like, I've been watching little, little bear recently.

So it's like, I know.

I remember you

saying that and I couldn't believe it's still on TV.

So she had another best-selling fantasy series before Hunger Games called The Underland Chronicles.

And it's like five books.

And it seems like it's kind of a fantasy that takes place like hundreds of years ago instead of like dystopian.

Okay.

And then she started The Hunger Games in 2008.

So she's a world builder in her books, obviously.

Yeah, definitely is.

And after the original trilogy of Hunger Games books, Collins wrote two prequels and Ballad of Songbirds and Stakes is one of them.

This was published in May 2020.

So 12 years after the original Hunger Games.

And it takes place 64 years before the first Hunger Games book picks up.

Wow, I didn't realize there was that much of a gap

between the books.

Because the success of The Hunger Games, and then she's like, why the fuck

not?

Truly, truly.

It was adapted into a movie, which was released in 2023.