The Tripods Trilogy

Long before The Hunger Games, Divergent by Veronica Roth, and even The Giver by Lois Lowry, there was The Tripods Trilogy. Written by British author John Christopher (1922-2012) during the middle 1960’s, the series was a gateway for children into science fiction. The titles in the series are: The White Mountains, City of Gold and Lead, and Pool of Fire.

In the series, Christopher depicts a world, low-tech and almost medieval in nature, suffering under the control of aliens who can only survive Earth's inimical atmosphere by moving around in deadly tripodal machines. In this world, children, at age 14, are fitted with a mind-controlling cap that keeps them, and all the adults, docile.  Weeks before he is to be capped, Will Parker and his cousin Luke secretly run away to join a band of uncapped people far off in the Alps. The book follows Will and a group of uncapped adolescents as they bravely confront the menace of the Tripods. In the end, the results they achieve are not entirely what they expected.

I do recommend this series to students who like the dystopian genre.  The writing is engaging, and the story has a depth not often found in newer titles. The only disappointing aspect of this series is the absence of strong female characters. It is all about boys coming to the rescue. There is no Katnis Everdeen at their side. Yet, I believe the quality of writing and the fast-paced adventure makes these worth reading.  

P.S. I hear this series is being made into a movie.