Gene Healy on the Popularity of Dystopian Visions

At the top of the box office for the third week in a row, The Hunger Games, based on Suzanne Collins' bestselling post-apocalyptic novel, is the biggest hit Hollywood's had in some time. That's no accident: In troubled times, Americans go for dystopian diversions. While the book has good narrative drive, Gene Healy prefers dystopian visions that are more absurd and that have some connection to present-day trends. That's why he looks to the Transportation Security Administration as the leading indicator of the future of government stupidity.