#v. arrow

[quotesfromall]

There are female miners in district 12, such as Bristel, but even from what little detail Katniss gives us about the miners, the numbers are overwhelmingly male (Gale, Thom, Mr.Everdeen, Mr.Hawthorne are all male miners, whereas Bristel is the only female miner mentioned). That automatically limits the ability of Seam families to provide for themselves economically to the same level as Merchant families such as the Mellarks or Cartwrights, in which both heads of house can earn equal salary. It also ensures that in the case of a mining accident, the Seam families are certain to be beholders to the state for tesserae grain/oil to survive.

V. Arrow, The Panem Companion

[annejamison]

Great review that also acknowledges some of Fic's wonderful essayists including heidi8 and aimmyarrowshigh and, later on, gives a big shoutout to the OTW.

There’s also a ridiculous amount of talent contributing to Fic, and author Jamison made an apt decision by including recognizable names in both Geekdom (such as Amber Benson of Buffy and Brad Bell of Husbands) as well as celebrities of the fanfic world [including Jen Zern (a.k.a. NautiBitz), Heidi Tandy (a.k.a. Heidi8), and others]. There are also a number of Smart Pop MVPs in the line up, as well, including V. Arrow, the talented individual behind another absolutely amazing Smart Pop book, The Panem Companion: An Unofficial Guide to Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games. (Read my review of the gem here.)

[litrant]

Prepare for battle

The Panem Companion: An Unofficial Guide to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, from Mellark Bakery to Mockingjays by V. Arrow (Smart Pop, $14.95)

There are plenty of "guides" to the Hunger Games series available, but this one is particularly good for two reasons. First, Arrow seems to take world-building seriously and assumes an inner consistency beyond what even Suzanne Collins did as author. 

Second, there's some speculation--aided by argument and simplified genealogy--that invites the casual reader into heavy duty fan-action where the parentage of Prim Everdeen is concerned.

In fact, Arrow's pretty much convinced me.

The directory of place- and people-names may be more useful for those who are planning their own fanfiction--which is, I imagine, a very common thing, though I haven't yet looked for any. What makes this guide more useful than the far more official, slick and photo-filled guides available is that Arrow takes some time to think carefully about geography, politics and human relationships--the heart of world-building--and, I think, improves on the material Collins has provided for her readers.

[smartpopbooks]

[gloryandus]

[Cinna's] artful use of that imagery to bend others ideologically to his will can also be read as deeply manipulative. The result of that manipulation was undeniably positive - an end to the Capitol's reign, and a chance for a free Panem to do better by its citizens - but that does not change the fact that, because of it, we cannot view Cinna purely as an artist (or at least not one whose primary motivation is create art!). This duality is also reflected in the probable origins of Cinna's name. As with many other names in the Hunger Games, "Cinna" has a direct connection to the story of Caesar. Historically, there were two Cinnas of note involved in Caesar's death: Cinna the Conspirator, and Cinna the Poet. […] So Cinna shares his name with one of history's most infamous conspirators … and also the innocent man who was killed in his place.

V. Arrow, The Panem Companion

[gloryandus]

Even while fighting the Capitol's system, the rebels still rely on Finnick's heartthrob status and Gale's "camera-ready" face to sell their message, proving that the importance of entertainment media in Panem culture rivals our own. They trust that a celebrity endorsement from Finnick Odair, or a cute boy on a television commercial, will sell the ideals of the rebellion better than unadulterated footage of a hospital bombing, and Suzanne Collins demonstrates that masterfully. The rebels don't resign themselves to using the Capitol's technique of entertainment as social control; they revel in it.

V. Arrow, The Panem Companion

[ashalee]

[welcome-to-district-12]

LAST DAY TO ENTER TO WIN THIS AWESOME BOOK!!!