Dystopian themes in works like “The Hunger Games,” “Divergent” and “The Maze Runner” portray dark, dehumanizing and terrifying possibilities for the future of humanity.

In an upcoming lecture, Georgia Perimeter College professors Hank Eidson and Dr. Eric Morton will explore why these dystopian worlds have become a major part of our popular culture over the past few years. They’ll also delve into why the idea of a dystopian future continues to strongly fascinate audiences today.

Georgia Perimeter’s Sarah Larson Lecture Series will host the “Dystopian Futures Now: Anxiety in an Age of Uncertainty” event on Thursday, April 9, from 1 to 2:15 p.m. on the college’s Dunwoody Campus.

Eidson is an associate professor of English at GPC, where he has taught for more than 20 years. He completed his master’s at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and continued his English studies in the doctoral program at Georgia State University. Due to the overwhelming popularity of young adult novels focused on dystopian futures, Eidson has been examining how these examples of popular culture can shape the expectations and thoughts of readers and viewers who watch and read the genre.

Morton is a GPC assistant professor of philosophy. He completed his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University and joined the Georgia Perimeter faculty in 2010. Morton’s research focuses on naturalistic, anti-foundationalist epistemological approaches, as well as select figures from the history of philosophy connected with dystopian futures.

The lecture is free and open to the public in the GPC-Dunwoody auditorium, 2101 Womack Road, NC building, room 1100.

For additional information, contact Megan Levacy, at megan.levacy@gpc.edu or 770-274-5583.