The Hunger Games series, explained

Note: This post was originally published on Audible.com.

The Hunger Games is the series that really brought young adult dystopian fiction into the forefront of popular culture. The novels—a trilogy and a prequel, written by Suzanne Collins—are set in the fictional country of Panem. To keep its citizens in line, the Capitol of Panem forces each of the nation's 12 districts to participate in the annual Hunger Games. In this fierce competition, young representatives from each district are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.

Since its initial publication in 2008, the series has only grown in popularity, proving itself a mainstay among listeners young and old. Now, buzz for the Hunger Games has been renewed yet again with the highly anticipated release of Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel set 24 years prior to that monumental first book. Sunrise explores the origins of fan-favorite character Haymitch Abernathy, homing in on his experiences as a tribute in the 50th annual Hunger Games. While you wait for March 18, brush up on everything we know so far about Sunrise on the Reaping and revisit the details of the unforgettable story that started it all.

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Hunger Games series.

What inspired The Hunger Games?

The Hunger Games series was inspired by the Greek myth of "Theseus and the Minotaur." In this story, King Minos of Crete punishes Athens for the death of a son by demanding a sacrifice of 14 youths—seven girls and seven boys—to be brought to the Minotaur. Theseus volunteers as tribute and slays the beast. In The Hunger Games, the novel that started it all, Katniss Everdeen from the 12th District volunteers as tribute to save her sister from being sacrificed. Over the course of the series, she ends up fighting against the Capitol to free the people of Panem.

Where is The Hunger Games series set?

The series is set in the nation of Panem, which is divided into 12 districts, each specializing in a different trade. District 1 is closest to the Capitol, and as the districts get further away from the Capitol, they become less favored by Capitol officials and more impoverished. District 1 is the wealthiest of the districts of Panem, and it specializes in luxury. District 2 is in charge of masonry and defense. District 3 specializes in technology and electronics. District 4 is the coastal district and specializes in fishing. District 5 specializes in electrical power. District 6 specializes in transportation. District 7 specializes in lumber. District 8: textiles. District 9: grain. District 10: livestock. District 11: agriculture. District 12, which Katniss Everdeen calls home, is the least favored and poorest of them all; it specializes in coal mining. There once was an even unluckier district that specialized in nuclear weaponry. District 13 was bombed and supposedly destroyed at the end of the Dark Days war. However, as Katniss later discovers, the people of District 13 have been hiding, planning rebellion.

Rue: Rue is the female tribute from District 11 and the youngest tribute in the 74th Hunger Games. After she takes care of Katniss following a tracker jacker attack, they become allies in the game. Rue is eventually killed by Marvel and finishes 7th in the 74th Hunger Games. As she dies, Rue asks Katniss to sing to her.
Johanna Mason: Johanna Mason is from District 7 and is the winner of the 71st Hunger Games. She is called upon once again to compete in the 75th Hunger Games—the third Quarter Quell—and teams up with Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick. Johanna is rebellious, bold, and unafraid to show the Capitol just how much she disagrees with them. She also proves to be a vicious killer in the games.
Finnick Odair: Finnick is the male tribute from District 4 in the third Quarter Quell. He won the 65th Hunger Games when he was 14 years old. A Career tribute, he is popular among those in the Capitol for his good looks and fierce skills. At first, Katniss doesn't want to team up with Finnick in the 75th Hunger Games because he seems arrogant and superficial. But after Finnick saves Peeta, she feels indebted to him.
Annie Cresta: Annie is from District 4 and won the 70th Hunger Games. When the arena became flooded, she survived because she was the best swimmer. After witnessing the male tribute from her district be decapitated, Annie became mentally unstable. When Annie is chosen for the third Quarter Quell, Mags volunteers as tribute to take her place. Annie marries Finnick in Mockingjay.
Lucy Gray Baird: Lucy Gray is a major character in Hunger Games prequel A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Though she is designated as a tribute from District 12 in the 10th Hunger Games, she doesn’t identify as a citizen of 12 but instead as a member of The Covey, a nomadic people in Panem who are known for their creative abilities. Before the reaping, Lucy Gray made a living singing and playing guitar with other members of The Covey.
Maysilee Donner: While we'll have to wait to learn more about Maysilee in the forthcoming Sunrise on the Reaping, here's what we know so far: She is a District 12 tribute in the 50th Hunger Games, and she places fifth out of 48 in the Games.

Effie Trinket: Effie Trinket was born in the Capitol and is the chaperone assigned to oversee the District 12 tributes—Katniss and Peeta—in the 74th and 75th Hunger Games. Effie likes to wear wigs and colorful clothing, as she cares very much about appearances. Protocol and decorum are also of the utmost importance to Effie, and she is always punctual. She's not the most intelligent person, however, and she often makes mistakes about simple facts.
Cinna: Cinna is Katniss's stylist during The Hunger Games, and he is responsible for creating her public image. Most notably, he creates a dress for Katniss that ignites synthetic fire when she spins around, nicknaming her the "Girl on Fire." In Catching Fire, Cinna creates a dress for Katniss that turns into a symbol of the rebellion when she spins around, which provokes his death by torture at the hands of Capitol officials.
Caesar Flickerman: Caesar Flickerman has served as the master of ceremonies for The Hunger Games since the 50th Hunger Games. He also interviews each tribute the night before the games for a live television audience.
Cressida: Cressida is a film director who flees the Capitol to move to District 13 and join the rebellion. She films much of the rebellion and the destruction caused by the war.
Castor and Pollux: Castor and Pollux are brothers who work as Cressida's camera crew and eventually assist her in filming the rebellion. Pollux is a former Avox who escaped from the Capitol. Avoxes have had their tongues taken out, so Castor often translates for Pollux.
Alma Coin: Alma Coin is president of District 13 and a leader in the rebellion against the Capitol. She is also very corrupt and makes it clear that she despises Katniss. After taking over the Capitol, President Coin becomes the "interim" president of Panem. She proposes a final Hunger Games with the Capitol children as tributes and puts it to a vote. But before anything can be done, Katniss kills her.
Boggs: Boggs is President Coin's right-hand man. When they first meet, Katniss distrusts him. But over time, Katniss comes to see him differently and learns to trust him. Boggs briefly serves as Katniss's bodyguard. He is killed in a terrible accident, when he steps on a land mine on a Capitol street.

The Hunger Games: Special Edition

In the first book in The Hunger Games trilogy, 16-year-old Katniss volunteers as tribute in the 74th Hunger Games to protect her sister Primrose from having to compete and likely die. She plays alongside the male tribute from her district, Peeta Mellark. As they compete in the game, they weave the narrative that Peeta is in love with Katniss in order to get support from the competition's sponsors. Peeta, however, is genuinely, secretly in love with Katniss. At the end of the game, Peeta and Katniss win together by refusing to kill each other. When they are the only two left, Katniss defies the Gamemakers by suggesting she and Peeta eat toxic nightlock berries and die together. Just as they are about to consume the poison, they are both declared the winners.

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Catching Fire

Peeta and Katniss have both survived The Hunger Games, but the Capitol is not happy. And with the Quarter Quell coming up, the Capitol is able to make their own rules in order to get revenge on the two who beat the games. In the 75th Hunger Games—the third Quarter Quell—the tributes will be reaped from the victors of previous games. As the only surviving female tribute from District 12, Katniss is immediately thrown back into the game. Peeta chooses to return to the game in place of Haymitch, so he can protect Katniss. Before the end of the game, however, Katniss is pulled out of the competition by the rebellion. Tragically, Peeta is captured by the Capitol.

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Mockingjay

A revolution is unfolding in District 13, and Katniss finds herself as the unwilling face of the rebellion. Peeta, along with the other tributes held captive, is retrieved from the Capitol—but he has been brainwashed to fear and despise Katniss. After Peeta attempts to kill Katniss, he is forcibly restrained until they can find a cure. Meanwhile, Gale begins to help Katniss find support for the rebellion. When the rebellion attempts an attack on the Capitol, many lose their lives, including Primrose, who is killed in a bombing while trying to help those injured. District 13 President Alma Coin is able to overtake the Capitol. As Panem's acting ruler, she proposes a final Hunger Games in which the children of the Capitol are made to fight. Seeing that Coin as leader would just be another version of Snow, Katniss kills President Coin at President Snow's public execution. Then, the novel flashes forward 20 years. Katniss and Peeta are married and have two children. The games have been abolished. But Katniss still holds emotional scars and trauma from everything she's experienced.

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the first prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy, focusing on the backstory of President Snow. On the morning of the reaping that will kick off the 10th annual Hunger Games, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing to be a mentor in the Games. The fate of the Snow family rests on Coriolanus's success, but the odds are against him. He's assigned Lucy Gray Baird, the female tribute from District 12, the least prepared, poorest district in all of Panem. Yet the more time he spends with her, the more he feels for her, and when the games begin, Coriolanus wants Lucy Gray to win not only for the prestige it will gain him, but because he truly cares for her. Through a few advantages Coriolanus gives her along with her wit and no small amount of luck, Lucy Gray is named the victor of the 10th Hunger Games. Lucy Gray returns to The Covey, a nomadic people. While Coriolanus hopes he'll finally ascend back to the top where he belongs, his gifts to Lucy Gray in the arena disqualify him from awards and acclaim. He’s forced to join the Peacekeepers, and though he and Lucy Gray try to reconnect, once she realizes he remains loyal to the Capitol, she flees. Snow returns to the Capitol and begins work as a gamemaker, setting into motion his dark descent.

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Sunrise on the Reaping

We'll have to wait until March 18 to uncover everything that Sunrise on the Reaping has in store, but here's what fans can look forward to: The fifth book in The Hunger Games series is another prequel to the main trilogy, bringing us back 24 years before Book 1 to the 50th annual Hunger Games, a Quarter Quell in which twice as many tributes will be taken than usual. Needless to say, the districts of Panem are beset with fear and anxiety about who will be chosen, though perhaps District 12 resident Haymitch Abernathy should be a little more concerned, given that we know he’s about to get picked! Indeed, despite a promising relationship with the girl he loves, close ties to his family, and a birthday on reaping day, 16-year-old Haymitch soon finds himself called for the Games and shuttling toward the Capitol with three other tributes from District 12.

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