YA Science Fiction

Evlsushi · Jul 1, 2008

I'm a relatively new writer and I'm trying to get my YA science fiction novel off the ground but I can't help but notice the extreme lack of YA SF in the market right now. I was standing in the bookstore just the other day when I noticed that there seem to be three major types of fiction within the YA market: "Gossip Girl", Urban Fantasy (dark faeries and such), and Vampire types. I suppose that vampires really fall under Urban Fantasy, but there's just so many of them that it should be its own category.

Anyway, most of the market seems to be swaying toward these genres and away from classic sci-fi. Should I just aim for the "normal" sci-fi market or keep at a seemingly niche genre in YA. And, now that I'm in rant mode, why aren't people reading YA sci-fi anymore? What happened? General lack of interest? I can't believe that there just aren't any YA sci-fi writers out there, but I don't feel there's anyone else out there.

dawinsor · Jul 1, 2008

I think you're right that YA SF is thin on the ground. The best recent thing I've seen is Cory Doctorow's "Little Brother."

Esopha · Jul 1, 2008

M.T. Anderson. Scott Westerfield. Garth Nix.

Nancy Farmer? House of the Scorpion? It was a pretty talked-about book last year.

YA SF isn't gone. It's just harder to find. Cyberpunk/steampunk is more common. Write your book as a YA SF if you want it to be. I hear agents say editors want more SF and fewer fairies nowadays in any case.

Evlsushi · Jul 1, 2008

That's good to hear. I have to admit that my confidence wavered when I sat there looking at the wall of gossip girl clones. I figure that agents ultimately want to be on the cutting edge of a new trend, so I believe that they're willing to check an ignored genre. I guess that I should stop being overwhelmed by the market and start looking at the authors who have made it.

Little Brother is on my "to do" list right now, had no idea it was SF. Actually I have next to no idea what it's even about. Someone threw it in my direction and said it was a must read for me.

Smiling Ted · Jul 1, 2008

Evlsushi said:
That's good to hear. I have to admit that my confidence wavered when I sat there looking at the wall of gossip girl clones. I figure that agents ultimately want to be on the cutting edge of a new trend, so I believe that they're willing to check an ignored genre. I guess that I should stop being overwhelmed by the market and start looking at the authors who have made it.

Little Brother is on my "to do" list right now, had no idea it was SF. Actually I have next to no idea what it's even about. Someone threw it in my direction and said it was a must read for me.

Write what you need to write.
The only benefit to being unpublished is that you complete freedom. Take advantage of it.
Since there's no guarantee that you'll sell this work, you might as well enjoy the process...and that's more likely to create a sellable work, anyway.

bethany · Jul 1, 2008

And there's lots of speculative stuff, which shows YA's not all about shoes and relationships.

I'd say just focus on writing a good book. Plus remember that what's featured in the book store in the summer time is often going to be colorful beach reads.

txgrl · Jul 3, 2008

What's wrong with bringing back a dead-ish genre?
If it's good people will read it.
I do agree that YA is, as of now, just a wall of 'gossip girl' look-alikes, not saying I don't read them, but something new-ish would probably really do well.
Go out on a limb, whats there to lose?

Moerae · Jul 4, 2008

Mmm, I've read a few, though I'm generally more into fantasy. There's Garth Nix's Shade's Children, which is good, but not for the faint of heart. Another example is James Patterson's Maximum Ride series. While it's set in our time, it has a lot to do with genetic manipulation and so on.

YA Science Fiction

Evlsushi

dawinsor

Dorothy A. Winsor

Esopha

bam pow zap.

Evlsushi

Smiling Ted

Ah-HA!

bethany

:)

txgrl

Moerae