The next big thing in fantasy

Karen Duvall · Mar 29, 2008

Anyone care to speculate? It always fascinates me when I see bestsellers in the fantasy genre. For a long time, it was vampires. That's tapering off a bit, I think, though the YA author Stephanie Meyer seems to have hit an excitable nerve for vampire enthusiasts. I haven't read any of her books, though, so I have no idea what makes them so special.

So get out your crystal ball and wave a hand over its murky surface. Do you see a clear path to future of this genre? Are zombies hitting it big? How about half-breed demons? :e2teeth:

I'm hoping to see more anti-hero stories. Might be a cool twist if done right . :e2brows:

And I wonder what the future holds for episodic novels? I've never read one myself, but would like to.

What say you?

yappo · Mar 29, 2008

Anything I care to release to the market, of course

Apart from that hopeful scrying into the future? YA contemporary or semi-contemporary (to catch the eyes of the parents actually doing the buying). I'm afraid the Potter legacy is going to be milked until you could clean open wounds with the 'milk' produced

Sten

Karen Duvall · Mar 29, 2008

Good point. The Harry Potter phenomenon did wonders for literacy, IMO. Even adults who rarely read books were reading these. That's remarkable.

Maybe the next trend won't be one to change the level of literacy in our country. Maybe it will be one to explore a controversial issue. That would be very cool.

Cranky · Mar 29, 2008

I hope there is more of a market for anti-hero stuff, too, as Dark Vandal is partly that. If I had a subscription to Publisher's Weekly or somesuch (trying to con the DH into that), I might offer some guesses for the future.

But, alas, no such luck.

Lccorp2 · Mar 29, 2008

At least there's been a revival of fantasy in recent times.

My guess is that the High(ish) Fantasy sub-genre will be continued to be milked, as well as YA.

triceretops · Mar 29, 2008

Well, I hope it's a ghost world type of thingy, 'cause that's what I'm doing right now. But I never seem to get my timing right and nail the hot trends. YA fantasy has really, really picked up some legs to run with the pack. Paranormal Romance is riding a wave right now--don't know for how long. I've created my own little genre--paranormal thriller. I'll stay here and see what happens.

There's something I like to call fairytale fantasy, like Enchanted and Stardust. I'd like to see more of that and perhaps try it. "Cause I sure the heck can't write the dark epic/heroic fantasy.

Tri

Cranky · Mar 29, 2008

triceretops said:
Well, I hope it's a ghost world type of thingy, 'cause that's what I'm doing right now. But I never seem to get my timing right and nail the hot trends. YA fantasy has really, really picked up some legs to run with the pack. Paranormal Romance is riding a wave right now--don't know for how long. I've created my own little genre--paranormal thriller. I'll stay here and see what happens.

There's something I like to call fairytale fantasy, like Enchanted and Stardust. I'd like to see more of that and perhaps try it. "Cause I sure the heck can't write the dark epic/heroic fantasy.

Tri

I love re-worked fairytales! One of the pieces I'm working on now started as a re-invention of Snow White. It's since been scrapped, as it got too many "destiny of a farm-boy" vibes for me. But it was a fun idea.

Plot Device · Mar 29, 2008

My personal bias: kick-ass angels in combat gear.

My bias comes from my hopes for own current screenplay, but also from the fact that TWO huge huge huge Godzilla-sized budget Hollywood extravaganzas are being produced right now:

1) The Screwtape Letters
2) Paradise Lost

Both of those movies have angels that are NOT the smiling, kind-hearted supernatural social workers a la Touched by an Angel, but instead are totally bad-ass, take-no-prisoners, Green Beret commando angels.

Karen Duvall · Mar 29, 2008

Kick-ass angels. Yeah! I agree, that would be awesome. Especially since my main character is a kick-ass half angel descended from an order of Crusade knights. The present day knights, all women, are half-breeds: one half human, the other half fallen-angel.

Plot Device · Mar 29, 2008

Cool!

There's a very famous set of book by Peretti about combat angels. He made his fortune off of those books and is seeking to make it into a film now. He says he won't settle for a budget of less than $50 million.

AuthorGuy · Mar 29, 2008

Plot Device said:
My personal bias: kick-ass angels in combat gear.

I have an anthology I picked up at a book festival in Collingswood NJ, called Bad-Ass Faeries (the book, not the festival). Not my anthology, by the way, I have no part in it, but your comment reminded me of it. It's put out by Marietta Publishing, in case you want to try to find it.

AuthorGuy · Mar 29, 2008

My own latest work is a paranormal adventure, featuring ghosts, werewolves, a lunar colony, and a mad scientist. By the time it comes out the market for that will have faded.

bethany · Mar 29, 2008

Well faeries have been huge, but maybe that is tapering off, too?

Oasilhael · Mar 30, 2008

Some forms of fantasy may be rising higher, but others, such as Epic Fantasy, are decreasing in popularity. I think that Eragon and Eldest were the death-knells for that genre. When Eragon came out, it was an instant success and thus its sequel came under much scrutiny; this helped reveal many of the cliches of Epic Fantasy that many other writers have.

In my opinion, Eldest blatantly exposed all of the problems that Epic Fantasy has, and from now on people are going to look closely at every other book that runs on the same vein to see if it has any of those problems..

AuthorGuy · Mar 30, 2008

Oasilhael said:
Some forms of fantasy may be rising higher, but others, such as Epic Fantasy, are decreasing in popularity. I think that Eragon and Eldest were the death-knells for that genre. When Eragon came out, it was an instant success and thus its sequel came under much scrutiny; this helped reveal many of the cliches of Epic Fantasy that many other writers have.

In my opinion, Eldest blatantly exposed all of the problems that Epic Fantasy has, and from now on people are going to look closely at every other book that runs on the same vein to see if it has any of those problems..

Great! That means a truly (within certain broad limits, as we all understand) original work, like my own Unbinding the Stone and A Warrior Made will stand out even more.

waylander · Mar 30, 2008

The new Richard Morgan book is been heavily touted as a new direction in fantasy, being ultra-violent and gritty action adventure.

MattW · Mar 30, 2008

The next big thing? I can only come up with two possibilities: something totally original, or something obviously derivative.

AuthorGuy · Mar 30, 2008

MattW said:
The next big thing? I can only come up with two possibilities: something totally original, or something obviously derivative.

Given the business mentality of Hollywood and the big publishers, I'd say derivative is more likely.

Smiling Ted · Mar 30, 2008

Zombies are rising in popularity among the graphic-novel crowd. Titles like The Walking Dead generate a lot of fan enthusiasm. I can't see it, myself.

After that, I'd say the best place to look for the Next Big Theme would be in manga.

dragonjax · Mar 30, 2008

triceretops said:
There's something I like to call fairytale fantasy, like Enchanted and Stardust.

I hope this is big, because mine's on submission right now...

dragonjax · Mar 30, 2008

Oasilhael said:
Some forms of fantasy may be rising higher, but others, such as Epic Fantasy, are decreasing in popularity. I think that Eragon and Eldest were the death-knells for that genre.

I have to disagree. Read Pat Rothfuss's debut epic fantasy novel, THE NAME OF THE WIND, then get back to me. (As of today, there are 223 comments about it at Amazon, and it has a 4.5 star rating.)

I'm thinking that epic is coming back. And some, like fans of George RR Martin, might say it never left.

My-Immortal · Mar 30, 2008

Karen Duvall said:
Anyone care to speculate?
I'm hoping to see more anti-hero stories. Might be a cool twist if done right .

waylander said:
The new Richard Morgan book is been heavily touted as a new direction in fantasy, being ultra-violent and gritty action adventure.

I hope you're both right, because the fantasy novel I'm sending out right now has an anti-hero in a violent and gritty action adventure.

Gray Rose · Mar 30, 2008

dragonjax said:
I have to disagree. Read Pat Rothfuss's debut epic fantasy novel, THE NAME OF THE WIND, then get back to me. (As of today, there are 223 comments about it at Amazon, and it has a 4.5 star rating.)

I'm thinking that epic is coming back. And some, like fans of George RR Martin, might say it never left.

I second this. May the well-written epic F never die (but no 12-volume Never-Ending stories, please).

Lccorp2 · Mar 30, 2008

To be honest, Dragonjax, I didn't enjoy The Name of the Wind. Had to put it down about two-thirds of the way through and never picked it up again.

hammerklavier · Mar 30, 2008

Plot Device said:
My personal bias: kick-ass angels in combat gear.

My bias comes from my hopes for own current screenplay, but also from the fact that TWO huge huge huge Godzilla-sized budget Hollywood extravaganzas are being produced right now:

1) The Screwtape Letters
2) Paradise Lost

Both of those movies have angels that are NOT the smiling, kind-hearted supernatural social workers a la Touched by an Angel, but instead are totally bad-ass, take-no-prisoners, Green Beret commando angels.

Awesome! I've written just such a story. Hope you're right about this

The next big thing in fantasy

Chalice the Hatchet Knight

Chalice the Hatchet Knight

How are you gentlemen?

A woman said to write like a man.

Chalice the Hatchet Knight

A woman said to write like a man.

:)

Who's going for a beer?

Company Man

Ah-HA!

I write stuff and break boards.

I write stuff and break boards.

Mr. Invisible

Beware of the Thorns!

How are you gentlemen?

It was a dark and stormy night