Straddling...

Where do I belong?

The last story I had published was labeled a 'dark fantasy/horror piece' by the editor of Aoiffe's Kiss. Can you see my dilemma? Should I post on the fantasy board or on the horror board?

I was wondering if anyone else felt this odd straddling sensation?

Then I started thinking...shouldn't it all be divided up? Like one board for science fiction, one for fantasy (magical realism, sword and sorcery, dark, light), then one for horror. Or maybe one board called Speculative and all the genres underneathe...? Then I think well, maybe there are others like me but they have already found their place, and I should ask them.

(gonna post this on both boards just to be safe).

*As an aside: Last night I had a dream that Leonard Nemoy and I were a team. We stood upon a spotlighted stage in front of this large and quiet audience. We waited. Someone suddenly shouted "N" and we quickly, deftly used our bodies to form the letter "N". The lights were making us sweat and Leonard was telling me, "Hold it...don't move...hooold it..." and I was thinking "I really need to work out more."* One of those very vivid dreams that you wake up from going...

Pike said:

Don't you love those murky gray areas? Tells us what your story was about. What elements did it include? I personally have trouble defining certain fiction unless it holds firm to an established element, such as vampires or dragons. But don't forget, if the story is good and interesting then straddling isn't so bad. Being unique has its perks.

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I do love the murky areas, but I hate trying to find a place to put these darned things!

The first 3/4ths of the story is told from the point of view of a bedridden elderly woman. It is set in Japan (in the middle of winter) where the children, especially the eldest should be around to take care of their parents. Since all but one of her children moved for some reason or another she is fawning on this son of hers that stayed, her favorite. Anyways, at one point she sort of naps and remembers/dreams about her childhood and the fairy tales her grandfather told her. One of the stories was of Yuki Onna (a sort of beautiful snow witch who traps travelers and does away with them by breathing her freezing breath into their faces). She wakes from the dream to see a 'real' Yuki Onna, she screams lashes out...eventually falls back asleep after seeing a vision of her favorite son.

The last part of the story is told from that favorite son's point of view. In fact, he is nothing like what she thinks he is...he leaves her for days alone, with little to eat and it is made clear her condition in this scene (which might be the horror aspect as she is in some bad shape). The Snow Witch she sees is actually his girlfriend leaning over her to see if she is even alive. When the old woman lashes out she cuts her son with her long fingernails and he looses his temper. He tells his girlfriend to wait in the car and goes to the old woman, where she calms down and tells him how much she loves him. Before he leaves he opens all the windows and kicks the floor heater unplugged with his foot.

Grim. A fight with my mother-in-law must have spurred that one!

louisgodwin said:

Yep, this reminds me of my novel. Mine could be classified as either Action/Horror or Dark Urban Fantasy

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You'll let us know when it gets published. I love dark urban stuff!

Jamesaritchie said:

Weird. I've had two dreams about Nemoy in the past week.

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No way...do you think he's trying to send out some astral message?