Venturing to Other Genres

Melanii

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Yup, just as the title says!

I'm a primary reader of high/epic/urban fantasy. Fun. :D

However, there are other genres I may be interested in.

Supernatural/Paranormal Horror (ghosts, demons, etc.)
Psychological Thriller/Horror
Magical Realism (just to see what this really is like)
Mystery
Light-hearted Contemporary
Distant Future/Soft Sci-Fi (not like spaceships or anything)

Of course, I'm not sure where to begin at all. Like... Maybe recommendations would be helpful? XD

I'm not against mature themes, either. o.o
 

Marlys

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Yup, just as the title says!

I'm a primary reader of high/epic/urban fantasy. Fun. :D

However, there are other genres I may be interested in.

Supernatural/Paranormal Horror (ghosts, demons, etc.)
Psychological Thriller/Horror
Magical Realism (just to see what this really is like)
Mystery
Light-hearted Contemporary
Distant Future/Soft Sci-Fi (not like spaceships or anything)

Of course, I'm not sure where to begin at all. Like... Maybe recommendations would be helpful? XD

I'm not against mature themes, either. o.o

Okay, I'll take a shot at a few recommendations.

Horror: Can't beat the master--start with Stephen King. Carrie, 'Salem's Lot, The Shining. Other memorable horror books that jump to mind include Richard Matheson's Hell House and F. Paul Wilson's The Keep (has elements of fantasy--you think it's going to be your standard Nazis vs. vampires plot, then suddenly it turns into an epic battle of good vs. evil).

Psychological Thriller: the standard here would probably be The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.

Magical Realism: Don't read much of this, but I enjoyed Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

Mystery: Oh, lord--where to start? For classics: Margery Allingham, Josephine Tey. On the hard-boiled side: Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton. You like psychological stuff? The excellent Mallory series by Carol O'Connell features a sociopathic detective damaged by her years surviving on the streets as a small child. Have any interest in horses? I didn't, and was still hooked by Dick Francis.

Light-hearted contemporary: Not entirely sure what you mean by this, but I'll take a stab anyway. Street of the Five Moons by Elizabeth Peters straddles romantic suspense and mystery, with a large dash of humor. Janet Evanovich's series featuring Stephanie Plum is humorous mystery. Tony Partly Cloudy by Nick Rollins is a funny romp about a weatherman with mob connections who gets ordered to throw weather forecasts. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella is light chick-lit where the protagonist is haunted by her great-aunt's ghost.

Soft SF: Since you like fantasy, maybe the Keltiad by Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, beginning with The Copper Crown. Set in the future, it takes place in a distant star system colonized by Celts who left Earth after the rise of Christianity. Great world-building. There may be some space ships, but that's not really the point.

If you don't get a lot of suggestions in this thread, visit your local library and talk to the fiction librarian. They're likely to have some great ideas.
 

Melanii

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Marlys said:
If you don't get a lot of suggestions in this thread, visit your local library and talk to the fiction librarian. They're likely to have some great ideas.

Your recommendations were useful, so thanks. ^^

There are... fiction librarians? o.o