Current Fantasy Novel Trends

[rune]

Ive noticed that there are a lot of new books which are vampire/werewolf/romantic fantasy

I dont like romantic fantasy at all

I dont mind Vampires and Werewolf stories, but not all the time. Its nice to have a broader selection of fantasy

However, when I look on my favourite site to look for new books - http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ I find a lot of that kind of book being listed

What do others think of this current trend?

 

[Stephen Palmer]

I think it's time for a new vogue of intelligent literary fantasy. Dream on, Steve...

 

[Mouse]

I haven't noticed it much, to be fair! What I've noticed is more ridiculously huge books (ADWD I'm looking at you) that I just don't have time to read. I want something I can actually lift up without putting my back out. And I've noticed too many books with front covers that are all pretty much the same (one figure - male usually, on a plain background. Boring!).

 

[Connavar]

Just vote with your wallet, if you give heroic fantasy, steampunk, other smaller subgenres than vampire,werewolf stories there will be more of what you want.


Im content there is many good, different authors than than romantic vamp,werewolf fantasy if you look for them.

 

[chopper]

these things go in waves. give it enough time and people will get bored of priapic vampires and emo-wolves. there's usually something lurking under the surface, waiting to be discovered, as Conn suggests.

 

[Anne Lyle]

Ive noticed that there are a lot of new books which are vampire/werewolf/romantic fantasy
...
What do others think of this current trend?

The correct name is paranormal romance, and it's as much an offshoot of the romance genre as it is fantasy. I think its rise to prominence can be explained very easily, by the enormous popularity of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A whole generation grew up on that show, and the books are filling the void that it left.

I don't read it myself, but I don't see it as competing with conventional fantasy, because the audience is quite different. There are still plenty of other fantasy books being written and published - maybe you just need to look further afield?

If you can tell us what kind of fantasy you do like, we could point you in the right direction

 

[rune]

I'd noticed this tread because I do try and read new authors books. I go on that website see what's new coming out and generally half the books are vampire,werewolves etc.......

I really dont have anything against those kind of fantasy books and I do like some series that Im following, but it would be nice to not have half the books coming out in any month so similar.

What do I like then....... Well I like any kinda of fantasy that isnt too heavy on politics
I really can't abide politics in real life, so I really dont want to read about it for pleasure. - LOL

No this thread was just a general observation on my part - and it's something I feel has been getting worse - this past few years.
Of course we have such as True Blood and Vampire Dairies on TV so that will feed the want for those kind of books. Also the Twilight Movies.
Ive read some of the Sookie Stackhouse books, and some of the Vampire Dairies and all of the Twilight Books and didnt think any of them were any good!

 

[Anne Lyle]

In that case I'm not the best person to advise you - I love fantasy that's all about the politics and intrigue, rather than yet another continent-spanning quest or "teenager with cool powers learns to control them"

OTOH I can strongly recommend "On Stranger Tides" by Tim Powers, which is a simple tale of swashbuckling pirates and nasty voodoo (and the source material for the PotC movies).

 

[Connavar]

Non political fantasy ? Most fantasy dont care for political intrigue unless its huge epic fantasy series.

Tim Powers, Paul Kearney,Gemmell, Charles R Saunders,Tanith Lee, Sanderson,Meiville,Di Filippo etc

There are many types of fantasy that suit what you are looking for.

 

[GreenKidx]

Hmmm... I have noticed that a lot of formally non-fantasy readers are transitioning into the sci-fi/fantasy genres THANKS to vampire and werewolf romantic fantasy. I don't personally care overly much for vampires or werewolves, or really romance in general, but I don't have a problem with them either. There is still TONS of other types of books being published. Maybe try another what's new list? Could be the above book lister is just a bit biased. Or spend a half hour/hour at your local bookstore, you are sure to find plenty to suit your fancy.

 

[biodroid]

I just find Vampire novels as of late are geared towards females of the teen kind. Just because your vampire sparkles doesn't mean you have turned the genre on it's head. You just made yourself vulnerable to criticism IMO. One cannot compare Stephanie Meyer to Bram Stoker, it's like trying to compare Terry Goodkind to Tolkien.

 

[darkfox]

I think the core of the fantasy movement is behind what I've come to call 'Harlequinn Fantasy'. The vast majority of the big book pushes are behind highly sexualized novels and a large chunk of those are teen angst stories. I'm cool with that because it's getting new readers and most importantly it's brining women to the genre who are largely under-represented. That's just more readers looking for more fantasy and their taste will invariably evolve as they get older.

IMO though, Steampunk is getting some traction. There's a whole section devoted to it in my local small book shop and it just keeps growing. I'm not a very big fan of Sci-Fi Steampunk (Flash Gordon), but I'm really getting into Fantasy Steampunk.

 

[rune]

What kind of fantasy is Steampunk then?

 

[darkfox]

To the best of my understanding it's a sub-genre of Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

I had the differences explained to be by a larp-like Steampunk group. Fantasy Steampunk characters use swords and the most advanced gunpowder weapons they tend to have are cannons and single shot rifles and pistols. The vast majority of weapons, items and vehicles tend to be steam or clockwork powered.

Strictly speaking, Sucker Punch was fantasy steampunk. The quick and dirty reasoning that was explained to me is that the robots (arguably a Sci-Fi staple) had visible clockwork innards. Everything else appears to be either Victorian gritty, which is very Steampunk, with some modern items tossed into the mix.

Still seems like a pretty blurry line to me, though I can see how Flash Gordon is considered Sci-Fi steampunk. I would also toss the He-Man flick into that genre if that's the case.

 

[Anne Lyle]

What kind of fantasy is Steampunk then?

It depends.

If it's set in a version of our world and all the steampunk tech is reasonably plausible - clockwork, steam engines, airships, etc - then IMHO it's SF (sort of alternate history, except the change is technological rather than political). Bruce Sterling and William Gibson's "The Difference Engine" is SF steampunk, for example.

If on the other hand the tech includes Wellsian stuff like cavorite, or pseudo-scientific theories such as the luminiferous ether that actual work, then it's straying into fantasy territory. Of course if you add in vampires, etc, as Gail Carriger does, or set it in a made-up world, it's definitely fantasy!

 

[Anne Lyle]

And I've noticed too many books with front covers that are all pretty much the same (one figure - male usually, on a plain background. Boring!).

Oh noes, the dreaded Hooded Man!

Seriously, though, I think cover art is going to get simpler in the next few years, because the design has to look good at Amazon thumbnail size. When I was discussing the different cover variants for my book with Angry Robot, one of the issues I pointed out was that the darker version was useless at small sizes. A single, high-contrast image is far more eye-catching.

Sad but true...

 

[Mouse]

I hope not. I looked on Amazon at some of the smaller covers and really, to me, they look fine. I won't buy a book with those awful 'hooded man' covers now.

 

[HareBrain]

Would you buy a book with a hooded otter on the cover?

 

[Mouse]

Of course!

 

[darkfox]

Simple is one thing, monochromatic is another all together for me. There's a certain expectation with a fantasy cover...of course that expectation sometimes leads publishers to have way too much going on.