Your Preferred Sub-Genre

[SlimShady]

Dark fantasy/gritty fantasy. The heroes die, sometimes before they can complete their quests. Some heroes turn out evil and others make great sacrifices to try to stem the tide of darkness. Very tragic and depressing ending.

 

[Jess A]

I guess swords and sorcery would be my current work. Not much emphasis on 'sorcery' as much, but it is there.

 

[Weaver]

I don't know if there has ever been an agreed-upon term for what kind of fiction I tend to write, other than simply calling it speculative fiction so as not to place it on one side or the other of the (also never clearly defined) fantasy/sci-fi divide. I don't want to use the term "science fantasy," which a lot of people seem to take as meaning "badly written sci-fi by an author who doesn't know any better."

Some of what I write is more fantasy than science fiction. Beyond that, all I say is that I don't write sword-and-sorcery (at least as I understand the term), and I don't write high fantasy (my elves are too down-to-earth and non-magical), and I don't write contemporary fantasy as it is usually done these days (Look, Ma - no vampires!). *shrug*

 

[Steerpike]

I like the term "speculative fiction." It seems to me it broadly covers fantasy, science fiction, and horror, all of which I like.

 

[Mindfire]

Can we have a list of subgenres to pick from?

 

[Ghost]

There's a list in this thread. The other thread was made earlier this month. I wonder why the two threads haven't been merged, but I suppose there's a reason.

 

[Philip Overby]

Thanks Ghost. I merged the two threads now. Also if people want to look at the initial list, they can see it on the 1st page.

 

[Jess A]

Ah. I see. Then mine is actually probably the high/epic fantasy, with some differences.

 

[Aravelle]

I don't mind the first three Maximum Ride books, though I think he kinda jumped the shark with the fourth one. The whole "save the earth" focus came right the heck out of nowhere, not to mention the spontaneous development of new powers for everyone.

And that is why I couldn't respect him even if my life was at stake. One does not simply give out powers to characters.

 

[Mindfire]

And that is why I couldn't respect him even if my life was at stake. One does not simply give out powers to characters.

Maybe I'm saying this just to be contrary, but why not? So long as it's reasonably explained. Characters get new skills and powers all the time.

 

[Ireth]

Maybe I'm saying this just to be contrary, but why not? So long as it's reasonably explained. Characters get new skills and powers all the time.

But it really wasn't, which is the problem. I remember something about evolutionary enhancements due to their hybrid DNA, but it really doesn't make sense. If you make bird-kids out of human and avian DNA, then they should not spontaneously become able to breathe underwater or (insert other bizarre stuff that I can't recall offhand here). Even the testing the bird-kids went through at the hands of the villains isn't really enough to explain it.

 

[Mindfire]

But it really wasn't, which is the problem. I remember something about evolutionary enhancements due to their hybrid DNA, but it really doesn't make sense. If you make bird-kids out of human and avian DNA, then they should not spontaneously become able to breathe underwater or (insert other bizarre stuff that I can't recall offhand here). Even the testing the bird-kids went through at the hands of the villains isn't really enough to explain it.

... Yeah, I got nothin.

 

[Aravelle]

Maybe I'm saying this just to be contrary, but why not? So long as it's reasonably explained. Characters get new skills and powers all the time.

I find the doling out of powers tacky and a cheap way out of things. Unless the power is something ordinary for the species as it develops, or it has some sort of hinderances, I just don't like it. I like seeing my heroes struggle instead of power handed to them on a silver plate.

 

[Mindfire]

I find the doling out of powers tacky and a cheap way out of things. Unless the power is something ordinary for the species as it develops, or it has some sort of hinderances, I just don't like it. I like seeing my heroes struggle instead of power handed to them on a silver plate.

Tacky and cheap are harsh words. I think it all comes down to how it's handled. Heroes learn new skills and are given new weapons, armor, and tools all the time. Why should this suddenly be a problem when magic is involved? Suppose new powers are needed to combat an a greater threat than has ever been faced before? Or suppose gaining new powers is a sign that a character has risen to a whole new level of awesome? For example, a formerly "normal" character being granted powers could be a sign that he has passed some kind of moral test or otherwise been deemed "worthy". That he has earned greater powers by his honorable behavior.

 

[WyrdMystic]

Tacky and cheap are harsh words. I think it all comes down to how it's handled. Heroes learn new skills and are given new weapons, armor, and tools all the time. Why should this suddenly be a problem when magic is involved? Suppose new powers are needed to combat an a greater threat than has ever been faced before? Or suppose gaining new powers is a sign that a character has risen to a whole new level of awesome? For example, a formerly "normal" character being granted powers could be a sign that he has passed some kind of moral test or otherwise been deemed "worthy". That he has earned greater powers by his honorable behavior.

Or suppose that new power is entirely frickin' useless