Steampunk, Werewolves, and Spaceships—What’s All That About? by Suzanne Johnson

Hope everyone had a great weekend! :) It's genre Monday time, and Suzanne is helping us with something I know I was definitely in need of--a breakdown of all the different types and hybrids of fantasy and science fiction. There are so many genres being crossed and straddled, that it makes my head spin when I looking through book choices. So take it away, Suzanne...

Steampunk, Werewolves, and Spaceships—What’s All That About?

by Suzanne Johnson

It’s a common question we all get as authors: “So, what kind of books do you write?” I used to say “urban fantasy with a touch of romance”—to which I’d get a lot of polite, blank stares.

Then I’d try to qualify it more: “You know, my books are sort of Harry Potter and Stephanie Plum meet Stephen King, except in a real city.” Blank stares turn to the type of nodding looks usually reserved for the crazy aunts we keep locked in our attics down here in the South.

Now, I just wave my hand around and say, “oh it’s kinda like science fiction,” which seems to satisfy them.

Except, really, it’s not. So, here we go, my attempt at a Lexicon of Speculative Fiction. Next time someone throws a term like “steampunk” or “historical paranormal romance” at you, you’ll know what to expect. It’s a whole brave new world out there!

I do a series of monthly columns for my publisher’s website (the oh-so-fabulous Tor.com) called “Fiction Affliction,” in which I look at all the speculative fiction books being released the next month. So I’ll divide the speculative sub-genres here much as I do there.

First, there’s

SCIENCE FICTION

Sci-Fi is the granddaddy of speculative fiction, of course, and basically refers to any alternative reality or futuristic story that has its basis in science (as opposed to magic). All may have romantic elements, though romance is secondary to the plot in most, and books in each category are published for either adult and Young Adult (YA) readers. Common sub-genres within Sci-Fi are:

Space Opera

These are the stories set on space ships, on other planets, or that have alien critters running around on Earth.

Hard Sci-Fi

Just what it sounds like. Usually some technological advance that goes awry or is misused in some way.

Apocalyptic/Dystopian

“End of the world” stories that usually involve a radically degraded culture due to environmental negligence, a virus, or technology run amok.

Cyberpunk

Sort of a street-level science fiction, if you will. I’ve heard it called “high-tech, lowlife” fiction. Tends to be violent and dark.

Alt History

Want to find out what happened if the South won the Civil War, or if Hitler had prevailed in Europe? Alt History’s your genre.

Steampunk

Stories are set in the late 1800s, reimagining what life might have been like had the rapid (often steam-driven) technological advances of that era run amok. A newer subgenre called “Weird West” sets the wacky technological marvels in the American Wild West. (Cowboys in airships, anyone?)

Time-Travel

This is self-explanatory and can be either science fiction or fantasy, depending on whether the time-travel results from scientific advances or magic.

Sci Fi Romance

Can be any of the above subgenres, only the romance is the centerpiece of the story, and there’s at least a happily-for-now ending.

Next, leaving science fiction behind, we have

FANTASY

High fantasy, also known as epic fantasy, features stories based on the magical or supernatural, either in character or plot or setting.

Sword and Sorcery

These are the “dungeons and dragons” kinds of stories, set in imaginary realms, with lots of swordplay and magic.

Quest.

A band of oddly matched travelers, who might or might not be human-like, work to achieve something noble like saving the world. Think Lord of the Rings.

Historical Fantasy.

Often set in imaginary, medieval-like worlds, and featuring warring kingdoms or political factions.

Fantasy Romance.

Could be any of the above fantasy subgenres, only the romance is the centerpiece of the story, and there’s at least a happily-for-now ending.

Finally, we have the FANTASY HYBRIDS, the genres that have really taken over in the last two decades, beginning with Harry Potter and then Twilight and True Blood and now Hunger Games. Fantasy hybrids involve paranormal creatures such as vampires, werewolves, zombies, wizards, mermaids...you name it...but in a real-world setting.

Urban Fantasy

A head-on collision between the fantasy world and the real world. Usually set in a real urban area but with magic or paranormal creatures. Urban fantasy often has romantic elements, horror elements, or both.

Paranormal Romance

Basically, urban fantasy where the romance is the central focus of the book, with the requisite happily-for-now ending.

So there you have it—a handy guide to speculative fiction. There are other sub-sub-genres, but we’ve at least hit the high points. Now...a recommending reading list? Here are a few:

*Sci-Fi/Time-Travel/alt history:

Kill three birds with one book by reading Connie Willis’ Blackout and sequel, All Clear.

*Epic Fantasy:

You can’t go wrong with anything by George R.R. Martin, but try his A Song of Ice and Fire series, beginning with A Game of Thrones.

*Urban Fantasy:

This is my genre and there are so many I love, but try Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series, beginning with Moon Called.

* Paranormal Romance:

For hot and sexy, read J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, beginning with Dark Lover.

For hot and funny, go for Jeaniene Frost’s Dark Huntress series, beginning with Halfway to the Grave.

Suzanne Johnson is an author of urban fantasy “with romantic elements.” Her first book, Royal Street, a magic-based fantasy set in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina, will be released by Tor Books on April 10, 2012. Two more in the series will be released in Fall 2012 and Spring 2013. Find Suzanne online at her Preternatura blog, or read about her books at her website.

*Look for more from Suzanne here every 3rd Monday of the month!

DO Get Fresh With Me: Amping Up Your Writing

Photo by Miheco

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Dallas Area Romance Authors Dreamin' in Dallas conference. The speakers (Richelle Mead and Allison Brennan) were phenomenal and the workshops were SO helpful. Sometimes you go to a conference (after you've been to a few like me) and it feels like same old stuff, nothing new. But I had many an a-ha moment at this one, so yay for that. :)

And one of the big light bulbs for me was while I was taking three classes in a row from Margie Lawson. I'd never seen her speak before, but I had heard fabulous things about her writing and editing workshops. And, believe me, I wasn't disappointed.

She has way more information than I could ever share on here (more on how you can get all that fab stuff at the bottom), but one of the big things that stuck out for me was her focus on FRESH WRITING.

It seems like such a simple concept--a well-duh kind of thing. Write things in a way that is fresh, non-cliched, and doesn't sound like just any old book. Easy-peasy, right? Um, yeah.

How many she smiled, grinned, lifted the corner of her mouth, smirked, lips curved, one side of her lips tilted up, smile that didn't reach her eyes, and on and on do you have in your manuscript?

Using a synonym for smiled or one of the tired cliches is not fresh writing. It's just writing the overused stuff in another overused way.

What Margie suggested you do is look at those boring ways of saying things and amplifying them, making them sing and speak to the reader (instead of inspiring them to skim.)

Here's one example she used from Harlen Coben's HOLD TIGHT (2008)

His eyes were black, lightless glass, like someone had randomly jammed them in, like they held no life in them.

Whoa, right? How much more impactful is that than "He had dead, black eyes" or "He stared at me with lifeless eyes."

Or this one from Brad Meltzer's BOOK OF LIES (2008)

In mid-air his mother was turned toward him, her alligator eyes still burning through him.

Can't you picture that? It's so clear what the eyes of an alligator would look like. And once again a way to say something different than cold or lifeless eyes.

And last one, from Stephen White's DEAD TIME (2008)

"Listen," he said in a voice that cut off the small talk the way a sharp knife takes the top off a banana.

How much better is that than saying "he said, his voice sharp"?

This whole concept is such a basic idea, but it was totally a kick in the butt for me to work harder and do better. To really look at things I may just put on the page--a smile, a laugh, the way a person's eyes look--and really push myself to find a fresh way to say it.

Margie says she reads books and puts sticky notes on the pages where an author really wrote something that impressed her. If someone does that with my books, I want that thing to look like tabs in a packed filing cabinet when they're done.

Now, one little warning. You can't write every single sentence like this because then it will be overwritten and the prose will get mucked up. Sometimes simple is better. But I guarantee you there are many places in your WIP where you can do better, where you chose the easy, cliched way to say something, where you missed an opportunity to be amazing.

So, I only talked about like 1/100 of 1% of what Margie covers. BUT she has these totally kickass lecture packets that you can download and do a self-study course with. Each packet is $22, but OMG, the first one I bought is like 250 pages. So "packet" really means "book". The one I'm referencing today is the Empowering Characters' Emotions. You can get it here along with many others. I can't give it a high enough recommendation. So, so, so helpful. (And no, Margie hasn't paid me to say any of this, lol.) I just have to pass along an amazing resource when I stumble across them.

So, I encourage to check those out and I also encourage you to read through some of your favorite books and mark those passages or phrases or whatever that stand out and impress you. What did those writers do that was fresh?

What do you think? Are you overloaded with boring or tired ways of saying things when you're writing? Are you characters smiling and raising eyebrows and winking all over the place? What writers can you think of off the top of your head that really excel at writing fresh?