The topics I've covered the last couple weeks have been the major sub genres of speculative fiction, or at least the ones I know best. Today, in the final instalment of this... thing, I'll just list the smaller genres, or the sub-sub genres.
Humour
Fool's Tavern by Ned Resnikoff
This book is a mish mash of poorly done memes and some very odd and often stupid humour. In my opinion, it's one of the worst books I've read. (It ranks third just under Heart of Darkness and On the Road) However, that is my opinion, and I know there are a lot of people who like funny stories that make no sense and often have no logic. This book combines modern day elements, such as department stores and RPGs, with the typical medieval fantasy genre. I can't even remember what the plot was. The book does show good planning though, when small and easily overlooked details come up later and are suddenly very important.
War
The Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell
This series was one of my favourites when I was in middle school, and even now I would probably really enjoy it. This series, along with many others, are under this category because the plot revolves around war. A lot of the time this can be really poorly done, as writing a war story set in medieval times is fairly unknown. The strategies, characters and settings in this series are amazing though. Very well thought out and very smart. Many of them I have not seen repeated in other stories.
Erotica
Firethorn by Sarah Micklem
Alright, so this story is probably the most tame erotica there is, so much that it can barely be called that. I don't read that type of stuff. I've never even considered reading 50 Shades of Grey, even before I found out what it was about. This story follows the life of a young woman who eventually becomes the concubine of some Lord, and possibly even more. I'm sure there's more, but I can't really remember. It didn't pique my interest too much.
Dystopia/Post-Apocalyptic
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
This is my all time favourite literary book. It's just so eerie, and full of tension at just the right moments. I liked it so much that in grade 12 I did my research paper on it. According to Atwood, this story is not a prophecy of what the US will become, but a warning for what it may become. (exaggerated, of course) Unlike most literature, the symbols in this book are not overdone and pondered upon for too long. They are slipped in for a few seconds and left to simmer in your mind, then hinted back to again a little later. Because of this, you don't start rolling your eyes when the symbol is referenced to for the fifth time in one chapter, or when that symbol has a whole page devoted to just how it looks. It's great for anyone who likes action, rather than thought.
(You should also know that Dystopia and post apocalyptic books are more of a larger genre, but I rarely read them, so I don't have many examples)
Fandoms
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Anyone who has read Wicked will probably want to yell at me that it's not a fandom, because fandoms are generally done by amateur writers that want their secret sexual fantasies to come alive through their favourite characters in a popular book. But yes! Wicked is a fandom! At least, that's how it started. The Wizard of Oz was the original story, and Wicked it taking that world and those characters to make a new story. The difference is tat Gregory Maguire is a professional author who is an amazing writer.
The finale
For the moment those are some of the highlights of the multiple genres in speculative fiction. There are hundreds of ways you can sort them, and these are just my ways. And of course, everything is bias towards me, as I cannot review or suggest I book I have not read, nor can I give an accurate opinion on a book that does not interest me.
So thanks for putting up with these posts that may or may not have persuaded you to start reading speculative fiction. I do hope that you have a higher regard for it though, because even if it does not have much relevance to real life, it's a great and beautiful artform. (and honestly, does the Mona Lisa have any relevance to real life? It's beautiful, but that's pretty much it)
I will also be adding to my list of book book series at the bottom of my page, so that if you're in need of a good speculative fiction book, all you have to do is glance down there.
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