Last week, I touched on current themes in contemporary YA. This week, it's sci-fi/dystopian:
- Genre-blending is on the rise. Dystopian mixed with fantasy or paranormal elements (or vice versa) seems to becoming quite popular. Examples include: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, Above by Leah Bobet, Glitch by Heather Anastasiu, Renegade by J.A. Souders, and Crewel by Gennifer Albin.
- The dystopian premises keep getting weirder and weirder. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the premises are becoming more far-fetched as writers desperately try to come up with scenarios that feel "fresh" and haven't been done before. Sometimes "thinking outside the box" leads to great creative pay-off, but it can also lend itself to "what were they thinking?" moments on the reader's side. (Not going to list examples here!)
- Post-apocalyptic is coming into its own, with darker and grittier being the order of the day. We're talking Enclave by Ann Aguirre, Blood Red Road by Moira Young, Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick, Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari, Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts, The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker, Pure by Julianna Baggott, and The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. I wouldn't say, though, that it is yet overshadowing dystopian, and I'm not sure it's going to get there. Right now I think this category needs to work on distinguishing itself from dystopian, in order for it to trend on its own somewhere down the line.
- Space is the final frontier...and it's finally getting explored. Examples: Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans, and For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund.
- Artificial intelligence, genetic modification, bioengineering and the like seem to be getting more popular. I think sci-fi overall is getting a boost from the dystopian fascination, so while stories with these elements aren't new to YA, it's getting easier for them to sell. Upcoming books with these themes include Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza, Beta by Rachel Cohn, Cybernetic by Laura Riken, Altered by Jennifer Rush, Glitch by Heather Anastasiu, and False Memory by Dan Krokos.
Just generally, sci-fi/dystopian is "hot" right now in YA, and I don't think that trend is going to die anytime soon.
Interestingly, you might think that of all genres, sci-fi/dystopian would have the most appeal to boy readers...but take a look at those covers! *points up* Those are definitely being marketed to girls. I think most teenage boys wouldn't want to be caught dead holding a book with a butterfly on the cover. While I'm happy that this genre is no longer being viewed as a "boys only" domain, I find it pretty sad that teenage guys don't seem to be reading anymore...even what used to be considered a genre for their gender.
What do you think? Spot any trends in this genre I missed? Agree/disagree with the ones above?
I agree that dystopian is becoming more and more popular but that some authors are struggling with that because they're all writing about the same things or trying too hard to make their book unique and instead it's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI agree, most YA is marketed towards girls and that's a shame
Mands
Yes, that's definitely what I meant - that in searching for a premise that's unique they end up with one that's just TOO strange.
DeleteYou're right, YA generally is marketed much more heavily towards girls, whereas I think there's a somewhat more even split gender-wise in MG, interestingly.
Great post. I find myself reading these genres, where I had not read so much before. I am really enjoying them. I too am glad that they are not being marketed mainly for boys. Good move on the publishers/authors.
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Nice to hear you've been enjoying books outside of the typical genres you read! I have to say I don't tend to read most sci-fi novels (although I definitely read dystopian) but I think I should try some more of the YA ones to give them a chance :)
DeleteAgh, I won't even get started on the complete LACK of books for boys lately. So many boys come into my library and want to read something, but most of the hot books coming out are pretty "girl only" in their plots.
ReplyDeleteI love how post-apocalyptic books are becoming more popular! I like dystopians ok, but most have been really weak, I think. I prefer post-apoc books, but I hope the ones coming out are suitably gritty and realistic. (But I'm not holding my breath!)
After reading Maria V. Snyder's Touch of Power, I have to say I adore the blending of post-apocalyptic and fantasy genres. I hope we get a lot more like this.
Yeah, so often in YA there is a heavy focus on the romance which definitely limits the appeal to boys, unfortunately.
DeleteI don't think of myself as much of a post-apoc reader (I gravitate toward the dystopian reads), but Enclave by Ann Aguirre pleasantly surprised me, so perhaps I should try a few more books in this category :)
Oh, I'm happy to hear you liked Touch of Power! I haven't read it yet but I'm a fan of Poison Study so I'm hoping it'll be a good fit for me.
Enclave was a lot of fun :)
DeleteI hope you like Touch of Power! I didn't love it as much as Poison Study, but PS really does set a high bar.
I think book covers need to be more gender neutral, even if they are about girls. I want more boy centric stuff, guys have such a different way of thinking than girls and to see them in the same situation, with different thoughts and outcomes would be more interesting to me. I've read a lot of dystopians and they seem very fluffy and week. I agree with Small Review, I really like the gritty stuff. I like the genre mashing too, so I'm interesting to know if these actually work. I'm getting tired of all the outrageous science and society things that don't make sense too.
ReplyDeleteI am with you on the need for gender-neutral covers — I think perhaps the boys would get sucked into the story if they could only be persuaded to pick the book up first!
DeleteAnd yes, the implausibility of the science behind some of the dystopian societies frustrates me too. I'd like them to be explained logically and as realistically as possible, even though they are fictional!
Great insight on these trends! Now that you mention them, I totally see it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Audrey! Glad you enjoyed the post :)
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