Fangs, Fur & Fins: What's Next?
I'll admit that I'm biased: I love realistic YA fiction and I've always
thought that fantasy, science fiction and paranormal were a little silly.
However, I've come to appreciate them more over time. Also, I love horror and
that overlaps with all three genres, so there you have it.
Anyway, this is a book blog and I do have something to say about
books and not just my taste in reading.
In a recent post, the brilliant and lovely Lisa Mandina observed that mermaids seem to be the next
big thing in the YA market. Isn't that interesting?
I think she's right too because I've also noticed a few mermaid books popping
up. Take the two books by Tera Lynn Childs (below) for example.
Fins Are Forever and Forgive My Fins
Previously, we had a rash of werewolves tearing through the Teen
sections of local bookstores everywhere. Just in case you missed them, I'm sure
you've heard of these:
New Moon
The Summoning
Need
Shiver
And before that--need I say it?
Vampires!
Vampire Academy
Twilight
So, for anyone who's interested in coming up with the next hot trend, we already know about mermaids, so since they're floating in now, the tide is almost certain to carry them out by the time you get that manuscript finished. What's next?
When I asked my husband, he volunteered robots. I waited until I finished my beer, thinking it would make sense post-Harp, but it still didn't so I asked, "Why robots?"
He shrugged, "I dunno. It seems like it's time for them to make a come-back."
Maybe he's right. Maybe we're ready for a 'bot revival. I could dig that. I'm thinking ghosts. In fact, we're already seeing some of that with Jessica Warman's upcoming novel, Between
You know what would really impress me though: Centaurs! We don't see enough centaurs in novels, dammit. Anyone want to jump on that bandwagon? What do you see as the next hot trend in YA fiction critters?