I'm having trouble recognizing what genre my story falls into. It can't be fantasy because there are no magical elements to it, it can't be called sci-fi because it isn't modern (and very far from being futuristic). And it can't be called historical fiction, because it doesn't take place in our world (or does this place it in the fastasy category?).
Anyone know a name for this genre?
P.S. Think LOTR without orcs or elves or wizards, and you're pretty close.
Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :
I'd vote for fantasy. Anything that encorporates fantastical elements probably falls somewhere in Speculative Fiction.
If it doesn't have a science element and it isn't horror, fantasy would probably be a good choice.
Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :
If it takes place in an imaginary world of your creation, it's fantasy, whether or not it has magic.
I'm not sure what sort of a market there is for fantasy novels that don't actually feature "fantastic" elements, because a fair chunk of what I've written probably falls into that bracket. I suspect my only chnce of getting it published is to produce more traditional fantasy first, and then ease my readers into , um, a less fantastic fantasy world...
Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :
Speculative fiction that is not easily classifiable is sometimes called slipstream. In any case, when you're looking to market it go ahead and call it fantasy. You did make it up without basing it on science and without trying to scare people....so why not? Calling it fantasy should help in the marketability, assuming if it is otherwise good.
Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
If it's also really quirky, there's always Slipstream Posted by Dude (Member # 1957) on :
My vote is for fantasy.
Posted by Minister (Member # 2213) on :
There's actually a fair number of us around here that are writing works not set on historical or contemporary earth, but that don't make use of traditional fantasy elements (magic, elves, dragons, etc.) For want of anything better, we've been calling our material "soft" fantasy. For marketing purposes, though, it's probably still just plain old fantasy.
Posted by Doc Brown (Member # 1118) on :
Sounds similar to Jean M. Auel's "Earth's Children" series (Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of the Horses). These are usually shelved under Fantasy, despite their lack of magical elements.
Posted by JmariC (Member # 2698) on :
I don't recall ever seeing the Cave Bear in fantasy. Barnes and Nobles shows: • Women's Fiction • Historical Romance • Historical Fiction
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
Yeah, those books are pretty clearly supposed to be set on Earth...just not the one that actually exists Posted by JmariC (Member # 2698) on :
True, but their filed under fiction, not fantasy. At least, I have never seen them in fantasy, only in fiction sections.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
Huh? We must be talking at cross purposes. By "them" you mean the Auel books, not the three genres you posited as claiming them (meaning the Auel books, not the three...oops ).
Stupid pronoun references. I could have been stuck in that loop forever. Or, you know, till it stopped being funny to anyone.
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
What you describe is sometimes referred to as "alternate world historical fiction" or just "imaginary world fiction" but usually only publishers who do fantasy and science fiction will publish that kind of fiction.
C. J. Cherryh wrote a book like that set in an alternate Oriental history. Title was PALADIN, in case anyone wants to find it and read it.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
That was a good book. The cover art was total crap (they drew the title character as a white guy in his fifties wearing Spanish armor, he looked like Don Quixote or something), but the story was pure Cherryh goodness.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
I dispute the notion that if the world portrayed is imaginary, it necessarily has to be fantasy. "The Prisoner of Zenda" takes place in the fictional European country of Ruritania, but is clearly not fantasy (other than the escapist-adventure kind).
Posted by djvdakota (Member # 2002) on :
Alternate World Historical Fiction
Imaginary World Fiction
YAY!! We have a name for it, Softies!
But I have to agree. It's fantasy. just not HIGH fantasy.
I'm also terrified, as Survivor so aptly pointed out, of what a publisher might put on the cover of my WIP. Oh, how I wish for more author control on those sorts of things. But that's another topic.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
It's funny, because I've seen covers that were horribly funny and ones that perfectly captured the character or setting or something.
The only thing I'm worried about is that there will be a naked woman on the cover or something like that. Because let's face it, most readers don't care what's on the cover once they're reading, unless it's a naked woman or something like that.
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
It's important, though, because covers DO sell books.
Posted by yanos (Member # 1831) on :
Paladin was a good story, and Survivor was right the cover stank. It almost made me not buy it, but I couldn't resist the name of the Author. What is fantasy? I think that it is only alternative historical fiction if it has some commonality with earth history. There has to be some relationship with the earth as we know it. i.e. you go with a plot where the Japanese conquered Russia in World War 2. We have the smae basic historical basis, but then we diverge at a critical point.
If your story diverges completely from earth, i.e. different geography, technological progress, then you are in fantasy land.
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
Okay, help me classify this one. I have an idea for a novel taking place through four alternate universes and also on earth. The manner of getting from universe to universe usually involves a scientific process but my bad guy has the power to jump worlds without any help. I would say fantasy off hand, but since some of it is futuristic, some historical, my MC is a detective, and there are battles typically seen in military SF, I honestly have no idea what to call it. Would that be slipstream?
Also, is stuff like this overdone lately?
Posted by MCameron (Member # 2391) on :
That sounds somewhat similar to Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion series. Some of the stories are fantasy, some are science fiction, but they all fit together into a larger story.
I've not noticed any stories like that recently, but that probably doesn't mean anything. There is a lot of sf/f that I haven't read.
Does it really matter what it is classified as, since most bookstores put fantasy and science fiction together?
--Mel
Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :
Is this story a short or a novel? I was looking into a market for a Historical Fiction story of mine, and Paradox is one I'm considering. They also accept Spec-Fic submissions and the description of what they want reminded me a bit of this thread.
Speculative Fiction: All speculative submissions should have some integral real-world historical context (history being broadly defined to include mythology and religion as well). The editor is primarily looking for Alternate History, Time Travel, Arthuriana, Secret Histories, stories in which archaeology, history, literature, art, or music plays a prominent role, historical retellings with a fantasy or SF twist, classical mythology settings, retellings of classic mythology from an alternate character's perspective, "religious historical" fantasy/SF, stories exploring evolution (human or otherwise), and any other forms of historical fantasy/SF/horror you think might fit this overall theme. Horror should be frightening rather than gory. Lovecraftian Mythos tales are welcome, but as with most of the best Mythos stories, yours should be rich in its historical context.
Posted by Mystic (Member # 2673) on :
I think it could be alternate world/history genre.
