next hot sub-genre

[robotdg]

if certain sub-genres in scifi/fantasy have a moment (like cyberpunk in the late eighties) and if maybe we are just leaving the moment of the singularity sub-genre...

...then i was curious, if the above is true, then what is the new or next sub-genre of the moment?

s.

[j. d. worthington]

I rather doubt anyone can truly predict that, as it largely depends on what resonates with the readers at the time, and that is decided by an enormous amount of variables....

[scalem X]

Maybe for short stories you can have a general look at the wants of magazines and anthologies, but for novels it's like JD said.

[robotdg]

well, sure, it would be difficult to know for certain, the question is speculative.

what i mean is... what do you THINK is the next moment. steampunk? or is that one done too? do you think this concept of the "the new weird" is ever going to hook?

i am curious what trends people see and what guesses they have for the future...

s.

[Dave]

Does it not depend, to some extent, on real world advances in science?

I think Cyberpunk came as a result of the totally unforeseen information revolution and the internet and the exponential rise in computing power and speeds.

I think the next revolution will be genetic. The complete mapping of the human genome is predicted within 5-10 years. Only science fiction can predict how that will change our society, but I've no doubt that change is certainly on its way.

[iansales]

Cyberpunk wasn't inspired by advances in information technology. It was an attempt to marry sf with noir stylings, to give it a gritty realistic atmosphere. Part of that was integrating technology into the world of the story, and computing had already demonstrated it was doing that, and would continue to do so.

I suspect scientific advances have nothing to do with the emergence of sf sub-genres. If anything, it will be driven by the media - a popular film or tv series, for example. Or by a single book which leads to a host of imitators. Given that Pixar are currently working on a film of A Princess of Mars, and that Leigh Brackett's name gets mentioned a lot more often now than it used to... I wonder if planetary romance is ready for a comback.

[Urlik]

Originally Posted by iansales

I suspect scientific advances have nothing to do with the emergence of sf sub-genres.

considering that for the majority of SF, the technology used in the stories was way beyond the level actually in use and some hadn't even been invented in concept except within the works of a few visionary writers, I'd say that scientific advances have absolutely nothing to do with the different genres of SF.

in my opinion, the subgenres start when one writer plugs into the general zeitgeist and other authors pick up on it and we get the subgenre.

[Werthead]

SF/fantasy crossbreeds seem to be gaining momentum. We've had Bakker and we're about to get Morgan's take on it. Chris Woodings' recent The Fade was in this genre also.

[GOLLUM]

Interesting question but NO, I have no real idea.

[iansales]

Originally Posted by Werthead

we're about to get Morgan's take on it.

AFAIK, Morgan's The Steel Remains is straight fantasy. Best-selling authors have been churning out "sf/fantasy crossbreeds" for decades - Weis & Hickman, all those collaborations with Andre Norton, Anne McCaffery, etc.

[Werthead]

Originally Posted by iansales

AFAIK, Morgan's The Steel Remains is straight fantasy.

No, it isn't

[iansales]

None of the reviews I've read have made any mention of any sf elements in it. Have you read it?

[Connavar]

I dont really care what new subgenres that have a moment right now but it would be fun to read something that was totaly new. Someone blending genres outside SFF with a SFF.

[Ice fyre]

I think the next "hot thing" in fantasy will be Guns and Sorcery, for a long time fantasy has relied on quite sophisticated Sword and Sorcery worlds, but a few authors I've noticed are trying out Muskets and magic. While it will never replace standard sword and sorcery it may be the beggining of a whole new sub genre.

I also think "Steam Punk" might get a bit more of an airing.

The few I've notced are Tenmaire (sorry cant remmber the author) and the Monarchies of God series. "Steam Punk" could be represented by the books of China Melville and the Subtle Knife series.

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Ice fyre

I think the next "hot thing" in fantasy will be Guns and Sorcery, for a long time fantasy has relied on quite sophisticated Sword and Sorcery worlds, but a few authors I've noticed are trying out Muskets and magic. While it will never replace standard sword and sorcery it may be the beggining of a whole new sub genre.

I also think "Steam Punk" might get a bit more of an airing.

The few I've notced are Tenmaire (sorry cant remmber the author) and the Monarchies of God series. "Steam Punk" could be represented by the books of China Melville and the Subtle Knife series.

Perhaps you meant the broader concept of military fantasy eg Erikson, Marco, Kearney, Cook, Novak (Temararie) etc...? rather than just guns specifically. Certainly there seems to have been a push in the last 20 odd years towards this military-style fantasy where the life of the soldier, warfare and blood, guts and tears is more in your face than ever before but I would argue it's already taken place rather than something yet to evolve. Obviuosly warfare in SFF is nothing new witness Sword and Sorcery etc..but this particular slant perhaps born out of the Vietnamn War seems to me at least to be more prevalent today than even 15 years ago.