Your Winter Fantasy Reading List: A Crash Course in the Genre
If you write fantasy, then this post is for you!
One of my biggest beliefs as a writer is that you HAVE TO READ ALL THE TIME IN YOUR GENRE. Read the classics, read what’s new, read the good and the bad. Learn from other writers and try to figure out what works for you as a reader. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve talked to writers who lament that they don’t have time to read. It’s too bad, because they could be even better writers if they made it a priority. Also, and this might be just me – how can you write fiction and not have an insatiable need to read? Don’t have time? Hard to believe. You can always snag a few minutes in the bathtub, right?
This winter I’m embarking on an intensive study of fantasy, specifically in children’s and YA literature. My WIP is a fantasy and I’m keen to avoid the tropes of the genre so that my book will be fresh and original in today’s crowded market. I also want to make sure that I’m always striving to be an authority on what I’m writing – authority in voice is so key to having good prose and story and it’s something that comes with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.
I came to fantasy late in life – yes, I’m one of those people who was weirded out by it until I read Harry Potter. I remember reading The Hobbit in junior high for a class and being pleasantly surprised, but I didn’t try out any more fantasy until my freshman year in college. Once I met Harry, I was hooked. I began to devour YA fantasy and even a few adult titles. I also started reading sci-fi (gasp!) and I love seeing the parallels between the two (Dune is a great example of this genre blending). I’m nowhere near as well read in the genre as die-hard fantasy people who have been reading fantasy their whole lives, but even I’m beginning to see some of the pitfalls. We see the same story lines again and again, mythical creatures that are so over-done that they’ve lost all their power, and flat heroes and heroines. As a reader, this can be really frustrating. I believe that fantasy has the ability to transport a reader more than any genre and yet it can be one of the stalest things out there. (How many times do we need to hear that magic “comes at a price” before it stops mattering?). I wrote a paranormal YA a couple of years ago that hasn’t seen the light of day, but it taught me how to write magic (a tricky thing indeed) and action. But now I’m getting serious about this new book and I want to start it off right. To that end, I’m working on a demanding study of the genre, both with YA, children’s, and adult titles, with a particular emphasis on YA, as that’s what I write. My goal is to discover the cliches and see good examples of stories that transcend tropes. I want to have a better understanding of magic systems and the logic that is inherently needed in stories with mystical qualities. I want to avoid the tired plot lines and discover how to bring both my protagonist and my magical world to life without accidentally falling into one of the genre’s many traps for writers.
Because I’m doing this with my VCFA advisor, Coe Booth, I’ll be writing papers on different aspects of the genre, from the use of portals to the role of feminism. I’ll be writing annotated bibliographies of every book I read (I can’t recommend this enough. It forces you to think on what you read and really figure out what worked and what didn’t). I’ll be applying everything I learn to my WIP and doing both side writing and getting creative about how I organize my plot and my world (drawing maps, writing a travel guide to my parallel world, that sort of thing). I’ll be regularly documenting what I discover on the blog and the following list is just a preliminary one. It won’t include all the many, many titles I’ve read thus far and will be heavy on newer titles or classics I haven’t read. I will try to add new titles to future posts, but you can always keep updated on what I’m reading by checking out my Goodreads Author Page. Also, if you have any must-reads, please put them in the comments so I can add them to my list. So, without further ado…
The following books are craft texts specifically related to fantasy:
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland (Diana Wynne-Jones)
How To Write Science Fiction and Fantasy (Orson Scott Card)
Other Worlds: The Fantasy Genre (John Timmerman)
Philip Pullman had this book (Katherine Briggs’ Encyclopedia of Fairies) in his bibliography for his Grimm tales. Does anyone know if this was the same one Maggie Stiefvater recommends?? I feel like she suggested one, but I went through her books and couldn’t find it. Grr.
** If you’re writing fantasy, you should be familiar with Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey. I know there’s a book that someone recommended to me that is an easier read than Campbell…once I figure out what it is, I will post it.
I have so many fantasy favorites, but here are a few I recommend that are tried and true (I’m sure I’m forgetting some):
-Harry Potter (duh)
-Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series
-The Lord of the Rings (all three and the Hobbit)
-The Chronicles of Narnia (They are sometimes dull, but at least read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian…but really, read them all if you’re writing fantasy for children or young adults)
-Timora Pierce’s Alanna series
-Robin Mckinley’s The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown (fantastic!)
-Alice in Wonderland (sort of required reading, even though I don’t love it)
-Anything by Maggie Stiefvater, but especially The Scorpio Races
-Kristin Cashore’s Graceling or Fire (I think I preferred Fire, but it depends on which day you ask me)
-Holly Black’s Tithe
-A Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire Book 1): I read this over Christmas and loved it. There aren’t a lot of fantasy elements in this first book, FYI, but it’s great with world building and court intrigue. It can also help those who are interested in writing high fantasy (swords and knights and that sort of thing).
-Twilight: Sorry, but if you’re writing YA fantasy, you need to know what this is all about. I’m not gonna lie – I had fun reading these books.
-Cinder: I just read this and really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to the next books in the series.
And Now…A Preliminary List of The Fiction I’ll Be Reading (in no particular order):
Philip Pullman’s Grimm Fairy Tales: I’ve been working through his recent translation and it’s great fun. Fairy tales are the foundation of fantasy (well, those and myths), so it feels good to be doing a thorough examination. He has excellent notes and I loved his forward.
Tales From 1,001 Nights: You have to sift through these to get to the more fantastical stories, but they are an interesting read and flesh out a true study of the genre.
A Wizard of Earthsea: I can’t believe I haven’t read this classic! It’s been on my list for a long, long time…
Lament: This first book by Maggie Stiefvater promises to be awesome. If you haven’t read her, just read everything she’s done. I can’t wait to check this out. It’s sitting on my desk, tempting me as we speak.
The Book of Three: I’m excited to finally read Lloyd Alexander. This is a classic in children’s fantasy.
Beautiful Creatures: I’m actually going to read this whole trilogy and do a study of paranormal fantasy arcs.
Peter Pan: A classic and a must-read. I’m excited to actually read the real story, since I only know the Disney movie (and the awesome ride at Disneyland)
Stardust: I’m told this is a go-to for Gaiman YA fantasy. I’ve already read Coraline, which you should if you haven’t.
Lips Touch Three Times (Laini Taylor): I love her. Her writing is gorgeous.
Okay, now I’m getting lazy. Here are the rest of the books on my list:
Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll): I didn’t love Alice, but I feel like I have to read the sequel. Grrr.
The Light Princess (George McDonald): This is a classic of the genre. He is a fantasy master that C.S. Lewis loved and was inspired by. Good enough for me!
The Phoenix and the Carpet: A fantasy by E. Nesbit, Victorian children’s author.
The False Prince (Jennifer A. Nielson): A new trilogy. I just finished reading this…it has some interesting aspects, but you’ll have to see what you think for yourself.
Shadow Spinner (Susan Fletcher): One of the VCFA professors!
Shadow and Bone (Leigh Bardugo): Reading it right now…very fun!
Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan): Comes highly recommended as a fantasy must-read
Grave Mercy (R.L. LaFevers): This one’s getting lots of good press and sounds fun
Beauty (Robin McKinley): A fairy tale re-telling that promises to be good
White Cat (Holly Black): She’s a go-to for fantasy/paranormal YA
The Poison Eaters (Holly Black): A collection of short stories – I thought this could be a quick way to look at a lot of different kinds of mythical creatures.
To keep up with trends:
Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series: I like some of the books more than others, but her characters and world are super fun.
Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series: (I love her writing and the story is really interesting. I especially liked the second book in this trilogy…#3 hasn’t come out yet)
Happy reading!
