Reaching Outside the Genre
Aaron Miles
The fantasy genre is a curious beast, its wide reach covering a range of topics and themes. It has stories about growing up, stories about overcoming problems, stories about slaying…
genre
Plot Twists That Defy Genre Expectations
Nicola Alter
Most of us love a good plot twist. We’re always trying to predict where a narrative is headed, but we’re usually thrilled when it takes an unexpected turn, surprises us,…
I Know This is Fantasy-Faction, but Science-fiction Matters Too
Geoff Matthews
I don’t think I have a strange reading history. I’m pretty sure it is the same as many other people. At a young age I started reading books, because that’s…
In The Mix: Fantasy and Other Genres
Leo Elijah Cristea
Fantasy is a genre that assimilates elements of other genres, whilst still remaining, for the most part, a genre not often thought of as having a great number of “crossovers”…
A Genre for the Ages
Nicole Singer
Think back to the first time you picked up a fantasy book. What was it? How old were you? For most of us, the answer is probably pretty young. I…
The Genre Divide
As long as there have been books there have been categories for them, Fantasy-Faction itself is a site dedicated to a particular form of literature. But in recent years more…
Tie-In Fiction: Fantasy’s Gateway Drug
Zachary A. Matzo
Tie-in fiction—specifically the Dragonlance universe—was my first introduction to wonderful world of epic, serial fantasy. Before Eddings, before Jordan and Feist, there were Weis and Hickman. The Dragonlance Chronicles are…
Class Warfare: Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Literary Fiction
The line drawn between so-called literary fiction and genre fiction has always irked me. As I embarked upon a re-read of the first two volumes of Lev Grossman’s frustrating Magicians…
What Makes a Great Bookstore?
Everyone has a favorite bookstore—whether it’s a big chain or the corner independent. It’s the place where we discover new books, maybe even wait in line for hours for the…
Fandom and Creativity
Fandom is a funny thing. It’s also a complex thing with practically a life of its own; an organic organism that has taken on a different meaning besides stereotypical lines…
Why Reading “Terrible” Novels Isn’t A Bad Idea
Liz Fellshot Ambrose
As the holidays roll around and we start interacting with family members who we don’t see on a regular basis, there is always that one person who asks you what…
Mom Doesn’t Get Dragons
My mom doesn’t understand my reading habits. I believe the exact quote was, “I would think science fiction would be the last thing you’d be interested in.” The fact that…