# What is your favorite genre?



## Violanthe (Jun 12, 2006)

Of all the major publishing market genres, which is your favorite? In what section of the book store do you most often find your favorite reads?


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## chrysophalax (Jun 12, 2006)

Hmmmmmmmm, there's a question....I would have to say that _right now_ my favourite genre is fantasy, but finding a good author/series is so hard and I'm very choosy. I can very easily go for an excellent biography or book on ancient history/culture as well.


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## Varokhâr (Jun 12, 2006)

Definitely fantasy. Even if it's a little tongue-in-cheek, I like escaping into fantasy worlds of sword and spell.


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## Forfirith (Jun 13, 2006)

Since I discovered Tolkien, I prefer fantasy. But I like very much also those writers the French call "réalistes" like Zola and others. I also like the books by Agatha Christie, I don't know how you call this genre


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## YayGollum (Jun 13, 2006)

Science fiction, easily! Crazy fantasy people with your magic! Ick! No way, man! Give me a bunch of new aliens and technology! Swords and sorcery? Boring. Why not invent something outside of a box? Sure, lots of originality can be found in fantasy type stories but I prefer science fiction, where you more oftenly leave out one achingly overdone period of history. There are always exceptions, though. I would agree with what that chrysophalax lady wrote, except for the biography part. *falls asleep*


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## Ithrynluin (Jun 14, 2006)

I went with horror, though it's really more of a horror/thriller kind of combination for me. My favourite authors by far are Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Science fiction comes in second, and I would definitely choose it over fantasy. Koontz also tends to weave many strands of sci-fi into his works.


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## Ermundo (Jun 14, 2006)

Fantasy is my favorite genre. Why, well I like magic and swords and epic battles but also Fantasy is a genre where your imagination can take new heights, a place where you can seek refuge from this hecktic, crazy, (boring for some people), and stressful world. 

I also like science fiction cause I like Star Wars (duh) .

After Science Fiction would problably be adventure.


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## Starbrow (Jun 20, 2006)

It's no surprise that fantasy is leading in this forum. I also enjoy science fiction. And books by Jane Austen - go figure.


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## Mike (Jun 21, 2006)

I'm not quite sure I'm confined to one genre for favourites but I know what type of story I prefer: tales centred around a character who undergoes some kind of spiritual journey.

Dr. Zhivago fits into this type very well.

Come to think, so does a goodly portion of The Lord of the Rings.

(See what I mean?)


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## Randir Łazęga (Jun 21, 2006)

Hmmm... I may say that my favorit genere is fantasy. Generally, I was beginnig reading fantasy before I got to know about Tolkien. Except fantasy I also like horrors and historical books.


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## Violanthe (Jun 27, 2006)

Fantasy. But more the swords than the sorcery. And sf/f blends can be a lot of fun, too.


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## Rhiannon (Jul 3, 2006)

I like the new-ish term I've been seeing around, 'speculative fiction', because it applies to the whole bizarre mesh of classic fantasy (though I definitely read less sword & sorcery--if it's part of a huge series, or if it has a cover of an enormous man with a useless looking sword, I'm likely to pass. Especially if the cover is by Darrell Sweet, who should be shot and not allowed to do cover art anymore), urban fantasy, science fiction, fairy tales, and magical realism that I love. It's harder to pigeon-hole than your old-school Conan, or Star Trek, because it borrows from everything. I think authors like Neil Gaiman (what is Sandman, anyway? is it fantasy? urban fantasy? mythology? who knows?), Robin McKinley (especially with _Sunshine_), Stephen King's Dark Tower (look! it's a Western! it's a fantasy! it's science fiction!), Roger Zelazny, and Jasper Fforde fall into this category, just to name a few. 

So my overarching favorite is fantasy, but what I like best is a little bit of good genre-bending and a really good story.


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## Violanthe (Jul 6, 2006)

Actually, I think that the term "speculative fiction" may be on its way out. We were using it when we first launched the magazine last summer, but a surprising number of people were very resistant to it. Many had never heard of it, and many who had argued against its use.


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## Rhiannon (Jul 6, 2006)

It did seem to me, though, that your audience--based on the lists you put together, for instance--were more old-school than what I mean, in that their selections were easy to peg as definitely fantasy or definitely science fiction, rather than being out in a middle ground.


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## Persephone (Jul 6, 2006)

As far as writing is concerned, I am very comfortable with Dark Fantasy. reading is another thing. I find variations in genre a refreshing thing now and then.


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## Violanthe (Jul 9, 2006)

> It did seem to me, though, that your audience--based on the lists you put together, for instance--were more old-school than what I mean, in that their selections were easy to peg as definitely fantasy or definitely science fiction, rather than being out in a middle ground.


 
We definitely have some "old school" communities that contribute. And I think a lot of more traditional scifi and fantasy get onto the lists because a lot more people have read them than the newer stuff. But the resistence to the term "speculative fiction" was pretty wide-spread. We didn't notice any particular trends in the demographics of folks who objected.


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## Rhiannon (Jul 9, 2006)

That's interesting--I've come across it a lot in the last year, searching for magazine submissions guidelines. Strange Horizons uses it to summarize what they look for, for instance.


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## Talierin (Jul 25, 2006)

A lot of my favorite books are fantasy, but lately I've been on a huge classic sci fi kick (due to waaaaaaay too much Doctor Who , so I voted for sci fi


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