Friday, 18 February 2011

What is the Next Big Thing?

I was having a chat with the delightful Sam Eades last night - publicist at Headline - and we were discussing what might be the next big thing (sort of YA but also applies across the board, I guess).

We've had vampires:

We've had werewolves - both this sort:


and this sort:


We've seen angels:


There have been zombies galore:


And we've seen dystopia:



And that ubiquitous hooded man has graced many a fantasy cover - whether assassin or swordsman or rogue (sword and sorcery appears to have made a bit of a comeback):




So, guys, over to you: a) what do you *think* the next big thing will be and b) what do you want to see?
Posted by Magemanda at 09:52
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23 comments:

  1. Liz18 February 2011 at 10:02

    Horror. Like I said last night, I do think Horror is coming back in a good way. Not schlock horror either but deeply psychological horror books that make you think and feel like maybe you don't want to get up for that glass of water in the dark. :-D

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  2. Tom P18 February 2011 at 10:09

    I reckon we'll see a split: the next big thing in Paranormal Romance will probably be Fae: the glamour thing's got legs. All the way up.

    Outside, I'm thinking non-dystopian YASF. Chaos Walking and Across The Universe show two very different ways of doing the bildungsroman in a universe that *doesn't* look like a cross between Orwell's nightmares and Caligula's dreams.

    For me, I'd like to see more inventive Urban Fantasy, with peeps straying from the stock creatures and making up their own...

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  3. Weirdmage18 February 2011 at 10:10

    a) I think a comeback for dragons is long overdue. And the Hobbit movie could herald their returb. -Could be that in the UF/PR genre they will be able to turn into hunky men...

    b) I like dragons. That's why I liked Robin Hobb's Dragon Keeper/Dragon Haven.

    I welcome the return of our winged overlords!

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  4. Unknown18 February 2011 at 10:34

    Insectoid love stories. Praying Mantis broken hearted after snacking on her latest lover. Perhaps not.

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  5. Tea and Tomes18 February 2011 at 10:42

    Gods. We're well overdue for a bunch of "gods relating with mortals" novels and movies, I think.

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  6. Adrian Faulkner18 February 2011 at 10:46

    Whatever it is, it will most likely be something old with a new twist

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  7. Magemanda18 February 2011 at 10:51

    Ria, funny you should mention that because I figured we were due a return to myths and muses, which sort of fits yours too. Taking those Greek and Roman tales and using them in a more up to date fashion

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  8. Mieneke van der Salm18 February 2011 at 11:16

    Bigfoot?

    No seriously, I think both Tom and Ria & Amanda have a good point. I think Fae might become big both in PNR and YA-Fantasy, Kaz Mahoney's the Iron Witch and Brenna's Yovanoff's The Replacement come to mind. Though I guess they'd be more of the Dark Fae variety more scary than sparkly. And returning to myths and muses seems to be something that has already happened in the YA section what with Lex Trent and Percy Jackson, so that might really come through to adult fantasy.

    In the same vein as updating Greek and Roman tales I hope we get more fairytale retellings, but that's more because I love them than because I think they'll be a trend!

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  9. Jamie Gibbs18 February 2011 at 12:12

    I agree that dragons are due a comeback, particularly is sword and sorcery is starting to come back into the fray. That would be pretty sweet. A new take on dragons would be pretty cool. Either that or a Lovecraftian revival would also be awesome.

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  10. Anonymous18 February 2011 at 15:21

    Zombie Vampires.

    Or Zombies vs Vampires.

    Or Zombies & Vampires, a love story.

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  11. GunMetalBlue18 February 2011 at 15:48

    I'll agree horror (or aspects thereof) seem to be what's on the horizon more and more.

    My wish. My dearest wish is that mainstream traditional fantasy worlds would infuse into the teen popular culture (and therefore the world radar). I'm kind of hoping that A GAME OF THRONES forthcoming presence on HBO will, like TRUE BLOOD, get young influential folk and the like all hot and bothered about trad. fantasy now and perhaps a few more kids will get into the ever expanding genre, breaking down the wall from status-quo vampire/werewolf/angel/fae paranormal romance. Harry Potter and LORD OF THE RINGS as the base, the transition to full blown traditional fantasy peppering the YA shelves would be nice.

    Also, as Jamie said, a Lovecraftian revival WOULD be awesome...because what the hell is better than Cthulu, Shoggoth and the old ones?

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  12. Anonymous18 February 2011 at 15:57

    Alternate history ... our past, but with magic.

    At least, that's what I would like to see. But it probably will be the Fae, like others have said. And the re-telling of myths, since the fairytales re-told have been so popular in the last few years. I think it'd be great to see some mythologies other than Greek/Roman explored - Norse, Egyptian (I am enjoying Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles, and would love to see other writers take on the complex Egyptian mythology), Celtic, Chinese ... so many different kinds of mythologies out there, and it would be great to see writers bringing different ones into the light!

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  13. GunMetalBlue18 February 2011 at 16:40

    @Elouise82 In that vein wouldn't it also be nice to see something that touched or included the Hindu Scriptures. I think there is a treasure trove of heroics there.

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  14. Callidiscope18 February 2011 at 16:40

    UNICORNS!!!!!

    No, but really I would love to see a resurgence of Dragons. I also would love to see an author create a new type of being, and not just remake Vampires and Werewolves.

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  15. Lynsey Newton18 February 2011 at 19:20

    I strongly believe it will be ghosts which is awesome as that's what my WIP is about but I fear I will miss the boat. So yeah, ghosts is my prediction.

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  16. Hannah Mariska18 February 2011 at 19:58

    i was gonna say dragons will probably have a comeback....but i've been to it!

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  17. Hannah Mariska18 February 2011 at 19:59

    *correction* I mean i've been beaten to it....seems the keyboard has beaten me as well!

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  18. Jared18 February 2011 at 21:21

    Plastics.

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  19. Anonymous18 February 2011 at 21:22

    You think angels have been a thing? If they have, I've missed it. (And I have a total thing for angels/men with wings.)

    Angels would actually be one of my predictions. Superheros is my next. They're all over the films, but where are the books? (Except, you know, for my barely begun novel...)

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  20. Eric18 February 2011 at 22:01

    I'll personally vote for erotica, but I think Tom's right: Fae. It may take a couple years, though, for the newTinkerbell kids to grow up enough to read it.

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  21. Kevin18 February 2011 at 22:51

    The next big thing: Nautical adventures on the high seas and deep oceans! Giant squids and island-size turtles are perennial favorites I think.

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  22. GunMetalBlue19 February 2011 at 13:04

    Ooooohh, wait. How about Soletaken Dragons.


    Scott FTW!

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  23. Benjamin21 February 2011 at 18:32

    I saw a joke somewhere that the next big thing was going to be minotaurs. :P

    More seriously, it's hard to say. We do seem to have a brace of new space operas plus books that are mixing both science fiction and fantasy.

    A lot of people have said dragons, but I'd say they're are already making a comeback with books like The Cardinal's Blades, The Adamantine Palace, Dragon in Chains, and of course His Majesty's Dragon.

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