Escapists Uncensored: The Genre Shuffle

Escapists Uncensored

Escapists UncensoredGenres and subgenres are the things that make us group books together. They help you pick what we’re in the mood to read, or what to shy away from. For instance, I love post apocalyptic novels but I’m not a big fan of romance. That being said, it seems as if some books just can’t be defined. They are those few books that teeter totter from one genre to the next and to explain what the book entails, one would have to string together a lot of words. I think we’ve all had that time where we told a friend ‘Oh sure it’s a rom-com werewolf driven urban fantasy set in a science fiction reality with advanced steampunk tech.’ Or maybe that’s just me. These books don’t bother me, I actually tend to like these books that break the mold. Sure, I can see where these types of books are a pr nightmare but they usually involve an interesting story that has a bit of something for everyone.

What bothers me are those books that feel truncated to fit into one subgenre. Those books are like an annoying atrocity to me. They always feel like the author’s voice is diminished and only serve to make the reader lose interest. Am I the only one who has read an urban fantasy book where it seemed one editor said there was one too many action scenes and the book in my hands turns out more about sex than the plot?

Maybe this is just a pet peeve of mine, maybe it’s an epidemic. It seems to be as if many stories aren’t quite being told so that they are shuffled into a genre which will sell more copies. There are quite a few young adult novels where I think the story would be more successful if the characters were just a tad older. I can’t be the only one who thought that particular idea as the budding new adult genre can attest.

What do you think LE readers? Is it better to be surprised by a book which peaks your interest on a variety of levels or do you prefer to stick to certain genres?

About Natassia 143 Articles
I am a performer by trade and have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. My bookshelves are full of many genres but I have a love of fantasy, SciFi and steampunk which have only spurred my performing dreams to help one of these fabulous worlds come to life. I tend to read books with a lot of edge and grit; if it's got zombies, space battles or fantastical steam inventions, I'm in. When I'm not reading or off making my own adventures, I can be caught watching movies of every era, gaming, and being scandalously political like any good steampunk heroine.