It seems that the blog sphere and the internets in general are talking alot about the YA market in books. I'm probably behind the eight ball on his one as even John Scalzi has written a YA Science Fiction novel (Zoe's Tale) set in his Old Man's War universe. Ofcourse I'm not saying that J.S. could not write one it's more that he is on the pulse of these things and if he has done it millions more will follow...
So in order to check out this in world of Fiction (and by that I mean Sci/Fi and Fantasy) I have read a few. Scott Westerfeld's, amgonst them. And you know what? I liked them, I mean really liked them. Sure some of the stuff was things that I don't deal with now, teenage issues and some of the situations the protaganist gets into I think WTF do this or that! But the story, the elements in the writing are all very good better then some of the Sci/Fi Fantasy I read that are adult books.
So what does all this mean? Should we all be jumping on the band wagon and getting our kicks from YA Sci/Fi? Will our favourite Authors all turn to the cash giving youth? The simple answer is;
"No of course not you idiot!"
YA's are not stupid and they are a fickle bunch - if you can trust any of the teenagers I know or have known including myself! - they don't want some "hey look at me I am coola nd hip down with ya'll I can write this YA fiction stuff and conect with the youth of the world..." Especially when they have such great writers like Cory Doctorow and Scott Westerfeld who write YA in an Adult way. Man I wish thay where around when I was younger, all I had was TSR pumping out more Dragon Lance novels with the same plot line and simple dialogue... and between you and me I really like these books - even if I am not in the demographic for them!
So in conclusion, should I fear that my favourite genres are going to get killed for the for YA market - no! Will this market create better fiction in years to come? Hell yes! and why? Teenagers get older (it's a fact face it girls and boys) they still buy books as they get older... this means aiming books at a aging audience... therefore more books for me to read an enjoy. WIN.
1 comment:
I'll be honest with you, I haven't read any 'young adult' stuff. Even when I was a teenager, I read 'grown-up' books.
I shy away from Harry Potter on principle (okay, I'm stubborn), and I kinda think I'm too old now to appreciate any of the (other) good stuff out that is available.
I take what you say, but with so many other novels out there waitin' to be read I have to wonder whether I have the time to be tryin' to recapture an age I was never really down with in the first place.
:o)
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