4/6/11

Historical Fantasy

Well, as mentioned in yesterday's interview, Stratagem has a genre, and it's all thanks to Paula.

For a long time, I was calling it an YA adventure novel (even said so in some of my queries, ugh!). Had never actually heard of this genre in real life, but I needed something! My story didn't fit into any of the genres I knew: It couldn't be fantasy, because there was no magic. Not paranormal, for the same reason. Not strictly a romance. Not a mystery, or thriller, or "issue" book. Just a story, a princess story.

Paula noticed my answer in the interview and asked, "What about a historical fantasy?"

I had never heard of such a genre, but she was kind of enough to Wiki (omgosh, 'Wiki' is a verb) it and sent me this:
"The story takes place in an alternative history with clear differences from our own." (One of three types of historical fantasies.)
I'd never considered my story to be any sort of alternative history, which I thought to be something more like using WW2 bombers in a Civil War novel, or electricity in the Byzantine era. But it has more to do with similarities to our world, similarities after something has changed. And I could see that in my novel.

At least, it's the closest I've gotten to a genre. :) What genre is your book? Was it easy to find, or did you have some trouble?

2 comments:

Paula said...

Glad I could help, Melody. And thanks again for the interview yesterday.

I struggle with my ms, which could be called a paranormal thriller or a paranormal romance because it's really both. But I'm too chicken to say paranormal thriller romance. I don't think that's in Wiki.

: )

Lydia Kang said...

Mine is YA sci-fi, but it's got romance and stuff...I might end up calling it bio-punk because it technically fits under that term.
:)