Confessions of a Fantasy and Sci-Fi Junky
As I sit in the afterglow of a great rendition of a fantasy book on the big screen, I ponder my attraction to the genre. Specifically over the past years the high fantasy has been shoved to the side in my reading arsenal and I'm drawn to the new fantasy following in Anne Rices footsteps where the real meets the supernatural. I've always loved them, they are not horror, they just have character development of characters from horror. There use to be a couple here and there, now there is a complete explosion of them in the marketplace.
Don't get me wrong I still find and read the great High Fantasy book but I''m reading more of the altered reality type books. I use to just enjoy the escape from reality now it seems to be more personnel. I always thought I was pretty grounded before but, my daughter specifically brought reality home to me. I and my husband and like most characters in these books share an altered reality. I think all parents experience this when going from being without children to having children but, us parents of medically involved children have a pronounce change. It is hard for others to relate when you have experienced being home alone with your vent dependent child who manages to pull out the trach tube and g-tube at the same time.
It comes down to doing what all the heroes in the books have to do. You live in the moment suspend some of your society beliefs and make things happen. You feel the fear and function. I think that's why I particularly drawn to those types of books.
--Mom
Currently I'm reading The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. It is pretty much a spy novel where the anti-terrorism involves preventing Demon summoning with applied advance mathematics on computers. I'm hooked and itching to dive back in.
My favorite of all time in this genre type is the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. This functions on so many levels I don't want to ruin it for any potential readers, but here is a line that may hook you. In the third book there is a group therapy session for the minor and major characters of Wuthering Heights. Imagine pop psychology getting a hold of Heathclift and Cathryn.
Some other must reads:
Weather Warden books by Rachel Caine
Rachel Morgan books by Kim Harrison
Kitty Norvell books by Carrie Vaughn
Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris
Diana Tregarde Investigations by Mercedes Lackey
Sometimes I wonder if all of these are written by the same author except with different pen names.
