What’s the difference between fantasy romance, romantic fantasy and romantasy?
I posed that question in the Fantasy Sub-Reddit recently, and the response was amazing. Aside from drawing 44,000+ views, the thread sparked a thoughtful and passionate discussion about those labels and how to define them.
Some Redditors framed the difference between the labels structurally: is the romance the engine of the plot, or does the fantasy stand on its own? Others focused on audience and intent, arguing that romantasy is written primarily for romance readers and follows romance rules, regardless of how elaborate the fantasy elements might be. There was also heated debated over whether or not the ‘romantasy’ tag was an indicator of the quality of world building.
The majority of Redditors generally supported the following broad definitions:
- Fantasy romance: A romance novel set in a fantasy world. The love story drives the plot; the fantasy elements enrich it.
- Romantic fantasy: A fantasy story with a recognisable romantic subplot. Without the romance, the fantasy plot would still stand on its own.
- Romantasy: A newer/colloquial term used by readers and marketers — often as another term for ‘fantasy romance’, but sometimes used to describe stories in which romance and fantasy are equally central. (This one is still very much a moving feast in terms of shared language.)
Labels in creative contexts are always problematic. But the argument above wasn’t about labels as such, rather what they create in terms of reader expectations.
That’s why it’s helpful to have common definitions and it’s important we do our best to get them right in our marketing. Otherwise, we risk readers being disappointed and frustrated when a book doesn’t deliver what they expect. (Based on the above simplified definitions, I put The Children of Verus Trilogy in the spectrum of romantic fantasy.)
I found the whole discussion/debate fascinating (and clearly one that is happening frequently). Here’s the full thread if you’re interested (feel free to add to the discussion!):
Fantasy Sub-Reddit
Meanwhile, on Instagram…
Author E.C Glynn and also I chatted about this question. She’s created an awesome Instagram post mapping fantasy sub-genres. The opening slides (and the one featuring The Shadow of the Eagle) are below and the whole post is here:
E.C. Glynn on Insta
What do you think? How do you define the different sub-genres of fantasy and what is your preferred level of romance and/or space?
Another of those quick updates
I know…it’s been a long time between posts.
My life has been its usual craziness between my day job and working on the new book, but I thought I’d give a quick update on a couple of things.
Firstly, the new book…
My publisher, Michael Heyward at Text Publishing, gave it a lovely mention in a recent edition of Bookseller & Publisher, so I can now tell you it’s called The Undercurrent and it will be release in August 2017. As I’ve said before, it’s a totally new story set in a near-future Australia and is a stand-alone novel.
In other news, the Turkish translation of Burn is available, with a stunning cover design. Here are all four books in the series (in order):
My favourite reads this year include (click on each for my thoughts on Goodreads):
I’ve also been lucky enough to read a draft of Vikki Wakefield’s new suspense novel Ballad for a Mad Girl (due out in March 2017) and can tell you that it’s spine-chillingly awesome.
I’ve also been watching:
(Jury is still out on whether I’m going to see out this season of Walking Dead after that first episode. I may not forgive the writers for that one.)
Okay, that’s it for me for now.
Supanova Gold Coast 2015
I’m back from two days on the Gold Coast after participating in Supanova 2015, my first gig at a pop culture convention. And I had an absolute ball.
I saw brilliant cosplay characters, met lovely and talented actors and artists, and spent the weekend with a fantastic bunch of authors: Peter F Hamilton, Traci Harding, Kim Wilkins, Alan Baxter, Justin Woolley, Lynette Noni, and Marianne de Pierres.
I saw stormtroopers, Jack Sparrow, Ripley (complete with alien bursting out of her abdomen), Harlequin and Poison Ivy, Thor and Loki, hordes of zombies, Street Fighters, Super Mario Brothers, Kick Ass and Hit Girl…and expanded my fledgling knowledge of Anime. I watched professional wrestling and high energy, full-band lip-syncing/air guitar/drumming (Rockstar Entertainment), visited the Weta exhibit and browsed the most eclectic and fascinating collections of artwork, memorabilia and medieval warcraft. There’s so much to see and do at Supanova, it’s almost overwhelming.
But what struck me most was the atmosphere. As well as the sensation of entering a different world, there’s the unmistakable sense of fun and camaraderie. People are there to enjoy and express themselves: it’s an inclusive and eclectic tribe coming together with a shared passion for pop culture.
The Gold Coast Convention Centre buzzed for two days, inside and out. Huge congratulations to all involved for such a well-run event that remained true to its vision to be family-friendly. The crowds were thick on both days, but – from my experience at least – there were no dramas. And thank you again to Ineke for inviting me to be part of the writing contingent this year. It was a blast.
A few highlights:
As a die-hard Buffy and Angel fan, it was a treat to meet Charisma Carpenter, a dear friend of Marianne de Pierres:
My spot on the signing table was between the lovely Traci Harding and Peter F Hamilton. Peter is not only a legendary and much-beloved science fiction writer, he’s also one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. It was a pleasure to watch his interactions with fans, and to get the chance to chat with him for two days. (Plus, I got a book signed!)
Two actors who caused a fair bit of excitement (especially among teens) were Tyler Hoechlin (Teen Wolf) and Aussie actor Bob Morley (The 100). They were both pretty cool guys, so when they sat behind Marianne and I on the bus to the cocktail party, I thought I should capture the occasion. They kindly hammed it up.
Here’s a snapshot of my experience at Supanova Gold Coast 2015:
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- Kim Wilkins getting into the spirit!
North American blog tour for Haze
I’m coming out of the writing cave for a few days because it’s the North American blog tour for Haze!
There are guest posts, interviews, reviews and giveaways. Here are all the links, now live:
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2014
Wendy at The Midnight Garden (Setting inspirations – including locations inspired by random Google images)
Jo Ann at Journey of a Bookseller (review)
Lee at Rally the Readers (review)
Stephanie at The Bevy Bibliothèque (review)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2014
Lynne at Words of Mystery (a guest post, in which I talk about fear – including my own)
Alexandra at Collections (review)
Leslie at Michelle & Leslie’s Book Picks (an interview with Gaby)
Ashley at Book Labyrinth (review and giveaway)
Jen at The Starry-Eyed Revue (some thoughts on casting/how I picture characters)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
Summer at MissFictional’s World of YA Books (guest post: my musical inspiration for Haze)
Jillian at Centre of the Universe (review)
Jen at Perogies & Gyoza (review)
Crystal at WinterHaven Books (review)
Lisa at Turning Pages (review)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014
Bethzaida at Bookittyblog (review)
Krystal at Krystal’s Stellar Book Blog (review)
Jaime (and her sister Erin) at FictionFare (an interview about cut scenes, weird google searches, characters who surprised me – and more!)
Marianne and Bec at Escape Club (an interview, in which I talk about Rafa’s appeal)
Christina at The Paperback Princesses (review)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2014
Joy at Joyousreads (review)
Crystal at Crystal in Bookland (review)
Andrea at Cozy Up With A Good Read (review)
Kristen at My Friends Are Fiction (guest post: what Gaby and I have in common)
You can also check out the Tundra Books blog for more information on how to win a signed copy of Shadows (hard cover) and a brand new hard cover copy of Haze.
Massive thank you to all the bloggers who so kindly participated in the tour, and to Sylvia at Tundra Books for again organising. It was great fun! 🙂
Marianne de Pierres chats about genre blending (and bending)
The very versatile and talented Marianne de Pierres has a new novel out in five weeks, the clever genre-bending thriller Peacemaker (read my thoughts on it here). I offered to participate in the Peacemaker blog tour because I wanted to ask Marianne about her creative process for this latest project, and I thought a few of you might be interested in the answer. So here it is…
Given you’re adept at a number of genres, how did you decide which elements to bring together – and in what order did they come to you? Western, urban fantasy, sci fi…what was the spark that joined the dots for you?
Marianne:
I wrote a short story almost ten years ago entitled Gin Jackson: Neophtyte Ranger which Cat Sparks published in Agog! The main character in PEACEMAKER was born back then, but she was situated in a futuristic outback Australia, in a town protected by an environmental bubble. 
When I got the idea for PEACEMAKER, I knew from the outset that I wanted to use Gin as my protagonist, but somehow locate her in a place where I could indulge my love for western novels. Gin Jackson became Virgin, and the rest just slotted together in my mind like a bolt locking into place. I had already visited the notion of Australia super cities in the Parrish Plessis novels, and it was an idea I wanted to continue to explore. In PEACEMAKER, however (unlike Nylon Angel’s Parrishverse), there is no barren interior. The PEACEMAKER world depicts a future Australia that is densely populated throughout, other than this one tract of land – Birrimun Park – which has been preserved as a natural habitat.
Some of the pre-publication discussion about the book has suggested a Firefly kind of world, but it is really nothing at all like that great series. The urban fantasy elements are very strong in PEACEMAKER and they sit firmly atop a story heavy in crime, mystery and semi-espionage. For some inexplicable reason, I also kept getting echoes of Robert Holdstock’s classic novel, Mythago Wood as I began to write. It seemed strange but I’ve learnt to trust these instincts. Suddenly, it became clear that as the story arc played out in my mind, and the fantastical elements began to develop, that the series would tilt more towards a mythical saga. Go figure?
If you are the kind of reader who likes to have both feet planted firmly in a single genre story then PEACEMAKER is not for you. But if you like the notion of a tale that tugs you in a number of directions then I expect — hope — you will enjoy the ride! 🙂
Thanks Marianne. 🙂
