Springtime for Fantasy

Why does Hollywood think we should associate dragons, wizards and magical worlds with turkey, Christmas trees and trips to crowded mall multiplexes? I have no idea, but, whatever the reason, the season of big fantasy movie releases is now officially past. Harry Potter fans have thoroughly digested the latest movie and have returned to speculation about the next, and presumably final, book. The movie version of C.S. Lewis’s first Chronicles of Narnia book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is disappearing from movie theater marquees. And, of course, King Kong has come down from the Empire State Building.

Fortunately, the world of fantasy novels knows no season. Publishers tend to place their best fantasy bets in the spring and early summer, but readers can generally count on a steady stream of new fantasy all throughout the year, sufficient to satisfy the most insatiable appetite. Llewellyn always has a particularly diverse fantasy offering, and especially so this season, with a book from the beloved veteran fantasy and horror author John Peel and a book from an exciting newcomer, Jo Whittemore.

The Book of Reality, from the extremely prolific John Peel, is the third all-new edition to his long-running Diadem: Worlds of Magic series, and it’s sure to please both seasoned John Peel fans as well as new ones. I won’t steal John’s thunder; you’ll find an article by him on page 28. (And while I’m thinking of John Peel, fans should avail themselves of the dozens of Web sites dedicated to John and to his Diadem books in particular. Just Google “Diadem” and “John Peel” and you’ll find several. The Diadem Fan Zone at www.angelfire.com/theforce/diadem/ is a great place to start. It has everything from an interview with John to the very thorough Diadem encyclopedia to new chapters in the Diadem story written by other fans. If you’re a Diadem fan, it’s a surefire way to lose a couple of hours.)

While I’m not exactly sure how many books John Peel has published, I do know that Escape from Arylon is the first book published by Jo Whittemore; and Llewellyn is very excited to be able to introduce this new, young voice in fantasy for young adults. Escape from Arylon is the first book in the Silverskin Legacy series, a series that offers a unique and compelling blend of real and magical worlds, as well as new twists on fantasy standards from dragons to magic to swordplay. Fans of Christopher Paolini and Cornellia Funke, please don’t miss this one. Jo Whittemore also has an article in this issue of New Worlds, on page 29.

Booksellers consistently report that fantasy and science fiction are among their strongest categories, especially for teens and younger readers — and with good reasons. Much of the most innovative and interesting fiction is coming from these categories and the most loyal and voracious readers tend to flock to these shelves.

One of the nice things about the young adult book market (one of the things that perhaps older readers would do well to notice) is that, in the big chain stores, YA and middle-grade books aren’t generally shelved according to genre. Booksellers tend to put all the young adult books together. They do this for lots or reasons; one of which is that they want to keep all the books with teenage characters and teenage issues together, no matter what the genre. But the nice, unintended consequence of this grouping is that it encourages readers to browse outside their genre comfort zones, and it encourages publishers to worry a little less about whether a book fits the conventions of a certain genre. Younger readers don’t have decades of loyalty to a specific genre; they’re more willing to be surprised.

When the dividing lines between genres get blurry, books can really get exciting and interesting. You’re encouraged to consider all the possibilities. You consider books with fairies and football players, spirit guides and cheerleaders. Witch Ball, the latest book in The Seer series, from Linda Joy Singleton, is a great example. Timothy Carter’s hilarious Attack of the Intergalactic Soul Hunters is another. In both cases, readers will find healthy doses of the magical and the fantastic, but they’ll also get to meet characters whose lives look very much like the readers’ own (minus the psychic ability and the past-life experience as an intergalactically famous bounty hunter I suspect, but who can be sure?). When books combine genres well, readers get the best of both worlds: the familiar and the fantastic.