Some observations on current trends in YA fantasy:
JK Rowling had never written before Harry Potter. Stephanie Meyer had never written before Twilight.
JK Rowling had no idea she was writing fantasy. Stephanie Meyer has never read a book, watched a movie, or eaten a cereal about vampires.
The success of both authors launched a thousand titles in their wake- "Suddenly" children and teenage girls are into fantasy and vampires. Only old guard bookstore employees note that in fact kids have always loved fantasy and teenage girls have always read gothic romance, but never before have they been MARKETED agressively.
Both series are celebrated in the press for their "ordinary heroes." By the end of both series, their respective fandoms were both primarily engaged with secondary characters.
...There's a pattern underneath all of this, but the probable answer depresses me, so I'm quiting while I still have 17 sanity points.
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Date: 2008-08-09 04:48 am (UTC)JK Rowling had never written before Harry Potter.
Stephanie Meyer had never written before Twilight.
JK Rowling had no idea she was writing fantasy.
Stephanie Meyer has never read a book, watched a movie, or eaten a cereal about vampires.
The success of both authors launched a thousand titles in their wake- "Suddenly" children and teenage girls are into fantasy and vampires.
Only old guard bookstore employees note that in fact kids have always loved fantasy and teenage girls have always read gothic romance, but never before have they been MARKETED agressively.
Both series are celebrated in the press for their "ordinary heroes."
By the end of both series, their respective fandoms were both primarily engaged with secondary characters.
...There's a pattern underneath all of this, but the probable answer depresses me, so I'm quiting while I still have 17 sanity points.