A brief list for those after a book that puts a new spin on an old style or which dares to trample the boundaries of genre
Most avid readers tend to have a preferred genre; a particular wing of the library or bookshop that they may venture beyond from time to time, but will always make a bee-line for when first stepping through the doors. As any mystery-nut, romance-addict or thriller-fan will attest, however, there can come a time when that favourite shelf starts to look dismayingly familiar, and one back cover seems to promise much the same as its neighbours.
On that note, for anyone out there interested in a new series that breaks free of convention, either by shining a new light on some mainstay element of the genre or by successfully melding two or more types of fiction into something truly unique, consider the following . . .
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
The story of a World War II field nurse transported back through time into war-torn 18th century Scotland, Outlander is comprised by the books Outlander (a.k.a. Cross Stitch), Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes, with yet more promised volumes to come.
Tactfully combining themes of romance, historic-fiction and an obvious time-travel component, Gabaldon has been praised for her enlivened and period-authentic characters, the remarkable degree of research apparent throughout the series and her skill at infusing the Scots-brogue (often attempted, rarely perfected) into written dialogue. A collection of definite interest for fans of all things British history, love story and Braveheart.
Stephen King’s Dark Tower series
Call it dark or urban fantasy, surreal horror, classic King or any combination of nouns and adjectives thereof you like, there is no denying that this recently completed seven-book series (the trilogy really does appear endangered; all the modern classics seem to manifest in sevens . . .) is a deftly hybridized tale that will appeal to fans of many walks and myriad tastes.
With over twenty years between the release of first and final books The Gunslinger and The Dark Tower, respectively (and with The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla and Song of Susannah filling the gap), the series has been named King’s greatest work by both its multitudinous readership and the author himself.
Each book sports elaborate illustrations that help add colour to the tale of Roland Deschain, a gunslinger whose quest to find the perhaps literal, possibly metaphorical Dark Tower takes him on an epic journey which winds back and forth between our own world and the alternate realm of Mid-World like a thread along a seam. Definitely a set worth investigating for any curious reader, and practically required reading for any wishing to claim status as a King fan.
The world of Discworld from Terry Pratchett
Although without question a work squatting firmly upon the grounds of fantasy-fiction, Pratchett has made his mark both prominent and original with a gargantuan series that satirizes a genre often guilty of taking itself a bit too seriously. Caricaturing everything from ancient folklore and fairytales to Tolkien and Lovecraft, Discworld is a monster of a collection with dozens of individual books (honestly, I’ll say that the first is The Color of Magic and from there, you’re on your own) that has come to partially define the field it thumbs its nose at – meaning that, somewhere out there, the fantasy-satire-satire awaits.
Up until very recently, Discworld books dominated the British bestseller lists whenever released, with none but a certain young, bespectacled wizard able to finally snatch the crown. If fantasy’s your traditional fare, you’ve likely already taken the occasional wander through Pratchett’s world, though if not and when next looking for something lighter and less dire, Discworld awaits all comers.
