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FreezairForALimitedTime Responsible adult from Planet Claire Since: Jan, 2001
Responsible adult
#1: Aug 10th 2012 at 10:03:01 PM

The topic title is pretty self-explanatory. What are some genres that don't cross over very often, but should?

-Historical mysteries. Oddly enough, I don't generally like historicals and I don't generally like mysteries, but when you set a mystery in, say, the Persian empire or ancient Peru or Renaissance Italy, you get my attention. Hard to say what makes them so appealing to me, but I think I might like the fact that the heroes have to contend with finding clues the old fashioned way, and there's no modern forensics or DNA evidence to make things too easy for them.

-Fantasy Westerns. The Space Western is a thing, sure enough, but you don't often get a lot of magic and spellcasters way out West. I think the reason this idea appeals to me so much is because I'm a fantasy lover who lives way out West and who has been surrounded by Western culture from birth, and I love the rich landscape of the desert. Plus, the West has some amazing myths that would make for the foundation of a great fantasy culture. Both of the Native American variety and the imported cowboy folktale variety.

"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada
sargecadet Since: Mar, 2012
#2: Aug 10th 2012 at 11:50:35 PM

I see what you're saying. As far as Fantasy Western goes, The Dark Tower (at least the first book, I haven't read any others) definitely has that feel.

Another genre combo (or actually, style) is a Historical Fiction with Lemony Narration. I don't know, it might be more common than I think but it's something I haven't really ever seen.

Xtifr World's Toughest Milkman Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
World's Toughest Milkman
#3: Aug 11th 2012 at 4:49:21 AM

Second the vote for historical mysteries. Marcus Didius Falco is one of my favorites. Also, comedy and science fiction seems to be a rare combination these days, though it was fairly popular once upon a time.

Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#4: Aug 11th 2012 at 6:12:56 AM

High fantasy and crime drama. They seem really incompatible, but I'd like to see someone take a stab at it.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Nightwire Since: Feb, 2010
#5: Aug 11th 2012 at 7:05:14 AM

[up]Well there's Discworld's Watch series, though it's not exactly High Fantasy.

Lightningnettle Nettle Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Nettle
#6: Aug 11th 2012 at 8:41:00 AM

Patricia Wrede has written a couple of Frontier Magic books, the first is the Thirteenth Child. The American frontier has too little fantasy written about it, and some rich possibilities with the various cultures that met and mixed.

If you're willing to take recent history, I found Anna Dean last week. She's written some mysteries set in Regency England and the one I read was very good.

Fantasy and mystery in general is something I like, and not much available. Randall Garrett's are classic of course. Then let's see. Daniel Hood, Elisa deCarlo (sort of, a psychic detective with a Wodehouse flavor), Kim Harrison's books always involve a mystery of sorts. Gah, I know there are more but my brain won't bring them up, bad brain.

Comedies of manners and SF in general are also a rare and enjoyable mix. Bujold's A Civil Campaign, Wrede's Mairelon the Magician, and Walter Jon Williams' The Crown Jewels are the ones I know about. Any others?

wuggles (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#7: Aug 11th 2012 at 9:21:10 AM

I did one time read a sort of historical mystery series. The Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix is one, in a weird way. If I say anything about the plot, that'll spoil it.tongue

MrShine Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#8: Aug 11th 2012 at 12:39:54 PM

If you want a fantasy western I highly recommend The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman. Guns and trains are possessed by demons and people pick a side and duke it out. Totally awesome book, starts out with more western and little fantasy at the beginning and the fantasy elements get larger as the book goes on.

Other fantasy westerns are the first half of The Etched City by KJ Bishop (the 2nd half takes place in something like a fantasy india) and my own favourite book Iron Council.

edited 11th Aug '12 12:41:40 PM by MrShine

Xtifr World's Toughest Milkman Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
World's Toughest Milkman
#9: Aug 11th 2012 at 2:57:31 PM

[up][up][up] Melisa Michaels (doesn't have a page yet, but I'm working on it) has a couple of urban fantasy/mysteries, Cold Iron, and Sister to the Rain. And of course, there's Garrett, P.I.. Also, Jasper Fforde has the Nursery Crime series which mixes fairy-tales with Police Procedural.

edited 11th Aug '12 3:01:18 PM by Xtifr

Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
FreezairForALimitedTime Responsible adult from Planet Claire Since: Jan, 2001
Responsible adult
#10: Aug 11th 2012 at 6:14:53 PM

I do enjoy a bit of sci-fi comedy. Perhaps sci-fi turned more serious in an attempt to escape the Sci-Fi Ghetto?

"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada
Eagal Since: Apr, 2012
#11: Aug 11th 2012 at 6:24:21 PM

I'm gonna say Zombie Apocalypse and Americana? I got nothin. I originally put ZA and musicals, but then I realized that there's no musicals in literature sooo...

edited 11th Aug '12 6:26:11 PM by Eagal

sargecadet Since: Mar, 2012
#12: Aug 11th 2012 at 8:41:02 PM

[up]Pride And Prejudice And Zombies. Not quite Americana, but the mash-up is phenomenal and it reads like a real story, not just a bizarre comedy act. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter for the same, sorta.

edited 11th Aug '12 8:44:06 PM by sargecadet

Lightningnettle Nettle Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Nettle
#13: Aug 12th 2012 at 3:30:03 PM

[up][up][up][up]Oh, how could I have forgotten Garrett series! One thing I love about them is the long arc story of Glory Mooncalled running in the background. The Dead Man reminds me of Nero Wolfe. Never managed to get into his Black Company books. I did read the Melisa Michaels books several years ago too, I remember looking for her for quite a while afterwards in hope she'd write another. I should reread them, as I don't remember them very well. The police procedural mixed with fairy tales sounds intriguing.

[up][up][up][up][up]I'll have to try your recommendations, I've never even heard of them.

Lawrence Watt-Evens The Misenchanted Sword and his With a Single Spell are funny while having a serious undertone to them as well. The Particolored Unicorn by John deCles is simply very silly and enjoyable. Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds is always to be recommended in any situation and there's laughter running through the whole thing.

edited 12th Aug '12 3:32:21 PM by Lightningnettle

Waterlily Since: Jan, 2011
#14: Feb 12th 2013 at 11:36:12 PM

Maybe there's more that I'm not aware of but I'd like to see more historical horror. Much of that stuff is just as plausible in a historical setting (if not moreso). Examples are people believing in monsters, darkness, mysterious occurences, etc...

Hodor Cleric of Banjo from Westeros Since: Dec, 1969
Cleric of Banjo
#15: Feb 13th 2013 at 7:35:24 AM

I'm reading the novel Red Country now, which is sort of a stand-alone in The First Law series, and is a fantasy western. It is a quite good novel as a whole, but the Western aspect is kind of strange in that the setting of the series is more or less a late Renaissance/early Baroque equivalent, and this novel achieves the Western effect both by having characters fit into Western character archetypes and by being stylistically different than other entries (basically, its hard to tell the setting isn't supposed to be like 1800s America, which is a problem).

There are two groups of Native American equivalents (haven't finished so far, so not sure if they are related), and I have some issues in presentation (they are kind of stereotypical, and the story "gets away with this" because they they are White people... who happen to act like stereotypical Native Americans.

edited 13th Feb '13 7:35:48 AM by Hodor

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Alma The Harbinger of Strange from Coruscant Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
The Harbinger of Strange
#16: Feb 14th 2013 at 5:56:27 AM

Horror Western. I don't think I've ever really seen that before.

And maybe sci-fi Western that's balanced more towards Western (Cowboys and Aliens), instead one balanced towards sci-fi (Firefly).

You need an adult.
JHM Apparition in the Woods from Niemandswasser Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Hounds of love are hunting
Apparition in the Woods
#17: Feb 14th 2013 at 7:35:47 AM

Postmodern experimental fiction and old-school cosmic horror.

I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.
MrShine Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#18: Feb 14th 2013 at 9:07:21 AM

[up]Hasn't read enough Jeff Vandermeer. (Okay so he probably doesn't count, his horror is more bioengineered than cosmic, but it does have a Lovecraftian vibe to it at points. And im not sure if he is postmodern but a lot of his writing is definitely experimental)

edited 14th Feb '13 9:07:54 AM by MrShine

JHM Apparition in the Woods from Niemandswasser Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Hounds of love are hunting
Apparition in the Woods
#19: Feb 15th 2013 at 10:58:35 AM

I'm well aware of Mr. Vandermeer's oeuvre; I am also familiar with Thomas Ligotti, Caitlín Kiernan and China Miéville, all of whom do this to some degree. That does not make it a common practice by any stretch of the imagination.

Really, I'd love to see more experimental work written in the same vein of weird fiction as Arthur Machen. Lovecraft is the usual touchstone, and I have no intention of knocking him, but I've always preferred Machen, if only because his games with narrative feel more intriguing.

I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.
Noaqiyeum we must dissent (it/they) from across the gulf of space (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
we must dissent (it/they)
#20: Jun 13th 2013 at 6:36:26 AM

Threadbumping to make a very old reply, but The Alloy Of Law is a fantasy western, kind of.

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Ninety Absolutely no relation to NLK from Land of Quakes and Hills Since: Nov, 2012 Relationship Status: In Spades with myself
Absolutely no relation to NLK
#21: Jun 13th 2013 at 6:40:45 AM

Most of the book takes place in the city, though. It is, however, an excellent book.

Dopants: He meant what he said and he said what he meant, a Ninety is faithful 100%.
Waterlily Since: Jan, 2011
#22: Jun 13th 2013 at 10:28:48 PM

Westerns and mysteries. Both genres tend to have a lot of violence (especially murders) which could blend well together.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#23: Jun 16th 2013 at 3:48:01 AM

Urban Fantasy and Techno-Thriller. Although a High Fantasy Culture dealing with an Alien Invasion would be fun too...

Keep Rolling On
tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#24: Jun 16th 2013 at 11:35:19 AM

Woun't Weird West cover the whole fantasy western/horror western thing? While it's not High Fantasy Glen Cook has mystery-fantasy covered with his Garrett PI series and throws in some darkComedy for flavor.

edited 16th Jun '13 11:39:46 AM by tricksterson

Trump delenda est
Darkabomination Since: Mar, 2012
#25: Jun 16th 2013 at 3:55:26 PM

Machen is really underrated. My favorite story by him is the White People.

Myth Punk also needs more love, the Orphans Tales is hands down one of the best books I've ever read.


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