What Will Be The Next Big Thing?

So..I've been sat here thinking for a long time about the big booms in literature over the past ten + years & I can't help but wonder about what's next?

What should we, as young writers, be looking to break the mould with? Surely, we don't want to whip up a ready made vampire or child wizard and cover old ground yet again?

Don't we need to be anticipating what's coming next?

I don't mean what kind of genres are popping up every now & then, as we've seen many come in and out of fashion like yo-yo's over decades. I mean the genres which are so RIDICULOUSLY in demand it's UNBELIEVABLE!

In the late 90's through to the mid to late 2000's, we went through the wonderful world of Witchcraft and Wizardry! A gazillion books opened their chapters in schools with an orphan child with mysterious powers.

We've now just emerging on the other side of a (in my opinion) blissful period of vampire fiction. Lots of pages full of damsels in distress falling for the seductive and dangerous men with occasional glistening skin.

I feel like we're now souring through the middle zone of Dystopia. The Hunger Games, again, in my opinion, is one of the best series of books I've ever read. Along with the Divergent series.

SO WHAT NOW?! It's all so mysterious and exciting. Thoughts?

I only lightly dipped into the vampire fad, but I am so into Dystopia, it's insane! I'd love to see traditional fantasy make a come back, definitely, or futuristic sci-fi. I have a theory that fantasy and sci-fi are actually pretty close genres (though don't ask me to explain that thought, it's a deep-rooted gut-feeling>.>), so maybe we'll see both surge at the same time?

Totally agree! A brilliantly, clever mix of fantasy/sci fi would be my dream come true!
I feel like historical fiction is sneaking up as a massive contender at the moment! Phillipa Gregory is on fire!

..I'm combining fantasy and sci-fi in both my novel and my story right now. And as we know, I'm definitely brilliant and clever, so you might just be right

Really, this is a pretty interesting question, and one I thought of a bunch of times and never really reached a proper conclusion.. that's kind of the charm of it, though, isn't it? We have no idea what will come next and sweep us off our feet, and that will make it even more amazing when it appears

Historical fiction seems a good contender too! One of my best friends is really getting into it!


And yes Ri, just to inflate your ego, I will say that you are a genius! xD

YAY! I want to see it!

Myself - I'm a real sucker for a greek myth turned modern. Anyone working on one of those? I'll pay you to read it.

Ohhh! That would be awesome! I was thinking about a modern version of Pandora''s Box over Christmas, but I couldn't make it feasible in my head...

I'll write it if you pay me to read it.

Eh.. you might be onto something. mythology in general seems to be quite popular nowadays, from Greek to Nordic.. though the latter unfortunately owes far more to Tom Hiddleston, Robert Downey Jr. and whatever the names of other Avengers actors were, than to good literature <.<

Popular are also, however, 50 shades of things many people on this site probably shouldn't be reading about. But I guess you were thinking of wider audience with your question, so let's skip that xP

Haha! Nooo - it's a completely valid point! 50 shades of every colour are everywhere at the moment! I think it's quietened down now though. My last holiday, I only had to look round the swimming pool to see every single woman holding a copy next to their disgruntled/ignored husbands.

I'm not familiar with the Pandora's box tale! Though I think it was an episode on Charmed once......

I love fantasy mixed with comedy at the moment - The Bartemaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud is AMAZINGG!

Ghosts are coming back.

That would be unreal!

And I've just been thinking about what Ghost books I can think of...& I can't come up with any! I think you're right!

They are in need of the spotlight for a while.

I'm glad the S&M erotica craze (kickstarted by Fifty Shades of Grey) has died down.

Such bad writing. I couldn't make it past the first page of Fifty Shades. I had an overwhelming desire to write up an overly long critical review and email it to E L James.

I agree about the writing...but I did love the characters. They made the books!

What do you think is next then, @Sureal?

Whatever I get published first.

hahaa...point well made!