![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Action Science Fiction for Boys?
Oct. 2nd, 2007 10:20 amI think it could well be just because a) I mostly read science fiction published for adults as a young reader, b) I'm not as up to date on science fiction publishing stuff in the modern era as on fantasy publishing stuff, or c) I don't read many books with male protagonists/male authors any more.
But in case it isn't just one of a-c above, I'm wondering if there are actually fewer juvenile science fiction novels out there right now? There's a ton of really creative fantasy written especially for the grade school age reader that's come out in the last decade or so. But I'm not seeing a ton of science fiction per se. You know, space and other worlds and fighting ships (I really need to read those Timothy Zahn books to see if they're good. They look good. They have space fights and dragons. This should be a nice thing.)
But what's springing to mind for me is that if I think back to the 50s-70s, it seems as if some of the biggest names in the field were writing works specifically for the young guys portion of the audience. Isaac Asimov had those Norby books. Heinlein had such a huge swath of 'em that you can just say "Heinlein juveniles" and everyone knows exactly what you're talking about. Lester del Rey had R is for Rocket and all the other books like that.
My impression from reading the blurbs on old Ballantine paperbacks from the 70s is that fantasy publishing at the time was comparatively weak. There were reprints of the old stories by Eddison and Lord Dunsany. There was The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. There were the big important children's fantasy cycles like the Narnia books. And there were kids fantasies like Edward Eager, E. Nesbit. So I mean, I can point to classic works that were available in the era. But it seems to me as if publishing of genre for kids focused more on the science fiction. I really could be delusional. Anyway, most of the science fiction for boys I see on our shelves is dystopic or comedic, rather than straight up action. Is it because the advancing space program made all those rocket adventures seem less believable? Is it just because my current reading tastes have made me oblivious to good stuff that's out there (I admit, I like fantasy better than science fiction these days, and I'm a girl and like stories about/by girls... so there could be tons of great stuff, and I'm just missing it?)
Is it all being published as manga and comics? I dunno. So if anyone has any recent (like, published since 1999 or so) short punchy actiony sf written for a young guy audience, shoot me some titles/names? I'm feeling really slow on this one, and can't figure out if it's me or the market.
But in case it isn't just one of a-c above, I'm wondering if there are actually fewer juvenile science fiction novels out there right now? There's a ton of really creative fantasy written especially for the grade school age reader that's come out in the last decade or so. But I'm not seeing a ton of science fiction per se. You know, space and other worlds and fighting ships (I really need to read those Timothy Zahn books to see if they're good. They look good. They have space fights and dragons. This should be a nice thing.)
But what's springing to mind for me is that if I think back to the 50s-70s, it seems as if some of the biggest names in the field were writing works specifically for the young guys portion of the audience. Isaac Asimov had those Norby books. Heinlein had such a huge swath of 'em that you can just say "Heinlein juveniles" and everyone knows exactly what you're talking about. Lester del Rey had R is for Rocket and all the other books like that.
My impression from reading the blurbs on old Ballantine paperbacks from the 70s is that fantasy publishing at the time was comparatively weak. There were reprints of the old stories by Eddison and Lord Dunsany. There was The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. There were the big important children's fantasy cycles like the Narnia books. And there were kids fantasies like Edward Eager, E. Nesbit. So I mean, I can point to classic works that were available in the era. But it seems to me as if publishing of genre for kids focused more on the science fiction. I really could be delusional. Anyway, most of the science fiction for boys I see on our shelves is dystopic or comedic, rather than straight up action. Is it because the advancing space program made all those rocket adventures seem less believable? Is it just because my current reading tastes have made me oblivious to good stuff that's out there (I admit, I like fantasy better than science fiction these days, and I'm a girl and like stories about/by girls... so there could be tons of great stuff, and I'm just missing it?)
Is it all being published as manga and comics? I dunno. So if anyone has any recent (like, published since 1999 or so) short punchy actiony sf written for a young guy audience, shoot me some titles/names? I'm feeling really slow on this one, and can't figure out if it's me or the market.
