Let’s face it: the success of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter has become the barometer by which other sci-fi novels are measured today. Gone are the days when books were written to make readers laugh, cry, feel depressed, or be happy about themselves. Today, as long as your book sells, that’s enough.
This doesn’t mean Rowling’s work isn’t great; it by all means. And with seven installments made, his novels were not only a resounding success in the literary world, but more importantly in the film industry. However, new and up-and-coming writers looking to jump-start their careers in the genre have started using the same theme. Percy Jackson is one of those books that I don’t like especially because the characters are similar to Rowling’s Harry Potter trio.
If you’re a fan of literature, regardless of genre, and you just want to try out some fantasy and science fiction books, here are some guides to see if they’re worth the money:
- It lives in its natural setting – you’ll be able to identify a good story from a con, if the overall theme is more likely to occur in the real world, than in a book. The scenes and situations in sci-fi books are usually what tell the reader whether or not they can be believed.
- It has a believable main character – Another factor of believability has to be the main character. You can’t have a protagonist who doesn’t have weaknesses, or who is always a source of strength for his comrades. Such a person was highly unlikely in the real world, especially when magic was involved.
- The conflict is deep enough to end a friendship – The problem has to be serious enough to cause the life or death of a person or persons in the story. Simple conflicts like a lost pen or failure to do well in class are clichés that readers should no longer support.
- It can be set in a real place – Believe it or not, having a real place as the main theme of the story adds to the ‘believability’. However, writers had to make sure to create places, areas, and scenes that could actually take place in such an environment.
- The sci-fi twist increases over time – The story usually starts off mundane and can get boring at times. But then, conflict hits, and then the reader is taken on a roller coaster ride they didn’t expect from the start.
These are just a few pointers that will help you find and decide which book to target next. Apart from that, you can also visit several reading, forum and discussion websites and find out what other people want. You will be surprised that different types of people have different preferences when it comes to reading.
Science fiction books are still popular regardless of whether they are good enough to read or not. As lovers of this generation’s new literature, don’t let these books dictate the course of the market. Once they did, everything in the bookstores would be cheap books, and dupe one another.
Melissa Reinsley wrote children’s books for small publishers. He has covered various genres as well such as horror, romance, science fiction and adventure. He continues to inspire young people to read for pleasure. One of her favorite time travel novels is “Riddles from the Red Bible” by KT Jae.
