Comments on: Is “young adult” science fiction a force for good or evil? http://futurismic.com/2008/08/18/is-young-adult-science-fiction-a-force-for-good-or-evil/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:55:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: makyo http://futurismic.com/2008/08/18/is-young-adult-science-fiction-a-force-for-good-or-evil/comment-page-1/#comment-16020 makyo Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:39:50 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=3799#comment-16020 i've always read sci-fi and fantasy novels and they were extremely difficult if not downright impossible to find when i was a kid. if it wasn't for YA i don't know that i would have been able to find good casual reading that was deemed "acceptable" for my age. even though the best YA crosses the line between youth and adult ('golden compass' i'm looking at you!) i still think the section itself plays an important role in exposing younger readers to more fantastical genres. i’ve always read sci-fi and fantasy novels and they were extremely difficult if not downright impossible to find when i was a kid. if it wasn’t for YA i don’t know that i would have been able to find good casual reading that was deemed “acceptable” for my age. even though the best YA crosses the line between youth and adult (‘golden compass’ i’m looking at you!) i still think the section itself plays an important role in exposing younger readers to more fantastical genres.

]]> By: tycho garen http://futurismic.com/2008/08/18/is-young-adult-science-fiction-a-force-for-good-or-evil/comment-page-1/#comment-15947 tycho garen Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:59:08 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=3799#comment-15947 I agree with Annalee and you about children's literature. It's only been in my 20s that I've really been aware of YA fiction, as I missed it entirely when I was the "right age." Which I think happens to a fair number of kids. At the same time I'm not sure that it's such a bad thing, in terms of the state of the genre. YA books sell well (this is because of the roles of libraries?) and that's not a bad thing for writers, at all. I do think that if a writer makes their first sales in the YA market, that *might* hinder their later success at an older market, but that's just speculation. SF has a long history with YA stuff. Hienlien being the easy example of this. Really its only in the last say, 20ish years that SF hasn't been seen as an entirely "juvenile" literature, which I think makes this an even stranger debate. I agree with Annalee and you about children’s literature. It’s only been in my 20s that I’ve really been aware of YA fiction, as I missed it entirely when I was the “right age.” Which I think happens to a fair number of kids.

At the same time I’m not sure that it’s such a bad thing, in terms of the state of the genre. YA books sell well (this is because of the roles of libraries?) and that’s not a bad thing for writers, at all. I do think that if a writer makes their first sales in the YA market, that *might* hinder their later success at an older market, but that’s just speculation.

SF has a long history with YA stuff. Hienlien being the easy example of this. Really its only in the last say, 20ish years that SF hasn’t been seen as an entirely “juvenile” literature, which I think makes this an even stranger debate.

]]> By: S Andrew Swann http://futurismic.com/2008/08/18/is-young-adult-science-fiction-a-force-for-good-or-evil/comment-page-1/#comment-15938 S Andrew Swann Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:59:38 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=3799#comment-15938 If the only tacit objection to YA is the fact that there's a certain nominal target audience, that really isn't an objection at all. It's like objecting that Romances are marketed to women, or certain types of SF are aimed at adolescent boys (of any given age :) YA is not just defined by the audience, but by its content. YA is not just aimed at teenagers, but (and I think more important) it is ABOUT teenagers. If someone writes a perfectly adult tale, with adult language, that happens to have characters in their teens, there's a pretty good chance it will be marketed as YA, not because of some condescension or censorship, but because it will sell better. If the only tacit objection to YA is the fact that there’s a certain nominal target audience, that really isn’t an objection at all. It’s like objecting that Romances are marketed to women, or certain types of SF are aimed at adolescent boys (of any given age :)

YA is not just defined by the audience, but by its content. YA is not just aimed at teenagers, but (and I think more important) it is ABOUT teenagers. If someone writes a perfectly adult tale, with adult language, that happens to have characters in their teens, there’s a pretty good chance it will be marketed as YA, not because of some condescension or censorship, but because it will sell better.

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