About the book:

The world has changed: demons of legend now live among humans, integrated into society through Government programs, wishing for peace.

Elixia Albelin, however, isn’t sold. As an Agent-in-training, she knows firsthand the blood-thirst of demons and isn’t jumping to befriend the monsters plaguing her dreams.

Gritty, powerful, and exciting, A Soul to Take is a gripping debut that explores prejudice, justice, and the consequences one family faces when those two collide.

Coming April 4th, or if you want to read it early, check out the blog tour sign up!

About the Author:

Emily Taylor began writing in early primary school and after two novellas, which will never see the light of day, she began to join writing sites. She finished her first novel, Blood of Angels, on Goodreads before moving to the disbanded Inkpop. There, she finished her second novel, To Turn Left, which hit the Top 5. Figment bought Inkpop in 2012, making her the last ever Inkie of the Week, and To Turn Left became a “handpicked fig” by author Jackson Pearce that same year. Recently,Taylor has become more active on Wattpad, finishing Unmask Me, A Soul to Take and a remake of Blood of Angels, which will enter the 2013 Watty Award Competition. Besides writing, Taylor currently studies Music Technology at her state’s Conservatorium and recently helped on Respect Cat Production’s feature film, In a Corner, as a Script Advisor. She looks forward to taking up screenwriting electives in the future. A Soul to Take is her first formally published work and Book One of The Soul Stealer’s Trilogy, a New Adult paranormal romance with elements of dark fantasy.

The post Cover Reveal: A Soul To Take appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

Ra’s words were a constant reminder, echoing again and again on his mind. Khnum, god of creation, shook his ram head, as if nodding to himself, and typed on the metallic keyboard.

“Humans destroyed themselves once more. We need them to survive. Make them Khnum. We know you can.”

His laboratory was one of the few that had survived the sun storm which had destroyed everything. His temple, a tower of pyramids station with solar regenerators, was one of the few where humans used to come and worship him and his mastery on creation. Stationed on a constant obit around Earth, Khnum would always watch the desolate, destroyed from sun storms planet.

He was, besides, the one who had created Nile, using a bit of tears and gel, nothing special really, as also he was the one who had the unique gift on creating anything from nothing. And always watch his creations from afar, always alone, always surrounded by success and failure.

The lights on the experiment room, a square wide part of his laboratory covered from every side with glass, shone as Khnum walked towards the glass door. His jeans and open black leather jacket looked casual upon his toned, sun kissed body and broad shoulders. He would look ‘hot’, as the women would say, but he knew that Isis had gotten the looks. She was the finest of them all. The rest of the laboratory was a fine mess of cables, hanging and dangling metal pieces and somewhere at the bottom of everything a long gone pizza box used to be.

Khnum’s eyes were opal; the dark, shiny stone which would look beautiful on a human face but on the ram head of the god the color looked eerie, as if he was dead inside. But for him, the very basic need for creation demanded imagination, which after all needed feelings. This was one of his curses after all; to enjoy his creations, share them occasionally with humans, but at the same time watch in horror his own children die from his gift. The planet below him was a fine example.

He entered the experiment room; this project had taken eons to be completed but Khnum was a patient god. The round globes were hanging from the ceiling where each one of them, two hundred in total, were also connected with a pipe. Inside the globes were empty but Khnum traced his fingertips on the surface of one with affection. “Alright. Let’s do this.” He murmured and closed the door behind him, pressing at the same time the button which was activating the final part of his program.

The wide pipe on the glass ceiling filled with the pinkish liquid, a mixture of bionics and clay and also a small part of his divine power. Khnum watched quietly as the liquid flowed downwards filling the artificial wombs. When all of them were filled, small bubbles appeared inside the globes and soon after that, tiny, but visible to Khnum’s eyes, spots began forming. They grew and grew with each passing minute until, after three hours, the first after the destruction babies were formed.

Khnum pressed the button on his right and stalled the process. If he was to continue then the babies would grow into adults, all of them capable on surviving but also filled with the knowledge of the past. That was the only slip from Ra’s orders; he wanted his new children to know what had happened to their predecessors, wishing for them not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

He got out from the experiment room and pulled from his jeans his iPhone. He had forgotten if that was the 20th or the 30th model. “Ra, it’s me. Come and see for yourself.” And he snapped the phone shut.

Khnum walked to the window and stared at the deep space. He longed to live on Earth again, breathe the fresh air and swim on the blue waters. In the past he liked even to play with the followers of Nut, the sky goddess. Her stars would always blink shy of his appearance.

But he was at the same time so, so lonely. Ra may be the king of the gods but he was also quite jealous. After the creation of the Nile, Ra had kept a distance from the god with the ram head and to his dismay, sometimes Ra liked to use the sun and burn the waters on the already deserted land.

The humans then would offer sacrifices and adore the sun god, fearing his wrath at the same time. Khnum was to be forgotten and a forgotten god was a finished one.

At night Maat, Ra’s exiled daughter, would send to him visions of a dancing woman who would give birth to rivers and seas. The gid didn’t know if she liked to spite him or if she wanted to show his future. But he would remember that her eyes were pale grey and her hair was black like night. Khnum sighed and closed his eyes willing the vision to return.

***

“Excellent my brother.” Ra’s hawk head and solar crown at the top of it, moved as he walked around the filled wombs. He preferred to dress like the ancient times, with a white wrap around skirt, leaving his upper half bare. His torso bore tattoos of the sun and the planets indicating his power over the solar system.

The babies were sleeping soundly, boys and girls in all skin colors. Ra tapped one of the wombs and the girl inside it moved slowly, her hands fists.  “And is that sufficient enough to ensure the continuation of the species?”

“Yes and everyone carry the knowledge capable of ensuring their survival. How is the cleansing going?”

Ra turned to him. “Bastet is taking care of it. And Anubis is really cranky with her methods.”

“I see.”

Ra and Khnum got out from the glass room and walked slowly to the glass window from which Earth could be seen. “Have you finally remembered your place brother?” Ra asked with an edge on his voice.

Khnum knew never to disobey him. “I have my king and I shall never repeat my past mistakes.”

“Good. For now.”

“What do you want me to do next?” Khnum spoke slowly, having his hands clasped behind him.

Ra regarded him for a moment. Even if he was the god who had destroyed with his creations Earth, he wasn’t blamed. Khnum wanted to be blamed and his need for repentance was quite a motive for Ra’s plans. Ra never punished him; he would have lost the only god capable of rebuilding everything. And to say the truth, Maat had spoken of the return of the humans and the rise of the gods again.

“Use two of the babies, a girl and a boy.” Ra spoke. “Train them of our ways and when Earth is clean once more, we will send them to the surface.”

When Ra left, Khnum initiated the process on two specific wombs. One bore a dark skinned boy and the other a white skinned girl which had red tufts for hair. He watched as the wombs grew bigger and bigger and the babies became older, until they reached the ages of seventeen years old. When the wombs slowly touched the floor, they dissolved, leaving behind two people lying on feral position.

Slowly they got up and stood before Khnum who watched them with fascination and pride. The girl’s eyes were pale grey but the boy’s were blue. Khnum always liked to play with colors. The vision of the woman was an inspiration too.

“Father.” The boy spoke and together with the girl they bowed.

Khnum walked and touched their shoulders. He looked at them and his lips curled as if in a smile. His emerald horns glowed and the girl fascinated touched the sharp tips on his sides.

“Clever child. You are Ankh, life, for you shall give birth.”

He turned to the boy. “And you are Kemet, for the darkness on your skin. Use your mind and skills to protect Ankh. And Ankh, use your beauty and life to protect and share it with the rest of your people.”

For the next two years, Ankh and Kemet lived together with Khnum. He showed them everything he had built over the millennia and felt proud for them. They were hard workers but enjoyed each moment with him. From time to time they would look at Earth with a sad expression, which would make Khnum sad.

But Ankh had humor while Kemet was more reserved but at the same time protective of her. Khnum liked the concept of love and he could see it at the eyes of he children; he had seen wars, and arts all devoted to love.

But many times love was used, not treasured.

Khnum also knew that time with his children wouldn’t last. No matter how much time you could spend with those you loved, time would snatch them away.

At the eve of the day of their departure, Ankh and Kemet with a smile on their faces hugged the god and he tightened his grip on them. “Live well my children and never forget everything you’ve learnt.”

“We will not Father.” Kemet replied and Ankh tenderly kissed the ram’s forehead.

The door slid open for them and the small round spacecraft was ready for them. Kemet took Ankh’s hand and took their positions inside it. The wombs had already been transported on Earth and the pair would devote their lives on re-growing human history. Khnum watched them from his observation deck as the small craft entered the atmosphere and disappeared.

He turned and walked slowly to the experiment room. A lonesome artificial womb was left and inside it a baby was sleeping. It was the only part of his project which would not be devoted to the cause of the gods. For eons everything was denied from him. As the creator he was not supposed to own, or have anyone by his side.

“But that will change.” He looked at the womb.

The girl inside it had green skin and her hair was black; there was the slight indication of scales on her arms but her features were delicate; small nose, high cheekbones and full lips. She wasn’t made with clay like the humans but the holy blood of Maat, the goddess of creation, ran through her veins.

“Beautiful Heqet. You will awake soon. You will dance and give birth to the blue of the seas.” He looked at Earth, the planet slowly turning green as the sky was clearing at the atmosphere. Khnum pressed the button which would complete the process. “And together, we shall see what our children will do.”

***

The city was rising above the clouds and people strolled to the roads. The buildings were made of fine white marble and the machines were using environmental friendly machines. Apart from the temple devoted to the founders of humans a separate temple was also reserved for a pair of gods.

Thousands of cities were like this all over Earth. The forests flourished and the mountain bore high ridges, as if the gods had fought when they were re-creating them. Millions of people would travel and devote their lives on the preservation of the species and honor their saviors.

And who their saviors were?

The festivals would take place every time it rained and when the stars would fall from the sky, as if Nut’s followers were honoring these two gods. In times of need people would pray. But when they would turn to the clear blue sky and see the sun, they would not thank Ra, the sun god, but their prayers would turn to the statues of the two sitting figures.

Each city had one of them; sometimes it was made of marble, other times made of topazes and pearls, diamonds and rubies.

The man had a ram’s head, opal stones for eyes and clear green emerald for his horns, while the woman’s body was made of blue stone an indication of her power to bring forth the waters.

Khnum was finally forgiven.

And Heqet would always dance at the seas.

Follow Alexandra on Twitter (@alexperc92)

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Hello! We’re glad you found us. As you may have noticed, our website (www.reuts.com) has been inexplicably whisked away by the internet demons. But fear not, we’ve donned our armor and weapons and are avidly hunting those pesky critters down. We expect to have things up and running again shortly, but in the meantime, many of you may be wondering who we are and, more importantly, how to submit to us. (Isn’t it lovely how fate always seems to stack against you? It never fails: biggest Twitter pitch event of the year = massive server failure and website outage. Fantastic, right?)

So, to help alleviate some of your questions, here’s a little about us:

REUTS Publications was founded in 2012 with a mission — to provide authors with a hybrid approach to publishing that pairs the control and author input of self-publishing with the expertise available via traditional. We are a small, independent press, comprised of talented, experienced individuals who are passionate about books and the people who write them.

Since our inception, we have steadily grown, publishing top-quality titles for even higher quality authors. Some of those talented individuals include Drew Hayes, Valentina Cano, Priya Kanaparti, and Anoosha Lalani. We consider ourselves a boutique press, meaning we value quality over quantity, and we’re not afraid to put in the time and dedication it takes to bring a beautifully-crafted book to market. We believe in transparency in our publishing process and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have. You can contact us directly via hello (at) reuts (dot) com, or reach out to any of our authors for more information. Many of our staff (and authors) are active on social media, and I promise we don’t bite.

If you received a favorite during #Pitchmas, #SFFpit, or #Pitmad, and are simply looking for more information on our submission process, here you go:

 Submission Guidelines

REUTS welcomes all full-length novels written for the Young Adult and New Adult audiences. We are interested in diversifying our collection with genres across the spectrum, from authors in every corner of the globe. This includes any age, ethnicity, gender, location, sexual orientation, ability, and class.

We consider a full-length novel to be over 50,000 words, and won’t consider any manuscripts with word counts below that. There is no maximum word count; however, we tend to follow the traditional guidelines for genre length (for example, fantasy novels are typically longer than romance, etc . . .).

We also will not publish anthologies, short stories, middle grade, poetry, non-fiction or erotic titles. If your novel falls outside of our requirements, we simply won’t be able to publish it, regardless of the number of awards or praise it has garnered. So please ensure your novel fits our stated interests before querying.

How to submit? Please use our submission email: submissions (at) reuts (dot) com to query REUTS, and please make sure your ten page attachment is in either .DOC or .PDF format, with standard formatting (12pt, Times New Roman, double spaced, or similar). We want to see a query and a synopsis, as well as the first ten pages of your manuscript, so please make sure you include all the components. As a handy cheat sheet, here are our acquisitions editors and their wish lists, so you can query the appropriate person:

Ashley Ruggirello — Creative Director: PN, PNR, PA, HOR

Kisa Whipkey — Editorial Director: DF, UF, EF, PNR, HR, SF

Summer Wier — Martketing Director: SF, M, HISTF, R

Jessica McQuay — Acquisitions Director: PN, PNR, FA, EF, DF, DS

Can we query multiple manuscripts? Yes, but please understand that our read and response time for each does not change. Each query will be treated individually.

Can we query simultaneous submissions? You mean, can you send us a manuscript you’ve already sent to other publishers or agents? Yes, but please be sure to let us know as soon as possible if your manuscript is no longer available for representation. We also urge you to query either publishers OR agents, not both at the same time. This is a common courtesy to both parties involved.

Do you really read our submissions? Yes, we really do. Once we’ve finished evaluating the submission, we make sure to write a personal response with either a positive or not-so-positive verdict. Please note that a manuscript has to go through multiple hands and multiple rounds, which increases the read and response time on our end. If you make it past the first round, it has to be read and reviewed by a new set of eyes, which means the longer you wait, the higher up in the process it has traveled.

We welcome friendly “nudges” inquiring whether or not we have read and reviewed your story, especially if you have been waiting longer than nine months. Although, if you haven’t heard from us and are wondering if we’ve read your submission yet, the answer is “probably not.” Sending us a nudge does take more time out of our day (time we could be using to read your submission), so please be considerate when emailing.

Why haven’t we heard from you? If you read the response above, we are slow. But we don’t mean to be. It’s a by-product of our review process. Each submission must pass through a preliminary review before it is given to all five of our department directors, who then have to read, respond, and vote. A decision is only final once everyone on the panel has weighed in, which, understandably, takes some time. We appreciate your patience as we move through our submissions, though, and will strive to do so at an appropriate (and realistic) speed.

Why can’t you tell me now? If you push for a decision immediately, the answer will be a rejection. Patience is key when querying publishing houses, and our directors (who make the final decision) have full-time responsibilities in other disciplines of the company and cannot always dedicate time to your manuscript immediately. We apologize for this inconvenience and understand that some of you may not have the ability/time to wait for us. If you decide to pursue publication elsewhere, please just send us an email with “WITHDRAWN:” and your manuscript title in the subject, and we will remove your query from the system.

TL;DR Too Long; Didn’t Read? We’re looking for 50,000+ word novels in all YA/NA genres. We will try to get back to you within three months, seven months maximum. We respond to all submissions, so if you haven’t heard from us, we likely haven’t gotten to yours yet. Feel free to nudge us for an update at any time, but past nine months would be more effective. Please check our Frequently Asked Questions page if you still have questions, or send an inquiry email. Thank you for reading!

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To give our fans and readers a little sneak peek, below is a mini-blurb about THE KEEPERS, coming out Fall 2014.

Isra Kalb might be only sixteen and left to her own devices in a filthy slum in Pakistan. But her existence holds the key to saving the world from potential destruction.

Recently orphaned, Isra is left with a sister to care for and only a precious family heirloom to remember her parents by. The heirloom just so happens to be an amulet that can transport its keeper to Zarcane— the beastly garden where Adam and Eve were born. Since the first man and woman, a girl and a boy must guard the amulet. And as the Keepers, they must find each other and, together, return the amulet to Zarcane. Or else the garden’s Queen will lead her army to Earth, pillaging the lives of millions, to strengthen her power.

Give Anoosha a friendly welcome on Twitter or her Blog

Welcome to the family, Anoosha!
Love, REUTS

The post REUTS Publications signs A. Lalani & THE KEEPERS appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

In conjunction with Black Friday, and the holiday season, we’ve begun our first Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday sale! Pre-order Echoes of Balance by Cally Ryanne TODAY, and have it electronically or physically on your doorstep for its December 17th release. Take the worry and wait out of your equation, and start reading as soon as Echoes of Balance is out!

Pre-Order Here

Echoes of Balance Blurb:

For Chloe Moraine, fighting wild bears– and the occasional vampire– is a better pastime than the tediousness of keeping the universe in balance. But balancing is the family business. It comes with being one of the last in the ancient line of Naimei.

So when the impending return of the Original Demons threatens global harmony, Chloe is obligated to help. Even when that means the dull-as-dirt task of following a human girl who “might be involved, maybe,” instead of the thrilling hunt she craves.

With their powerful magic and ancient Ways, Chloe’s family is unconcerned, certain they’ll quickly fix the imbalance while she’s preoccupied with human high school. But when the Ways start to fail, the threat becomes more serious, and the only person that seems to know anything is a debonair vampire with an offer to help.

If Chloe chooses to trust him, and the darker side of the supernatural he represents, she’ll betray her family and risk losing them, and herself, in the process. But if he’s right, he may just be their only chance to stop the return of the Originals and save the world.

Maybe high school won’t be so boring after all.

From everyone at REUTS, we hope you had a warm and delicious Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends!

The post Pre-Order Echoes of Balance by Cally Ryanne! appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.

Sci-fi is most often synonymous with spaceships, aliens, technology, robots, and to some, Star Trek or Star Wars. But there’s more to it than that. Just like Fantasy sports a whopping 31 subgenres, Science Fiction contains a plethora of subtle variations, each deserving of its own subcategory. A shocking 37 subcategories, to be exact. (And I thought Fantasy was bad!) Now you know why I had to keep deferring this one. That’s a lot of research! Ready to find out what these 37 subcategories are? Then let’s get to it.

Hard Science Fiction

This is the subgenre most people think of when they hear “Science Fiction.” Drawing from the “hard” sciences — physics, astronomy, chemistry– Hard Science Fiction is not for those easily lost by conceptual details. Scientific realism trumps the more mundane aspects of character or plot development, placing this subgenre’s focus on things like exploration and discovery instead. Expect a lot of attention to be paid to process explanations and technology, and if this is a genre you want to write, expect to put in hefty amounts of research. Plausibility is king in this field. If it’s not believable, that ship’s not gonna fly. (Pun intended.)

Star Trek is the most notable example of Hard Sci-fi. There is character development across the series, but that’s not the main focus. I mean, they say it right in the opening sequence. The mission is to “boldly go where no man has gone before.” That same slogan applies to pretty much everything in this category.

Soft Science Fiction

The exact opposite of Hard Sci-fi, Soft Sci-fi puts the emphasis on character and plot, with the scientific aspects taking a backseat. This subgenre focuses on what are considered the “soft” sciences– anthropology, political science, sociology, psychology, etc. Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern series would fall in this category. Deceptively starting off as a Fantasy with just a light hint of Sci-fi, later books in the series reveal a heavier Sci-fi slant. But the focus is largely on the characters and cultures, with very clear influence from the disciplines of anthropology and political science.

Military Science Fiction

The name says it all on this one. Military Science Fiction revolves around a distinctly militaristic theme. Usually, the characters are part of the military and the plot involves some kind of war. For those fans of the video game world, Bioware’s Mass Effect trilogy and Bungie’s Halo series are prime examples of this type of story.

Robot Fiction

Another one where the name is pretty self-explanatory. Works in this category place heavy focus on the science of robotics. Isaac Asimov is one of the most prominent pioneers of this subgenre, but you’ll see this theme a lot in films. 2004’s I, Robot springs to mind as a popular example of these kinds of stories.

Social Science Fiction

Social Science Fiction is an interesting creature. It relies heavily on the influence of Social Science to extrapolate and then criticize future societies. So at its heart, it’s a genre bent on satire, on delivering criticisms and moral messages about our own society through the filter of a fictional, future one. This subgenre shares a lot of similarities with Dystopian Fiction in that sense. Notable, and probably familiar, examples include Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Space Opera

For those of you who pictured the operatic blue alien from The Fifth Element, I’m sorry to say, you’re wrong. This subgenre has nothing to do with music. It does, however, bear a slight resemblance to its more earthly counterpart — the Soap Opera.

Space Operas are adventure stories. Romanticized and melodramatic sometimes, but still. They usually center around a sympathetic hero going up against insane odds in an epic battle to save the universe. Good always wins in a Space Opera, and if you can’t guess the notable work I’m alluding to yet, here’s a hint: it features light-sabers, Wookies, and a princess in a slave outfit.

That’s right, Star Wars was, and is, considered a Space Opera. (Alternatively, it’s also known as a Science Fantasy, for the same thematic reasons.)

So although this subgenre may have some intrinsic ties to the much-ridiculed Soap Opera, don’t let that color your feelings. Star Wars is one of the most successful Science Fiction franchises of all time, and if it can survive being called a Space Opera, your work probably can too.

Steampunk

Steampunk is an strange one, spawning an entire subculture as well as a subgenre. It’s often set in an industrialized not-so-distant, alternate future, with heavy influences from 19th century Victorian England and the American Wild West. Strange combo, no? It may also contain elements of Fantasy, Horror, or Historical Fiction. The main requirement, though, is that a story in this category must include steam-technology and a 19th century perspective on everything from machinery to fashion. Examples include the work of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne as well as more contemporary author, Phillip Pullman. But with the rapidly growing popularity of this cultural movement, Steampunk will likely have several more notable titles soon.

Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk is Sci-Fi’s answer to the Detective/Crime Novel. Its settings are typically dark and gritty, with a heavy emphasis placed on advanced technology. Plots often revolve around the degradation of society and the abuse of technology. Hackers, Artificial Intelligence and Megacorporations spying on the world are all elements seen in these high-intensity thrill rides. The work of Phillip K. Dick falls largely under this category, making him one of the most well-known authors in this field.

Biopunk

Biopunk is pretty much the same as Cyberpunk, but instead of an emphasis on technology, it focuses on the biological. Genetic modification and DNA engineering are common in this subgenre, providing a cautionary look at the downside to messing with biology. The Island of Dr Moreau by H. G. Wells would be a prime example, although it technically predates the creation of this category.

Nanopunk

Another cousin of the previous “punk” categories, Nanopunk focuses on a specific set of technology — nanotechnology. Michael Chricton’s Prey, as well as NBC’s recent hit show, Revolution, are both examples.

Superhero Fiction

Ah yes, a subgenre full of dudes in tights and capes, and women wearing barely-there spandex and magic-powered accessories. I don’t think there’s a person alive who isn’t familiar with this category, (don’t lie, you know you went through the towel-turned-cape wearing phase when you were a kid) although it’s much more popular in the visual mediums– TV, film, video games, and comic books.

The basic idea is exactly what you’d expect, a “good” protagonist dressed in an elaborate costume faces off against a supervillain. Often, both hero and villain have superhuman abilities, making their battles nothing less than epic. Which is why we continue to reboot these narratives over and over and over again. I mean, seriously, what are we on, like our 8th Batman?

Scientific Romance

No, this isn’t a combination of Sci-Fi and Romance, although that does exist. (It’s considered Science Fiction Romance, in case you forgot. ) Scientific Romance is actually an archaic term that was the genre’s original name. Now, it refers specifically to works from the late 19th to early 20th centuries or ones that are purposely written to sound that way. H.G Wells, Jules Vern, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are considered part of this category, largely because they were writing during that time frame, pioneering the genre.

Gothic Science Fiction

I find it interesting that this isn’t lumped into Horror Sci-Fi, but rather is given its own designation. Gothic Science Fiction is what it claims– a combination of Gothic-minded elements and Sci-fi. Vampires and Zombies are frequent visitors here. The most common plot is the attempt to explain monsters through science. There’s heavy emphasis placed on the biological explanation of these more-typically mythological creatures while still maintaining that darker, Gothic edge. Think Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend.

Mundane Science Fiction

This subgenre very closely resembles Hard Sci-fi, except there’s no interstellar travel or alien life forms. Fascinatingly enough, part of this subgenre is a position that things like worm holes, warp drives, and multi-galaxy exploration (all things typically found in Hard Sci-fi) are speculative wish-fulfillment and could never really happen. (Which I suppose makes the choice of “mundane” in the title fairly appropriate.) Instead, this subgenre focuses on stories that could happen, and often contain scientific data that can be, or has been, corroborated by scientists. Geoff Ryman and the short story anthology he edited, When It Changed: Science Into Fiction, are the most prominent names associated with this subgenre.

Horror Science-fiction

Just like it sounds, this is a combination of Horror and Sci-fi. Pairing the adrenaline inducing gore and violence of Horror with Sci-fi’s action-based futures, this is a powerful combination. Alien invasions, mad scientists, experiments gone wrong, there’s really no end to the number of ways Sci-fi can terrify us. Resident Evil, The Body-snatchers, The Alien Franchise, even The Terminator, are all examples of just how lucrative this category can be.

Comic Sci-fi

Again, pretty straight-forward. In fact, so straight-forward that all I should have to say is this: Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. See? Enough said, right?

But seriously, this is a combination of Comedy and Sci-fi. It exploits the elements of Science Fiction for comic relief, often leaning toward satire, as in our example above.

Science Fantasy

This is a blend of Science Fiction and Fantasy (Duh, right?) that lends a sheen of scientific realism to things that could never really exist. This is a squishy subgenre at best, and has never been truly solidified with a description. Surprisingly, one of my all-time favorite series, Shannara, by Terry Brooks, is considered this. I never knew that. See? Even I learn something doing these posts.

Apocalyptic Science Fiction

These next two subcategories are very tightly linked. Apocalyptic Science Fiction is all about the end of days, the downfall of civilization. The whole story leads up to some cataclysmic event that destroys life as we know it. Sometimes we survive, sometimes we don’t. But once disaster strikes, the story’s over. Otherwise, it becomes part of the next subgenre.

Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction

If Apocalyptic is about the disaster itself, Post-apocalyptic naturally features what happens next, after the crisis. Often it includes desolate landscapes, a much smaller population, and sometimes even a return to medieval, or non-technology-enhanced ways of life. Apocalyptic fiction is often depressing, but Post-apocalyptic brings a sense of hope with it, revolving around themes like survival and rebirth/rebuild.

Zombie Fiction

I know what you’re thinking: Doesn’t this belong in Horror? Well, that depends entirely on the storytelling approach. When the emphasis is placed on the fear created by a Zombie Apocalypse, and violence and gore play a major role, then yes, I would tend to agree that it’s more fitting in Horror. But when the focus of the story is on an infectious contagion sweeping through the world, turning everyone to mindless, flesh-craving mutants, that’s Sci-fi’s realm. So it really just depends.

Alien Invasion

There seems to be a lot of these self-explanatory subgenres in Sci-fi, doesn’t there? Alien Invasion is exactly what you’d expect: Aliens invading Earth for the nefarious reasons of either destroying or enslaving mankind. This has been one of the most common storylines in Sci-fi; it’s right up there with Hard Sci-fi’s exploration and discovery. From War of the Worlds, to Independance Day, to Avatar, Alien Invasions have fascinated audiences. I wonder if we’ll find it so fascinating if it ever really happens?

Alien Conspiracy

Unlike Alien Invasion, where all hell breaks loose as massive ships descend from the sky, Alien Conspiracy takes a more subtle stance on the whole Alien thing. UFO sightings and abductions are fair game in this category and stories usually center on the conspiracy itself, on the journey to truth. Perhaps the most well-known example of this subgenre is The X-Files.

Time Travel

First popularized as a Sci-fi subgenre by H.G. Wells and The Time Machine, Time Travel is one of those things, like Historical, that crosses several genres. And, like Zombies, the designation between each is subtle and based on the approach. Time Travel without an explicit, scientific explanation would fall more in the realm of Fantasy, but when it’s based in science, like The Time Machine, it’s most definitely Sci-Fi. Other than that distinction, the idea is the same– traveling through time. End of story.

Alternate History

We’ve seen this header elsewhere. And just like its Fantasy counterpart, Sci-fi’s version is pretty straightforward. It’s a story rooted in history, but then deviates from that to create an alternate timeline. Pretty simple, no?

Parallel Worlds

This is the only subgenre that allows for pure speculation, more akin to Fantasy in many ways than its Sci-fi brothers. The idea is that there is a parallel universe to our own, where the world is either recognizable or very much not. Often including elements of Time Travel, Parallel Worlds is rife with endless possibilities for imaginative new twists. The most prominent and recent example I can think of is Fox’s cult hit, Fringe.

Lost Worlds

This subgenre features tales of adventure, discovering lost locations (islands, continents, planets, etc.) that tend to feature dinosaurs or other extinct creatures and cultures. Jules Verne’s A Journey to the Center of the Earth is a prime example of this type of fiction.

Dystopian Fiction

Just like Dystopian Fantasy (which isn’t an official subgenre yet), Dystopian Sci-fi is all about the opposite of Uptopia. Generally set in a near-future heavy with social unrest, Dystopian Fiction explores things like police states, repression, and dictatorship. They also commonly feature rebellions. This subgenre has seen a recent boost in popularity, especially with the YA audience, claiming such heavy-hitters as Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games Trilogy and Marie Lu’s Legend Series.

Space Western

Yep, space cowboys. (Oh, come on, you know you were thinking it.) Combining the ideology of frontier America with intergalactic travel may sound like a ridiculous concept, but it’s actually a pretty potent combination. How many of you have heard of a little show by the name of Firefly? **Waits for the fanboy/girl squealing to die down.** Yeah, exactly. That’s a Space Western. Enough said, right?

Retro Futurism

This subgenre can boiled down to a phrase: “The future as seen from the past.” It has to conform to a vision of the future presented by artists pre-1960, creating a nostalgic blend of elements to showcase a timeline that could have been but never was. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Rocketeer, and even The Phantom all qualify for this category.

Recursive Science Fiction

How’s this for a convoluted subgenre? Recursive Science Fiction is Science Fiction about Science Fiction. The best way I can describe it is that it’s a framed narrative often featuring a protagonist writing a science fiction story. Fortunately, it’s rare, so I wouldn’t dwell on this one if I were you.

Slipstream

Landing somewhere between Literary and Speculative Fiction, Slipstream is just plain weird. It’s actually known as the “fiction of strangeness.” It actively tries to break the conventions of genre, crossing between the various styles with ease. A good Slipstream will leave you feeling confused and uncomfortable, and is often accompanied by a resounding, “WTF?” But hey, to each their own!

Anthropological Science Fiction

This subgenre is rooted entirely in the discipline of Anthropology. It seeks to portray races and cultures to the same scientific degree that anthropologists do, even if those races and cultures are entirely fictitious. Notable names under this header include Ursula K. Le Guin, Chad Oliver, and Michael Bishop.

And that concludes our long, sometimes arduous, journey through the many literary subgenres. I hope it’s been as enlightening for you as it has been for me. Creating these quick reference sheets, I learned quite a bit about my own personal reading tastes, from the order of my genre preferences to the things I find most appealing in a story. But most importantly, I learned exactly how to categorize my work. How about you, though? Did you learn anything valuable from reading all these?

**Another post syndicated from Nightwolf’s Corner, the personal blog of Senior Editor, Kisa Whipkey.**

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It’s Emily Taylor!

Emily who?

Emily Taylor!

Emily is the newest author to sign with REUTS, with her dystopian / paranormal fantasy novel A Soul To Take. You may have seen Emily and ASTT around the Figment.com community, and we couldn’t be happier to be publishing this awesome adventure of a story.

A Soul to Take is set to be released mid-2014, so while we have a little ways away, that doesn’t mean you can’t start to get acquainted with Emily over on her Facebook page! Offer some congratulations while you’re there!

Congratulations, Emily! We’re so excited to have you a part of the REUTS family

(I’ll have you note: eventually I’m going to run out of clever ways to introduce new REUTS family members. Take advantage of these while they last!)

The post And hiding behind curtain number one… appeared first on REUTS | Boutique Book Publisher |.