by Kristi Jenkins

Ask ten people if they read science fiction or fantasy and you're likely to receive ten different answers. Fans of the genres are generally strong in their loyalty to them, while people who dislike (or refuse to read) genre fiction are equally opinionated.

by Jesse Steele

Anyone who reads or who has pre-teen kids in the US is likely quite familiar with Stephenie Meyer by now. I read her Twilight series earlier this year on the recommendation of my friend’s twelve-year-old daughter, so when The Host came out, my friend asked me to read it before her daughter did to gauge it's appropriateness since it's Meyer’s first book for adults.

Sub-genres of any kind can be difficult to nail down, but in the genres of fantasy and science fiction it’s not easy to even get them to hold still.

The principle reason for this is that these two genres are often collectively called “speculative fiction” because they deal with the question “What if . . . ?”

This leads not only to genre hybrids such as science fantasy, but to sub-genres that may be applied to either fantasy or science fiction, such as alternate history. To top it all off, even the term “speculative fiction” may be applied to fiction which contains some fantasy/science fiction elements but which is considered more literary than anything else. Still, familiarity with the most common sub-genres in fantasy and science fiction may help you find the best agent, publisher, or market for your novel. After all, if you don’t know what to call it, how are you going to pitch it?
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by Karinya Funsett

Let’s start by getting this out in the open: I’m not what one would call an especially fantasy-savvy reader.I like good stories regardless of the genre, but when my co-workers start throwing around fantasy references during our chats, I more often than not have to quickly google the author or character in question before saying, “ah, yes, I get it now! Good one!” Ahem.

by Kristi Jenkins

Little Brother is Cory Doctorow's first novel specificially targeted at young adults, but that should in no way limit its audience.

The story is the first person narrative of Marcus Yallow, a high school senior in San Francisco and "one of the most surveilled people in the world".