a kind caring character being kind and caring because they actively choose to be despite their anger and trauma will always be infinitely more compelling and relatable than them just being a pure innocent baby uwu
show compassionate, soft characters who are not “innocent”/naive but who fought bitterly to be and remain compassionate and soft
This is one of the things I think many of us love about the character of Julian Bashir.
Some well-meaning Jake-and-Nog shenanigans leave Garak in an awkward predicament: he transforms into a lizard the size of a watermelon. Naturally, he won’t let anyone care for him but Julian – but then Julian turns into a tiny antelope. Waiting for a remedy to this nonsense, Julian and Garak hunker down in the O’Briens’ quarters, with labelled balloons attached to them so they don’t get lost behind the furniture.
heard some guy in barnes and noble today say “i can’t stand adult fiction they’re all like ‘i’m getting a divorce’”
exhausted twentysomethings having to save the world and they’re like “listen my boss won’t let me take leave for this” “you can rule the kingdom after” “I CAN’T EVEN KEEP MY PLANTS ALIVE BITCH”
thirtysomethings finally discovering they’re chosen ones and they’re like “i have a mortgage” “if you win the war we’ll pay it all off” “hmm…”
parents going “you want my child to what??? they’re 14! budge over i’m gonna do it” (has secretly wanted to be an adventurer forever)
older people refusing to be the Wise Old Mentor who dies at the end of act 1 for the protagonist’s character development
just
adult fiction
but cool
adult fiction
but not miserable
adults should get to go on adventures too
adults should get to go on adventures too
Adult fiction is always about cheating & weird fantasies of wanting to screw their boss. Let me read about a 35 year old human going to magic college & makes friends with a dragon damnit
This is a rather narrow definition of adult fiction! I do suggest talking to a librarian and getting some good recommendations because “Adult Fiction” is not just books about divorce and relationships and job issues.
The Magicians is actually a series that was not written as YA and is literally adults (ok, not 35, but they’re not tweens) going to magic college where Things Happen.
The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness is an Adult fantasy/magic series. It’s not my fav, but it definitely checks a lot of these boxes.
I haven’t read N.K. Jemisin, but her Broken Earth series is Hugo Award winning sci fi, and not YA.
Ted Chiang has written some great sci fi short stories.
Max Barry’s Lexicon is a great suspenseful thriller with elements of sci fi. All the Birds, Singing is another thriller. American Elsewhere is a great sci fi thriller with supernatural ish elements! And Jasper Fforde’s Shades of Grey is also great sci fi/dystopia/mystery! And how can I forget Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel!
Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series is mysteries but with a bit of a twist where some things are left ambiguous and you wonder if it was magic or supernatural or something else.
Iain Reid’s Foe is a psychological/sci fi thriller.
Anyway my point is, I work with teens and I have to read YA for them, and YA is great! I am all for people reading what they like and enjoying it without shame.
but…I prefer adult books. I promise they’re just as great as the usual YA “teen goes on a quest/there is magic” story and they may even be…better. It’s worth looking into and maybe expanding your horizons!
I enjoyed participating in this mockery when it was about fiction written by men. When did “it’s all about divorce” get applied to all non-YA fiction? (Is adult fiction even a thing?)
Literary Fiction isn’t the only “adult fiction.” Say Literary Fiction when you mean Literary Fiction. You’ll still be wrong, because every single one of you lament white male writers while ignoring women and writers of color, but at least you won’t sound so transparently illiterate.
development materials for my upcoming webcomic it’s a dark romantic fairy tale with a bit of an old slavic mythology flavor to it :) gonna be fun. more on it as it progressed
Cecil. She/her. During the day I sit in libraries staring at books. During the night I write queer fanfiction with a historical slant.
Some not-so-random facts: Gay space lizards are the best lizards. Star Trek is my life. I have too many DS9 ships. Classic Who and the Eighth Doctor Adventures make me grin stupidly. Kelas Parmak is the best. I will defend historically accurate portrayals of Alan Turing to the last drop of blood. Likes and asks end up in the name of @apolesens-otheraccount, because Tumblr doesn't have a way of changing which blog is your primary one. Nothing happens over there - this is the one to follow.
