For a long time now I've been hearing - NO VAMPIRE STORIES, which was killing me. I LOVE vampire stories AND I have my own concept twist on vampire and werewolf relationships that I want to write some day. But after Twilight the market got saturated and agents were saying vampire stories are too hard to sell. But when I saw Holly Black announce on Twitter that she had signed a deal for a vampire novel my response was a fist pump worthy "YES!" (read about it here). Holly Black is one of my favourite authors and for someone with her credibility being prepared to write about bloodsuckers means there's hope that a few more new novels dedicated to the sexist of the undead will emerge.
But while I love vampires, I know more creatures are needed to ensure the genre has a pulse on the bookshelves. I've researched a lot of mythology and there are some great creatures that I would love to see feature more prominently in books:
- Gargoyles: Oh how I love Goliath from the The Gargoyles cartoon series. I've actually included a gargoyle in one of my works in progress. They are strong and tough, yet extremely vulnerable at the same time.
- Centaurs: They are manly and a horse! Plus they have a natural aloofness that just makes you want to get inside their heads. Strong and silent and intriguing.
- Imps: I want to see the mischief, the fun, not just the dark side of the fae world.
- Pegasus: Yes unicorns rock, but the winged mythical horses could add a whole new dimension to travel for a MC.
NOTE: For those of you hanging out for the results of the pitch contest with Mandy Hubbard, please note she is working her way through the HUGE number of entries. Once Mandy has decided the ones she wants to see, she will have a guest blog post to announce them.
I'm a vamp fan. All of the vamp stories I've read have been vastly different, so it's never gotten old for me, but I can only imagine how innundated the agencies/publishers have been!
ReplyDeleteI agree with those 4 creatures, especially centaurs! I'm almost finished with my leprechaun book, and that was a fun myth to play around with. :)
I almost added Leprechauns after reading some of your book, but I wasn't sure if it was a secret project.
ReplyDeleteMermaids! I love mermaids, and would like to see more books about them. Not the sweet, Disney version, but the kinds of mermaids that are dark and a little bit sinister. That would be really really cool.
ReplyDelete- http://pensuasion.blogspot.com/
Giants. No one has written a good book about giants in years. In fact the only one I can think of is The BFG....
ReplyDeleteI still love vampires. Always will. I like your four choices though too. They're all really good ones.
ReplyDeleteAnd can't wait for the end of Wendy's leprechaun book!!
I love all paranormal creatures. Seriously, I am obsessed. I definitely afree with all four that you listed, plus the suggestions in the comments. And you just gave me a really good idea for pegasus in my WIP.
ReplyDeleteTHanks :D
I definitely agree with the person who said mermaids. I love mermaids, and I've already written one novel about them, in a dark style. I think that I would love to read more modern day ghost/undead stories. Anything paranormal has my attention.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited about Holly Black's announcement!! I loved her short story, so cannot wait for that.
ReplyDeleteI love centaurs, one my favourite mythological creatures. But I am supporting the need for mermaids, one of my WIP's is about a mermaid.
Loved the post.
I love vampires but I'm not really that big a fan of creatures and everything. I enjoy horror and Gothic a bit more. I'd love to see more ghosts and witches though!
ReplyDelete