For a change of pace, try blended genres
Try a ‘weird Western’ to put a fresh twist in summer reading
Have you heard the expression, “too much of a good thing”?
I think it applies to reading, especially when it comes to enjoying too much of your favourite genre.
As a horror fan, I’ve had to branch out into other genres over the years. I now have some handy backup, other go-to fiction to supplement my reading when I need a break from horror. If you’re also a horror fan, I recommend detective fiction, particularly Lawrence Sanders, as well as Agatha Christie. Recently, in search of another new genre, I read my first western: “Wild Justice” by Lorne Estleman.
Sometimes when I branch out, I enjoy the variety, but long for horror fiction just the same. Maybe you can have too much of a good thing, but you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
I wondered if there was a way to fuse the two — and there is. It’s called a blended genre: stories that blend themes and elements from two or more genres.
Horror and western fiction has been wedded before. In this case, the term ‘weird western’ could apply, or simply be known as a western with a horror bent and vice versa.
The same is true of paranormal romance. Horror fans who consider themselves purists may debate the legitimate horror quotient in those stories, but horror’s archetypes appear as central figures in a romance novel. That genre fusion has delighted many readers over the past few decades.
Genre fusions aren’t limited to horror and westerns. There are many delightful mashups that make for some truly entertaining reads. One example is romance fused with suspense.
J.D. Robb, the pen name for Nora Roberts, has published numerous romantic suspense novels. Heather Graham often writes novels in the same vein. That way, readers who crave an edge-of-your-seat story with romance (or vice versa) can enjoy the best of both worlds.
If you have genres you enjoy and you’d like to find a genre fusion, stop by any branch of Fort Erie Public Library. Chances are, we can find something to suit you. If we don’t have it in our library, we can get it for you by using our newly reinstated Interlibrary Loan Service.