YOUNG ADULT FANTASY: A TIMELINE

1802

The term “young adulthood” is credited to British author and critic Sarah Trimmer, who used the term in her periodical in 1802, and defined it as lasting from the ages 14 to 21

1960S

The term “young adult” was coined by the American Young Adult Library Services Association in the 1960s, to represent the 12-to-18 age group. This remains its most common definition

1997

JK Rowling released the first of her seven Potter books, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, in 1997. The story of a young orphaned wizard would be genre-defining

2000

Soaring demand for books in this genre prompted The New York Times to start a separate bestseller list for children’s literature in 2000. By June 2000, Rowling had spent 79 straight weeks on the list

2005

The Twilight Saga, five books by Stephenie Meyer published between 2005 and 2020, were another turning point. The love stories follow dashing vampires, werewolves and modern-day damsels in distress

2008

Finally, a YA fantasy heroine that got things done. The Hunger Games trilogy, written by Suzanne Collins and published between 2008 and 2010, follows teen Katniss Everdeen in a future, post-apocalyptic world as she wages a fight against a system in which children compete annually in a televised battle to the death

2020

Time magazine and a panel of authors that included NK Jemisin, Neil Gaiman and George RR Martin compiled a list of 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. The Lord of the Rings books by JRR Tolkien and the Potter books feature, as do two by Indian-origin authors: Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi and Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri.