The Hub

YALSA’s upcoming YA Literature Symposium will explore the future of young adult literature. The symposium begins on November 2nd, but we wanted to get a head start here at The Hub, so we’re devoting October to 31 Days of the Next Big Thing. Each day of the month, we’ll bring you forecasts about where YA literature is headed and thoughts on how you can spot trends and predict the future yourself.

In writing this post, I’m also making an online confession. I used to think that I hated historical fiction. Why? I’m not really sure. I just know that I used to talk myself out of picking up historical fiction titles unless they were basically forced upon me. However, in the last year I have read so many absolutely stellar historical fiction books that I finally rewired my brain, and I have to admit that I kind of love historical fiction! In doing so, I began to keep an eye on what might be coming down the pike.

By scouring the interwebs, I’ve been able to pick out what I think are a few of the trends in upcoming historical fiction releases. So, as we look to the past, what can we see more of in the future?

First up, there seems to be an emerging group of historical retellings. Not just fictionalized retellings of famous historical events, but more re-envisionings of famous tales in new and intriguing historical settings. This trend has already begun with books like The Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin, which came out in April. This dark and atmospheric retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death creates a steampunk version of a plague-ridden land where only the wealthy can afford the stylish masks that prevent infection. The sequel, The Dance of the Red Death, will be coming out in April 2013. Continue reading The Next Big Thing in Historical Fiction