Author Anton Strout joins SciFiChick.com to talk about his latest release STONECAST and the latest trends in urban fantasy!
“Blank is the New Vampire”
By Anton Strout
I’ve been in the publishing industry for sixteen years now. Six of those years have been as an author: first, for my Simon Canderous paranormal detective novels and now for second series the gargoyle-tastic Spellmason Chronicles, which includes ALCHEMYSTIC and the just released STONECAST. During my time in the book world, I get asked at a minimum of at least twice the same rumbling industry wide question: what’s the next paranormal trend?
When I started behind the scenes in 1998 at one of the Big Six, vampires were the big undead man on campus. Even then, the industry was saying vampire literature was a dying trend (no pun intended). Yet here we are, years later, with vampires still making the bestseller list. Not so dead, are they?
In recent years (I’m looking in your direction, PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES) everyone’s favorite brain eaters have become super hot. Werewolves and other shapeshifters have also declared the new hotness. There was even a trend out there of publishing books about selkies, which—as best I can recall without looking it up—are shape shifting were-seals out for some sexay times. Over and over fantasy/romance trend pieces try to put their finger on what the next monster hotness will be, but does anyone really know?
Man, I hope it’s gargoyles.