Now that Waterstone’s has decided to shelve urban fantasy / paranormal romance separately as “Dark Fantasy” – and I’ve also heard mention of a “Dark Romance” book shop category – I thought perhaps it might be time for…
“Dark Science Fiction”.
We’ve had Mundane science fiction and optimistic science fiction and New Space Opera, so why not a new one?
I see “dark scifi” (which is no doubt what it will be shortened to) as a very specific subgenre. It will feature feisty kick-ass heroines battling rogue robots and having cybersex with AIs. Lots of cybersex. And maybe a few cyberdates as well. The stories will take place in futuristic cities, which may not necessarily be on this planet. Some stories, I expect, might even be set in space stations. Or on mile-long spaceships. Wherever there are rogue robots that need their asses kicking.
You may be thinking there’s not much that’s actually dark about “dark scifi”. Well, no. But then there’s not much that’s dark about “dark fantasy”. Yes, it’s all werewolves and vampires and zombies, rather than Peasant Heroes and Hidden Kings and Dark Lords, but…
Um, perhaps, our feisty heroines should kick rogue zombie robot butt, then. And maybe we should throw in some cyber-vampires and were-aliens.
It’s the literature of the future. I think it could be a winner.
March 10, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Have you seen the separate category that Forbidding Prices now boasts? IIRC: “macho dudes with big guns”.
Lovely.
March 11, 2010 at 11:00 pm
“our feisty heroines should kick rogue zombie robot butt, then. And maybe we should throw in some cyber-vampires and were-aliens.”
FFS don’t give them ideas, Ian.
March 14, 2010 at 11:10 pm
Um, and the difference between “dark SF” and “cyberpunk” is what, exactly…?
March 15, 2010 at 10:09 am
They have zombie robots in cyberpunk?
March 29, 2010 at 5:28 pm
I think in the end it boils down to this:
Is it enough to qualify as a zombie robot if it is controlled by a brain in a jar, or does it have to be a dead (or even undead…) brain in a jar?
March 29, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Cyber Vampires?
Peter Watts, Blindsight.
That’s all I have to say about that.
March 29, 2010 at 3:23 pm
I thought /Blindsight/ was a jolly good, very original book, but I don’t recall anything I would call even remotely similar to a vampire…
March 29, 2010 at 3:33 pm
The commander of the mission on board is a vampire.
For the jolly and fun scientific background to the question: “What the f***ing heck is a vampire doing in space?”, just visit http://rifters.com/blindsight/vampires.htm
And more vampire goodness:
http://rifters.com/real/in_progress.htm
Go there quickly. Who knows what’s going to happen to his website, when he is going to jail for being beaten down by a border guard…
March 29, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Oh, OK! I’d completely blanked that detail.
Hey, if it was an option, if the choices were growing old & dying or becoming a vampire, I’d go for it. I’m a recovering goth; it wouldn’t be a dramatic transition…
March 29, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Dying or becoming a vampire? Is that even a quesiton?
I mean, what are the downsides?
Okay, the blood procuring might get a little tedious in the long run, but as long as there are some sufficiently anarchistic warzones where missing people are an everyday thing…
If you will excuse me, I have to get those bloodstains out of my good shirt for that “Sociopath of the Year” award ceremony.