Mix Genres, Good Idea or Stay Away!

[The Masked Scrivener]

I have a story idea that I've been kicking around for several years. It would be epic in scale, but mix the popular Space Opera and Epic Fantasy into one story. Basically, my story would start off reading like an Epic Fantasy with magic and low-tech weapons, but at the end of book 1 you are introduced to a downed space craft. Book 2 returns to mostly fantasy, but you see more about the spacecraft, and then book 3 has space travel.

Would readers accept this kind of mixture? Has someone done it successfully before?

I have not read Dragonriders of Pern by McCaffrey (please don't shun me) which I've heard mixes Science and Fantasy, but I believe she does it bluntly. Chris Fox has space dragons and magic battling space ships in the Magitech, but again, that is how it is presented from the beginning.

My concern is if an Epic Fantasy reader is given space ships at the end of book 1, they might feel betrayed. What do you think?

[TimothyEllis]

Would readers accept this kind of mixture? Has someone done it successfully before?

My Spacemage Chronicle trilogy.

A medieval mage finds himself in a space society, and has to come to terms with magic meeting high tech.

I wrote it as a stand alone, and ended up doing a trilogy by demand.

Books 1 and 2 both got the orange tag for both Sci-fi and Fantasy Space Opera categories. Book 2 made #97 in the Amazon paid store.

So yes, it does work.

[notthatamanda]

No shunning. When the people on Pern discovered the space ship and got up to it, well, that killed the series for me and I was not the only one. But you are talking many, many books and a world we loved and the space ship thing came out of the blue.

If you do it take the care to get it into both of the categories when you get started.

[Post-Doctorate D]

It would be epic in scale, but mix the popular Space Opera and Epic Fantasy into one story.

So, Star Wars? 

Would readers accept this kind of mixture? Has someone done it successfully before?

As Timothy stated, it can work.  It can also fail miserably.  I have one with wizards and vampires along with a smattering of aliens and, um, to date, the beta readers outnumber the buyers.  And it was published at the end of 2019, just before 2020 happened and, you know, people were desperate for stuff to do and books to read.  Well, not desperate enough, apparently.

[Lorri Moulton]

Can you weave the idea of space travel into the epic fantasy?  Maybe have some magical background that turns out to be based on alien technology?  Or somehow clue fans into the fact that a higher tech "world" might exist in addition to the low tech one in the fantasy?

Firefly mixed the Old West with space travel brilliantly! 

[PJ Post]

These questions always come down to the execution.

[The Masked Scrivener]

Sorry, Tim, forgot to add you to the list.

[Cabbages and kings]

The characters don't have to know about the sci-fi from the start.

But if the readers don't know about the sci-fi from the start, I can imagine at least some of them being a little put off.

[PJ Post]

The characters don't have to know about the sci-fi from the start.

But if the readers don't know about the sci-fi from the start, I can imagine at least some of them being a little put off.

This.

[Jeff Tanyard]

As long as the readers know what they're getting from the start, then it can absolutely work.  Glynn Stewart has gotten rich writing this stuff.

[The Masked Scrivener]

I was going to go for the shock factor... but maybe not the best idea. I have time to work it out, as I won't get to this story for a while, so plenty of time to get it right.

Thanks everyone for the input.

[Simon Haynes]

One of my series features a polite, elderly robot dropped into a bloodthirsty medieval setting with various kingdoms (elves/dwarves/humans) all on the brink of war. I'm pretty clear about 'robot' and 'fantasy setting' from the first lines of the blurb though.

That series is doing just fine - after my Hal series (3x the number of books) it's my next-best seller. Not one review has complained about the mix of SF and Fantasy.

But springing a surprise spaceship in a fantasy novel? I wouldn't do that.

[notthatamanda]

Can you work the discover of the space ship into the beginning of the story line? Like they find it but have to keep it a secret to avoid panic or something? Just spitballing.

[Al Stevens]

Whenever SF violates the accepted laws of physics, it is fantasy to some.

[Eric Thomson]

Whenever SF violates the accepted laws of physics, it is fantasy to some.

**inserts obligatory Star Wars reference here**
 

[PJ Post]

Genres are a marketing classification. It's fine to mix things up from a literary perspective, but you have to identify the primary genre for your readers, otherwise it's confusing and muddies your brand - and then you lose fans. I know this isn't everyone's experience here (as far as they know), but it is the rule. For example, Chinese restaurants don't serve Tex-Mex.  Pick a lane.

If it's got spaceships, it's SF.
If it's got magic, it's Fantasy.
If it's got both - it's SF.  Star Wars and Dune are good examples.

[Post-Doctorate D]

For example, Chinese restaurants don't serve Tex-Mex.

We have one that has pizza.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Whenever SF violates the accepted laws of physics, it is fantasy to some.

Clarke's third law.   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws

[The Masked Scrivener]

Can you work the discover of the space ship into the beginning of the story line? Like they find it but have to keep it a secret to avoid panic or something? Just spitballing.

I started this story idea while still learning the craft. The more I learn about Promises and Pay-offs, the more I realize the need to not spring a genre change on the reader. Of course I was hoping I was wrong about that and could spring a twist to shock the reader, but it doesn't look to be a good idea, unless I'm Brandon Sanderson and people are going to buy my books no matter what.

For now, I will have to stick to safer story elements. I will need to present the spaceship earlier, probably as a Prologue, and then hinted at throughout book 1. I think it will still make a good story idea, as I feel the magic system is original enough to attract readers.

[Lorri Moulton]

I'm working a thread through many of my stories that is going to end up with an "Atlantis" type city being an important part of why things have evolved the way they have. 
Will readers like it?  I have no idea.  Do I like it?  Definitely!   

[R. C.]

I like my metaphors mixed. One part Boulder Navy Strength Gin.  Three parts Dr. Fentiman's Tonic. A heavy squeeze of lemon.

Oh! Sorry, we are talking about book genres.  My bad. 

Cheers,
R.C.

[Al Stevens]

Whenever SF violates the accepted laws of physics, it is fantasy to some.

**inserts obligatory Star Wars reference here**
 

Solving the Einstein Barrier according to Spock.

[Post-Doctorate D]

Maybe drop hints throughout but when the spaceship is discovered at the end of the book, maybe the characters believe it's a metal temple built by their ancestors.  But with hints to the reader that maybe it's not.  Then in the second book it can be confirmed that it's a spaceship.  Readers that don't like the idea can stop at book one and, in their head canon, it can remain an ancient metal temple.

[R. C.]

...
Solving the Einstein Barrier according to Spock.

With Gin, there are no barriers.

Cheers,
R.C.

[Eric Thomson]

...
Solving the Einstein Barrier according to Spock.

With Gin, there are no barriers.

Cheers,
R.C.

Unless it's pink gin.

[LilyBLily]

Speaking as a reader, I don't like shocks.

I really do not understand why some authors want to shock us. It's cheating. You promise X and then you spring Y on me instead? I'm gone, never to return.

Of course genres have differing expectations, but one reason people read genre is to get more of the same. Not surprises.

[Post-Doctorate D]

...
Solving the Einstein Barrier according to Spock.

With Gin, there are no barriers.

Cheers,
R.C.

Unless it's pink gin.

Better than pink eye.