Is it Magic? Real? Horror? Science Fiction? Psychological...?

A recent speaker at our writers' group writes horror, or "horror light" as he described it. Straight after the meeting I read and enjoyed his novel WiZrD, which reminded me in many ways of my favorite Stephen King novels - the less heavy and wandering ones. I also enjoyed discussions with friends about the difference between magical realism, fantasy and horror. Someone suggested it's all a question of balance; if the real and the magical are equally balanced, it's probably magical realism. But what if the real and the horror are equally balanced, or the mystery and the science fiction, or the imaginary and the real? Which got me thinking, maybe we do have to fit our books into genres, but maybe the best stories are those that balance their labels so invisibly that we don't question which genre we're in as we read. I'm not sure where that would leave my books. I'm definitely working on some magical-realism teen novels, but I've been working on them forever. Meanwhile my contemporary novels are maybe part drama, part psychological. My children's Bible stories are part fiction part religion. And my picture books, my poems, my entries to our upcoming Writers' Mill Journal anthology?

Ah well, here are some books I've read that must surely all fit in somewhere around that horror, psychological, magical realism realm.

And I'll start with WiZrD by Steve Zell (which has to appeal if only because I'd be quite likely to misspell the word!). The story blends Anasazi mystery, Navajo legend and Stephen-King-style horror in a terrifying teen adventure (and it was great fun learning from the author how he had to re-edit for the teen release!). Horror lies convincingly just beneath the surface of reality and dream. Points of view flow smoothly, one to the next. Characters are convincing. And the balance of fast start, slow ride, and bicycle-bouncing sprint to the conclusion is very appealing. One to enjoy with the lights on and a bold, dark, intense five-star coffee.

I have to follow this one with some Stephen King of course. So here are some I read on vacation:

The Outsider by Stephen King blends dark and light, possible and impossible, mystery and suspense in well-times, well-stirred story-telling. There's a link to another book which leaves me wanting to read that one too, but the story stands alone perfectly, moving smoothly from plausible to scary and odd. More intense five-star coffee required!

The Sundog is an older Stephen King book, with that cool old-fashioned feel of days gone by and the wonders of not-so-modern technology. A short, scary read with just the right amount of character and horror, and another one to enjoy with intense five-star coffee.

WiZrD starred teens, Outsider stars adults. Sundog stars teens, so... moving back to adults, Salvation in Death by J. D. Robb surprised me as, for some reason, I expected a simple detective novel. What I found instead was a blend of futuristic, sensual, devious, police procedural with questions of faith, guilt and forgiveness all woven in. So yes, a suprise, and a very well-balanced read to enjoy with some well-balanced three-star coffee.

The Invasion by Peadar O’Guilin follows on from the Call and features the same teen protagonists in an Irish world grown even more dangerous. The invaders, of course, are the Sidhe. The land is still isolated from the rest of the world. And the danger continues to grow. It's a cool blend of myth and modernity, with great characters and plot, and a great sequel to the Call (though I'm still hoping there'll be a third book too). And it's dark. Enjoy with some good dark five-star coffee.

Stepping firmly into the realms of science fiction, there's Artemis by Andy Weir, with its teen protagonist and a cool mix of associates, plenty of earth-moon science, and exciting adventure. The science is so cool it's almost magical, and so scary it could almost be horror (or horror light), so I thought I'd include it here. Enjoy with some seriously complex four-star coffee.

And finally, there's The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. Psychological Thriller, unreliable narrator, that whole question of what is real and what imagined... it's not science fiction or fantasy or horror, but it kind of fits in. I found the narrator kind of annoying and the situation not quite believable, but it's a good quick read - enjoy with some lively, easy-drinking two-star coffee and don't take it too seriously.