Warning! Potentially offensive content!
I have to apologise in advance, because I'm in danger of offending quite a few people with this post!
My observation - as a prolific reader - is that when it comes to science fiction and fantasy, there is a
spectrum with two clear but opposite points of focus:
Emotional Engagement < - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Abstract Engagement
By
Emotional Engagement I mean that the character's emotional development and conflicts are the primary focus of the story. There may be strong abstract elements as well, but it's the emotional aspect that remains unquestionably the author's primary focus.
By
Abstract Engagement I mean that the world-building details in which the story takes are the primary focus of the story. There may be strong emotional development and conflict elements as well, but it's the abstract aspects that remain unquestionably the author's primary focus.
There are many books inbetween - as I said, this is a
spectrum - but for examples of the extremes:
Emotional Engagement >The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Sure, there's a degree of world-building in play, but it's not the focus of the story - that remains very much centered on Katniss and her internal emotional conflicts.
Other books I could easily list here for the same reason:
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
As above, both have uniquely-imagined worlds, but they are the
setting and remain superficial to the focus of the story, which is character conflict.
Abstract Engagement > 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke
Sure, there are characters, but they are not the focus of the story - that remains very much centered on imagining a future where humanity has entered space.
Other books I could easily list here for the same reason:
Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
Again, both have characters with emotional development, but the setting remains the focus of the story in both.
And here's the second part of my observation about SFF:
- YA Fiction authors make Emotional Engagement the focus of its story,
- adult fiction authors make Abstract Engagement the focus of the story:
Emotional Engagement < - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Abstract Engagement
(Young Adult SFF Fiction) < - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > (Adult SFF Fiction)
First things first:
- YA is not an inferior genre to adult fiction in SFF. It is not about writing for children.
- adult fiction isn't necessarily more real, or more intelligent than YA fiction.
That means if a writer is writing SFF and their main dilemma is:
- how to make a young lead character's experience more tortured and difficult -> they are probably writing YA fiction
- juggling the masses of world-building facts -> they are probably writing adult fiction.
It's also important to maintain that all SFF is SFF, and that a lot of SFF has routinely involved young character by default - but again, I would suggest it's the story emphasis that is key.
Additionally, the distinction between YA Fiction and adult fiction is simply one of marketing to the
right audience.
Although it's great to try and challenge norms - especially in this casually sexist society we live in - we also need to be careful, because where those gender norms also affect reading preferences, challenging them could work against reader expectations and end up as self-defeating for the writer.
(I'm running out of steam so I'll stop here.)