As promised, here’s a few examples of cross-genre speculative fiction—novels that have found the sweet spot of honoring genre tropes while finding creative ways to mix things up.
Fonda Lee’s Jade City was nominated for a “Best Novel” Nebula, and won the World Fantasy award in 2018. The sequel, Jade War, was released in 2019.
Tracker Flash Fiction #3
Heavy rain slashed at Aubrey as she paused to take her bearings. She pulled the hood of her sodden jacket forward, shielding her face from the relentless downpour.
Of course — it’s raining. She smiled grimly, taking an odd solace in the bitter thought. Her shoulder still stung from the cuts she’d endured after squeezing through a barbed-wire fence.
A rainstorm is the perfect soundtrack to my Day From Hell.
There was no betraying sign of a Tracker, but that didn’t mean one of the soul-less killers wasn’t waiting just around the next corner. The City’s sprawling ruins offered a multitude of hiding places. Aubrey studied the broken-paned apartment across the street. She half-expected to spot the deadly glimmer of a Tracker’s scanning eye, staring hungrily down at her, but the windows were empty.
Like eye sockets in a skull. She grimaced, cursing her over-active imagination. Her hand moved to her abdomen, and she glanced down. Fear and loathing competed within her. I’ve got an Implant. The Hoarders …
It still seemed unreal. Why her? She caught herself and looked around in wide-eyed panic. Pay attention, Aubs! Don’t let your guard down!
She made a decision, stepping away from the crumbling tenement’s dubious shelter. Keep moving. She mentally repeated Sarah’s adamant advice. Don’t stand out from the crowd. Hidden in plain sight.
Water splashed over her feet as she crossed the desolate intersection, the traffic lights hanging dark and lifeless above her. She must find the other Runners — her life really did depend on it.
Keep moving. She sloshed through the ankle-deep puddles, ignoring her soggy footwear. Hidden in plain sight …
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