Take 5: Sci Crossover Authors for YA Looking for More

If your teens are like mine, once you find a voracious reader you cannot keep them satisfied  and if they’re in love with a particular genre they will STAY there until all option are exhausted.  While we’ve been talking about ‘new adults’ in YA, teens crossing over and back into the adult section is nothing new, but many times I’ve found that they want help finding a title or an author that they’ll really like- a series that they can get into.  Here are 5 of my go-to authors for teens that are craving Science Fiction and Fantasy who have devoured everything in the teen section.  

A word of warning, however- since these ARE adult books, there will be adult content. Sex (married and unmarried), GLBTQ content, battles, fighting, etc., on an extent that may not be in teen science fiction/fantasy books.  You know your reader, so recommend appropriately.

The late Anne McCaffrey Readers that love dragons and new worlds love to jump into the world of Pern and The Rowan series.  If you’re worried about how they might take to it, you can start out with The Harper Hall Trilogy (Dragon Song, Dragon Singer, and Dragon Drums) which can often actually be found in YA Collections as the protagonists are teens themselves.

Mercedes Lackey

Creator of many worlds, I’ve had huge luck with her Valdemar books when teens have tired of the semi-heraldic fantasy science fiction books.  The protagonists all have magic of a sort (mind or physical), and there are evil empires and villains at work.  Her first books may be too violent for some readers (physical war crimes), but the newest series The Collegium Chronicles should be perfect for readers wanting something to expand into.

Kim Harrison For those who have devoured the witches and vampire novels in YA, but may not quite be ready for Charlaine Harris’ True Blood series (I’m not ready yet, no matter how good they look on TV LOL), there is Kim Harrison and her Hollows series.  A witch, a vampire and a pixy form a detective agency and then comes werewolves and other paranormal beings into the mix.  Readers will definitely be looking for their next itchy witch fix.

Terry Pratchett Nation was a Printz honor book, and his Discworld series has won numerous awards and touched many lives.  Dealing with the diagnosis of Alzheimers, Pratchett has assured the world that his legacy will live on in the hands of his daughter, which is reassuring to his numerous fans.  Borrowing from some of the greatest minds (Tolkien, Shakespeare, and others), his Discworld will engross lovers of high fantasy from the first pages.

Jim Butcher

Filed under: adult authors, crossovers, Fantasy, Reader's Advisory, Science Fiction, Take 5