Books with the same mouthfeel as Steven Universe
January 8, 2016 8:11 PM Subscribe
I'd like to read some fantasy or science fiction that has the same flavor and feel as Steven Universe. Any recommendations?
I'm super duper into Steven Universe right now. It sometimes feels like it was written just for me, as it hits all my sweet spots: feminist, queer characters, adolescent characters, a prevailing sense of love and joy, deceptively simple worldbuilding that gets richer and deeper the further you go along, straddles the line of fantasy and science fiction, sparkles!!!, aliens, romance, friendship. You know, pretty much an American magical girl series. I'd love to read some books--anything spanning from middle grade to adult SF/F--with the same sort of feel. Books that have hit the spot in the past for me were the Incarnate series by Jodi Meadows, the first few Valdemar novels by Mercedes Lackey, and Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. And probably some Star Wars EU stuff. I don't want anything steampunkish, and darkness is fine so long as it's balanced by lots of hope and light (nothing grimdark please).
I'm super duper into Steven Universe right now. It sometimes feels like it was written just for me, as it hits all my sweet spots: feminist, queer characters, adolescent characters, a prevailing sense of love and joy, deceptively simple worldbuilding that gets richer and deeper the further you go along, straddles the line of fantasy and science fiction, sparkles!!!, aliens, romance, friendship. You know, pretty much an American magical girl series. I'd love to read some books--anything spanning from middle grade to adult SF/F--with the same sort of feel. Books that have hit the spot in the past for me were the Incarnate series by Jodi Meadows, the first few Valdemar novels by Mercedes Lackey, and Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. And probably some Star Wars EU stuff. I don't want anything steampunkish, and darkness is fine so long as it's balanced by lots of hope and light (nothing grimdark please).
Response by poster: That sounds perfect! Yay! It's not out in the US yet. Boo.
Recs don't have to hit ALL of those points. I just really want magical, sparkly stuff that straddles the line between fantasy and SF and is mostly optimistic. Thanks!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:00 AM on January 9, 2016
Recs don't have to hit ALL of those points. I just really want magical, sparkly stuff that straddles the line between fantasy and SF and is mostly optimistic. Thanks!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:00 AM on January 9, 2016
Sounds like our reading tastes are similar. I just finished Among others by Jo Walton. Some awful things happen to the heroine before the start of the book, but it's a hopeful, sweet story. It hits all of your criteria. Uprooted by Naomi Novak is another good one - firmly fantasy but you'll like it if you liked Seraphina.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell are two others to take a look at.
posted by entropyiswinning at 11:11 AM on January 9, 2016
Cinder by Marissa Meyer and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell are two others to take a look at.
posted by entropyiswinning at 11:11 AM on January 9, 2016
Pen Pal is not really classifiable by genre, but it is a good-hearted, evocative magical realist story about friendship between women, community, and mysterious gods set in not-quite-our-world that gives me the same warm feeling as SU.
posted by ariadne's threadspinner at 2:58 PM on January 9, 2016
posted by ariadne's threadspinner at 2:58 PM on January 9, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pharm at 1:23 AM on January 9, 2016 [1 favorite]