SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Although I don't think the challenge can run indefinitely, I feel it can run it for 1 more year. So give your feedback. What is good? What could make it better?

Most importantly, give me ideas for sub-genres of fantasy and science fiction to feature in the main challenge and archetypes to feature in the monthly challenges

I like the idea of running this challenge for another year.

My suggestion would be to reshuffle the teams, so that everyone can choose where they want to be for the new year. Maybe new team names? A resetting of the score?

Fantasy Subgenres:
High (epic) fantasy
Low Fantasy
Sword and Sorcery
Urban Fantasy
Dark Fantasy
Grimdark
Historical Fantasy
Mythic Fantasy
Comic Fantasy
Cozy Fantasy
Paranormal Fantasy
Portal Fantasy
Science Fantasy
Gaslamp Fantasy
Magical Realism

Gaslamp? Is that like Steampunk?

Similar, yes. Both are based in 19th century worlds (Regency, Victorian, Edwardian), but Gaslamp is based on magic, and Steampunk is based on technology.

I just learned something new.

Netanella wrote: "My suggestion would be to reshuffle the teams, so that everyone can choose where they want to be for the new year. Maybe new team names?..."

We will definitely reset and have team sign-ups again.

maybe lessen the load (number of books a bit)? I'm a fast reader and even I have had difficulty reading all the possibilities in this challenge

24 books = main challenge
12 months X 4 books = monthly challenges
Summer = 6 books
October = 1 book
December = 3 Gift books
-------------------------------------
Total = 82 books

and that's not counting the Power Point books = 8 and maybe 9
with
Objects of Power = 3 X 2 books
-------------------------------------------------

82 + 14 = 96 books

I think I'll make 97

Melanie, if you–as the neutral party having to do all the math–are up for doing this again, I'm absolutely in. I've enjoyed this challenge so much and it has 100%+ leveled up my reading this past year. Life happened of course, and there's no way I'm completing the challenge this year, but this made it so I always had something in the queue vs. hemming/hawing and not finishing books. Thanks for all of your work on it.

Archetype ideas. These are broad ideas that could be developed into prompts. Any could be reworked to be protagonist or antagonist:
Class clown - character no one takes seriously but who ultimately proves themselves in the end; or proves that they're evil!
Hybrids (eh, there might be a better word) - characters who are biologically or technology blended or enhanced
Jack of All Trades - maybe a single character with expertise in many areas; or a group whose combined skills lead to success (the latter is a little like Fantasy's DnD party I guess)
(Un)Lucky Duck - characters who stumble into fortunate (or unfortunate) circumstances and have to work their way through it.
Hard Boiled - some kind of detective theme; there's a mystery or murder that needs to be solved; noir-themed story
Wicked Witch - a book that vilifies a woman or all women
Watson - the story POV is someone who isn't the main character (a little like sidekick but the story is more about a character other than the narrator)
Liar, Liar - includes characters who lie for a living; or someone is caught in a lie and that kicks off the story
Doctor, Doctor - (to the tune of the Robert Palmer song) - character that is a doctor; character receives a medical diagnosis that changes their life;

I'll come back when I think of more!

Military scifi and military fantasy are decent options for subgenres.

Archetype ideas (general thoughts, not as fleshed out as Kristin's):
Talking animal
Tentacle creature
(Greedy or friendly) Innkeeper
Hotshot (pilot or otherwise)
Musician/bard
Riddle Master
Fortune teller: one sub-category could be Cassandra - a character who predicts something correctly but isn't believe
Conspiracy theorist vs skeptic
Competitor - a character who competes in some kind of game/tournament
Last of Their Kind
Fairest of Them All
The Innumerable Horde vs One Great Man/the exceptional individual
Mercenary or assassin for hire

I'm so happy to hear that this challenge will run for another year! Honestly, it has been the most fun reading challenge I have ever participated in, not only in this group, but overall.

I was at times overwhelmed by the number of prompts, and it was tricky to do monthly challenges, because my reads rarely fit within a calendar month (due to management of library reservations and limited time), but I suppose it's a me problem and, all in all, it's good to have a lot of options. The goal is not to complete all the prompts but get more points than the other team, after all.

I whole-heartedly agree with Banshee. This reading game has been the most interesting one I've ever participated in. This last year was also my first time joining Booklovers Combat :) I loved pretty much every element of the challenge. I don't know what my last year would have been like without it, so I'm grateful it will be running for another year! Thank you to all the mods and curious readers who have made this reading year wondrous and joyous for me.

As for subgenres and archetypes, maybe ones that derive from the theme of an obsessive pursuit of knowledge? For instance, while dark academia comes to mind, I recognize that perhaps in its classic form it encompasses a bit more of fantasy than science fiction. But I'm sure there are many novels that slide the fantasy aspects over squarely to the science fiction world, e.g. magic systems more as a technology, or fantastical elements that are ultimately rooted more in engineering and math (here I think of the many Tchaikovsky works that mashup the fantasy and sci-fi elements). Lots of archetypes come to mind in this broad theme:

- The Inventor
- The Faustian Bargainer (this one drips of deliciousness)
- The Archivist (e.g. librarians, monks, scholars protecting forbidden knowledge)
- The Promethean Figure (i.e. bringing rare or unsanctioned knowledge to light)
- The Biopunker (so many different kinds of punk subgenres!)
- The Unrequited Researcher (i.e. scientists begging for funding. Just kidding! Ugh, I'm dying inside now).

I can't wait to start the 2026 Booklovers Combat!

Just dropping in to say that I would also love to join this challenge next year. Really enjoyed it this challenge and thank you for all the work that goes into it!

I found this challenge quite fun! I enjoyed matching my books with prompts where I could. I'm not a completionist though so I didn't do every challenge (maybe too many if I had tried? like 100 books to specific requirements).

As for sub genres of science fiction:

Hard Scifi
Space Opera
Apocalyptic/Post apocalypse
Alien Romance
Robot Fiction
Superheroes
Steam/Cyberpunk
Space Western
Mecha

And some archetypes:

Bounty Hunter
Alien Outsider (like spock?)
The Captain
Good AI/Evil AI
Kind Medic
Green skinned Space Babes
Newbie
Hacker
Token Adult (of a team of kids)
Villain Team Up
Zero to Hero

I am proofreading the 2026 Challenge and plan to have it posted before Christmas, so ... stay tuned!

I did lessen some of the monthly challenges, but I feel compelled to share an opinion I have about challenges in general. They can be inspiring and help boost your reading to a new level, but when the challenge becomes a chore, and it takes joy out of reading, it looses it's value. I strongly believe you don't have to complete the whole challenge (or any book challenge you choose to tackle) to find value in it.

In fact, I am in the habit of limiting myself from the onset. Like with this challenge, I prioritized the main challenges (because we have more time to plan and complete them) and made my monthly goal to get 10 monthly points before the year's end. Everything more than that is team under promise - over deliver.

I don't know if this adds perspective or not, but that's where I stand on challenges. And I really enjoy book challenges like this one.

I will join the combat for 2026, but I will be using it for two purposes.

1. Post books that fit that I stumble across in the course of my other reading in hopes that this helps my team.

2. Really look at the chosen books for any piece of the challenge that I want more of in my life.

It's all for enjoyment, and we don't have to wash the other team's cars if we lose.

Hoping to join in 2026!