The fantasy fiction juggernaut

Maybe it’s a result of evolving habits. After all, if television series can adapt novels, why can’t novels imitate television? Viewers like to immerse themselves in multi-part stories on streaming platforms because they don’t have to make decisions about what to watch – at least until the series ends. Why, then, wouldn’t a series of fiction books also be able to capture a massive following? The surge in diverse and captivating fantasy fiction within the publishing industry can undoubtedly be attributed to this effect, say editors like Marta Rossich from Nova, and Jan Martí and Alice Incontrada from Blackie Books.

“The moment is so vibrant for these epic stories – they’re the gold nuggets that everyone in publishing is talking about,” said Rossich, who publishes the Spanish translations of Brandon Sanderson’s books. “In Spain alone, we’ve sold 450,000 copies” of Mistborn, Sanderson’s most successful series of epic fantasy novels. These numbers are light years ahead of any other fiction genre. And the best thing, says Rossich, is that “writers like Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, Joe Abercrombie and George R. R. Martin have paved the way for other writers. Authors like China Miéville, N. K. Jemisin and many others can drop four more books in their series knowing that readers will absolutely devour them.” Book sales “spread and grow” over time because “some readers are just starting a series while others are on the fourth or fifth book.” Rossich says publishers like this trend because they can anticipate that sales of a series like Steve Erikson’s 10-volume Malazan saga will explode sooner or later.

Erikson’s visit to Barcelona in November 2022 revitalized his book sales n Spain. Rossich believes it is crucial to engage with demanding readers who want to share their book preferences online. Antonio Torrubia, a bookseller at Gigamesh, a renowned science fiction, fantasy and horror bookstore in Barcelona, confirms Erikson’s popularity with 500 books sold in his store alone. Torrubia also points out the wide range of themes in fantasy fiction genre. For example, Barbarians – the intergalactic erotic series by Ruby Dixon – has surged on TikTok with the recently released third book. Torrubia also highlights the ongoing success of the Harry Potter books, and how early readers have become dedicated consumers of serialized novels.

Imprints owned by large publishing houses like Nova (Penguin Random House), Runas (Alianza) and Editorial Planeta (publisher of the Spanish translations of the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros) are thoroughly invested in the epic fantasy fiction market. But small imprints like the exquisite Insólita (publisher of Fonda Lee’s Jade Legacy) have also made inroads in the genre. Others include Gamon, publisher of Luke Arnold’s paranormal detective series and Tasha Suri’s Burning Kingdom series; Vidis, which has focused on historical fantasy and authors like Claire North; and Nocturna, publisher of Jay Kristoff’s Spanish translations. All these publishers, big and small, are dedicated to fostering reader loyalty by consistently delivering captivating stories in progress. “In many cases, there’s this leap from the cult, genre reader to the general public. That’s when things start to happen,” said Rossich.

Things are about to happen for Blackie Books, an independent publisher not known for the fantasy fiction genre, which is releasing the Spanish translations of Michael McDowell’s wildly popular Blackwater series. Set in 1930s Alabama, the Southern Gothic horror saga has been praised by the likes of Stephen King and Mariana Enriquez. Blackie Books will release the six books individually, with a new book every 15 days starting in February. “Blackwater is actually more like a novel in installments than a saga,” said Jan Martí, co-founder of Blackie Books. McDowell wanted to make reading more adventurous by dividing up the story this way. “Two weeks can feel like forever when McDowell’s cliffhangers leave you in suspense. And what’s really fascinating is how he plays with the concept of reading enjoyment,” said Alice Incontrada. First published in 1983, these books (which sold two million copies in France and Italy last year) were crafted by McDowell to capture the essence of the serialized fiction tradition.

McDowell took an active role in how his work would be published, as does Sanderson today. A prolific sci-fi and fantasy author, Sanderson started an online fund-raising campaign to self-publish four of the novels he wrote during the pandemic. For other books, he opts for traditional publishing. Both authors understand the importance of the reader’s needs. Christopher Paolini, who wrote the bestseller Eragon, says he has always loved fantasy fiction and decided to write his own saga when he was just 15. “It’s always the case that authors of fantasy epics are also readers of fantasy epics,” said Paolini. He’s still a fan today despite having less time for reading, and believes the fantasy genre is superior to realism. “At the end of the day, fantasy is the oldest form of fiction,” he said. A timeless tradition that is conquering new audiences in modern times.

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