Here are three titles I’m currently mulling over for books. Each is from a different genre (either Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Horror) and each a different subgenre (space opera, surrealism, epic, heroic, etc, etc, etc, etc). Here’s the game- can you guess the genre/subgenre just based on these titles alone?
The City on the Edge of Autumn
The Moons are Burning
A Riddle of Bone
I Shall Throw Numbers at You, While You Sleep
They Have No Tongues
Extra bonus points if you can guess whether or not these are short stories or novels.
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“A Riddle of Bone” sounds like epic fantasy.
Two of the others have a bit of an Ellison ring to them. A moratorium should be declared on cities on the edges of things. They have no tongues … and they must lick?
I think you should take the comma out of “I Shall Throw Numbers at You While You Sleep,” my personal favorite of the lot. And instead of writing a story to go with it, you should form a droney math rock band and call it that.
Ohhh, this looks like fun! My guesses will be completely obvious, though.
City on the Edge of Autumn – fantasy, literary epic with a dash of heroism, novel
The Moons are Burning – science fiction, apocalyptic space opera, novel
A Riddle of Bone – science fiction, slipstream, short story
I Shall Throw Numbers at You, While You Sleep – horror, surreal, short story
They Have No Tongues – horror, Lovecraftian, short story
Wheee!
Ah, fun game indeed!
The City on the Edge of Autumn: fantasy, either epic or urban
The Moons are Burning: werewolf soap opera (would you write this???), urban fantasy
A Riddle of Bone: mystery, horror
I Shall Throw Numbers at You, While You Sleep: slipstream, science fiction
They Have No Tongues: you got me on this one, but it is definitely more of a short story title than a novel title
The City on the Edge of Autumn
Fantasy in a decaying urban setting. A city whic menacing ruin populated by sad people and surrounded by dying forest. Mysterious creatures coming from forest go to the town to kill inhabitants.
The Moons are Burning
A space opera of course. A great battle. Moons are destroyed.
A Riddle of Bone
Prehistoric fantasy. About chamans we can read auguries in bones
I Shall Throw Numbers at You, While You Sleep
Cyberpunk.
They Have No Tongues
Horror.
Ok, now to reveal the truth!
City on the Edge of Autumn-
Dark Fantasy/New Weird Novel
The Moons are Burning-
Science Fiction in a Grindhouse style novel
A Riddle of Bone-
Prehistoric Epic Fantasy – novel
I Shall Throw Numbers At You While You Sleep
Short story- horror fantasy
They Have No Tongues
Slipstream. Short Story.