I've been blogging about how to write anything in a more literary fashion. A lot of people think of genres as unique, stand-alone categories. Yes, people pair up sci-fi/fantasy, sometimes even think of space westerns like "Star Wars" or "Firefly." But a lot of people think of sci-fi as a genre based on power gleaned from science, of horror as a genre whose power is based in thrills and chills, of fantasy as any story where power comes from magic alone, of literary fiction as the literature without genre and with depth of meaning, and so on. In the publication world, these things are carefully defined and often kept apart. Yet some stories stand out because they are willing to mix genres in new and interesting ways.
When "Star Wars: A New Hope" appeared on the scene, producers were leary. It was something new, something different. It did, indeed, seem a western in space, full of sci-fi samurai/space wizards/superheroes who used magic without a scientific basis (until the prequel trilogy). It had been given a very limited budget because it was so different. One producer believed in him, which is what carried the day. This was a story that spanned multiple genres. We all know it hit so big and continues to affect the culture across generations. And this is all because George Lucas crossed genres and created something new.
When a lot of people think Shakespeare, they think of greats like Hamlet or Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet. But yet, one of his most famous plays as well as his last play, The Tempest, combines the depth and classical themes of Shakespeare, the format of a Greek play, and tropes and themes most commonly found in the fantasy genre. It's the merging of tradition and something new. It's one of the most commonly shown plays because it does resonate with modern audiences because of the popularity of this merging of fairy tales, fantasy (a genre that didn't exist until later), and classical Shakespeare.
When asked about popular fantasy series, most people think of JRR Tolkein's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. His works merged mythology, fairy tale, 18th and 19th Century fantastical yarns, linguistics and so much more to create something new, something that has inspired generations since. Most modern fantasy traces its genealogy back through Tolkein's works.
Merging genres to create something new has been a technique used for a while, yet many shy away from it. Think about what you like to write, what genres suit your writing. If you love horror and fantasy, you can read some dark fantasy stories to see if you can create a world of your own there. If you love mainstream literature but also have always enjoyed science fiction, is there a way you can merge those? If you love fantasy and reality, you could see what some authors have done with magic realism, where everything seems normal and mundane except one fantastical element. See what others have done to merge genres then see what you can do.
