Why There is Such a
Thing as a YA Book
A Tongue-in-Cheek
History of Literary Development
by H. David Blalock
Why are certain books considered Young Adult? Because
"they" say so. Who exactly are "they"?
Early in the 18th century, books were running wild, leaving
pages everywhere, tearing up public understanding with their metaphors, and
generally causing a nuisance by spreading ideas. This could not be allowed to
continue, or the world might become overstimulated, perhaps even... educated!
Something had to be done.
A group was formed called The Literary Critics (TLC) to
stave off the unchained activity of the printed word. These men met in
darkened, smoke-filled upstairs rooms, scanning thousands of pages by
candlelight to determine exactly how to go about controlling the unruly
literary animal.
The first thing this group did was to cage books into
categories. By doing so, they enabled the public to avoid the possibility of
encountering ideas or subjects that might frighten, disturb, or enlighten them.
Parents were finally able to shield their children from philosophies and
assertions that might challenge them. So started Children's Books.
However, all was not settled. Some parents, the very
progressive lot who scoffed at the CB category (The TLC insisted this group
spent their time drinking and carousing in the local pubs), pushed the envelope
and forced the TLC to recognize a set of intermediary categories between CB and
Mainstream Literary. After decades of very vicious and sometimes even violent
debate (15 dead, 35 injured between 1854 and 1903 according to the official
report), these became Juvenile and Young Adult.
After World War I, a group of Russian scientists who fled
the Revolution and settled in Britain, began working on a better definition of
literary categories. Forty years later, they gave up, most of them having
either died or gone mad from the stress of the project. In 1956, a Bolivian
professor of Literary Philosophy wrote the definitive treatise on the
development of the category "Young Adult", however he lived in a
grass hut in the Amazon River basin and the manuscript was lost during a
monsoon.
So it is we have a category of literature referred to as
"Young Adult" without a specific identity. Work is ongoing in an
attempt to better define it. Rumors have it there is a brain trust operating
out of a secret base in Antarctica that is on the verge of a major discovery.
Let us hope, this time, something does not stand in their way.
Synopsis of
Traitor Angel:
In Traitor Angel, the second book of the Angelkiller
Triad, the war between The Army of Light
and The Enemy continues behind the scenes. Unknown to the general population,
the battle for control of humanity is heating up.
Jonah Mason, called Angelkiller, faces more than one
decision. His Army resistance cell is wounded physically and emotionally, on
the brink of falling apart. The mysterious allies calling themselves Knights
are pressuring him to abandon his people. Meanwhile, the world outside draws
closer to Armageddon.
As Mason and his friends pursue their campaign against Dorian
Azrael's global megacorporation, Andlat Enterprises, the stakes get higher with
each desperate foray into the enemy's computers. They are fated to lose one of
their number and gain an unlikely ally, but any advantage they gain could be
fleeting at best.
If they fail, it could mean the end of The Army and all
resistance to the forces of Darkness.
About the Author:
H. David Blalock has been writing speculative fiction for nearly
40 years. His work has appeared in print and online in over three dozen
publications, spanning every format from short stories to novels, non-fiction
articles to screenplays. He is also editor of _parABnormal Digest_ for Sam's
Dot Publishing. To find out more visit his website at www.thrankeep.com.
H.David Blalock | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon
Disclosure
of Material Connection: I received this book for review from Seventh Star
Press author as part of a virtual book tour. I was not compensated nor was I
required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR,
Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in
Advertising.”
Great guest post. I don't think this series would be for me, but it sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis was a good post, thanks for sharing with us Valerie :)
ReplyDeleteHey Valerie! This was a fun post by the wise sage, as I affectionately call David! LOL Thanks for having him here today!
ReplyDeleteI love this guest post! I always like a little piece of history!! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are a bit creepy for me. LOL
ReplyDeleteFun post!
ReplyDelete