A favourite OGOM topic (well, for me anyway!) is the transformation of classic fairy tales into (mostly YA) paranormal romances and allied genres. Here, the bare motifs of the fairy tale are invigorated by giving novelistic flesh to the characters and, in a similar use of realist conventions, placing them in a contemporary milieu. To the encounter of the genres of Gothic and romantic fiction is added a third generic modulation–that of the fairy tale.
There are some interesting recommendations of this genre here, with reworkings of Grimms’ tales, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, and The Thousand and One Nights. Some of these I know (Robin McKinley’s Beauty has featured on Sam’s Generation Dead course); some have been mentioned here before; some like very tempting indeed. The commentary is a little lightweight (fairy tales don’t really have happy endings in general), but resources like this, aimed at a YA readership after all, are very helpful.
