by Kerry Chaput
Who wouldn’t want to feel the thrill of a well-written chase scene or an intense rescue? In modern fiction, more and more women are incorporating action-adventure into their books, and we love to see it!
While adventure has always been a part of the sci-fi and fantasy realm, we’re seeing action scenes pop up in other genres with thrilling results. Adventure stories take us on a journey, help us escape our routines, and let us feel the magic of being a kid.
I’m from the generation raised on Goonies, Indiana Jones, and Labyrinth. Adventure is in our bones. I think somewhere along the way, we grew more serious. Darker. Books became a way to prove one’s literary superiority. If you don’t indulge in the classics, you aren’t a real reader (insert eye roll here). Parents now return to those fun adventures as they read books from their youth to their kids, like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. I think us grown-ups are rediscovering the joy of escapism, and what else is more magical?
Books satisfy the wanderlust in us all, allowing us to fly airplanes and run through a jungle while cozy on our couch on a snowy day. I read Cheryl Strayed’s Wild while sick in bed with the flu. My body was worthless but my mind was right there with her on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Adventure isn’t just for kids. As society’s view on aging changes, so does our media. Books can include active, adventurous protagonists at every stage of life and it isn’t far fetched. I think it’s magical in itself to show all ages that life can stay fun.
We can’t talk adventure books by women without highlighting the great Kate Quinn. Whether she’s writing about woman snipers, codebreakers, or the Night Witches, an all-female WWII bomber regiment, she does so with such exhilarating action, you can feel your heart pound as you read. She blends historical fiction with action to create an almost surreal experience. I’ve always said great historical fiction feels like fantasy, and her books do just that.
Sometimes, an adventure is tied up with a touch of magic, lending to multiple layers of escapism. A writing teacher once told me that fantasy is there to serve the story, and I’ve never stopped thinking of that. When a book can marry the formula of a good old fashioned quest with lessons on life, that’s how a story gets elevated to an emotional gut punch. Great books teach us about the world. We learn without realizing we just got schooled on emotional intelligence. While we’re caught up in the odyssey and the magic, deft authors sneak in big themes that leave us asking questions we didn’t realize we needed the answers to.
Addie Larue dives into mental health and the deep human need for connection while adventuring through 300 years with a woman the world keeps forgetting.
Starling House: It’s books and haunted towns and old houses, but really we get a glance into modern environmental issues and the dangers of power imbalance.
Babel: While the reader is learning about linguistics and enchanted silver, Kuang is actually giving a lesson in the lasting effects of colonialism.
Perhaps we’ve lost a bit of adventure as we’ve grown up and let responsibility dictate our lives. As I’ve rediscovered my love for an epic quest between the pages, I’ve reconnected with how adventure takes us on an emotional journey. Done well, these books parallel the characters’ outside world with their internal growth, resulting in a true experience where we learn something deep and profound.
Historical fiction and fantasy lend themselves to high action as they gamble with stakes and dangerous outcomes. But what about modern stories of survival and heroism? Our lives are often so scheduled, that maybe a taste of freedom is what we all need. Why not scale some mountains and hike the Camino de Santiago? Off-road in Baja or search for lost treasure and shipwrecks? Our world is full of adventure, but it isn’t always available to us. These books will satisfy the modern reader looking for a taste of action:
We love a good dual timeline here at Eleventh Chapter. A mix of history and modern storytelling make for a fast-paced thrill ride that reads like a movie. We can see ourselves in the modern character but get to live out a piece of the past. Here are a few stellar examples:
As women redefine their roles in society and take on powerful positions in the world, it makes sense books would follow. We love to see these women authors taking on adventure stories and reminding us all that we are strong and brave.
So go on, head out on your next adventure. Which book will you start with?