I’ve never really fitted in as an author.
I never came out of the womb with a pen or a burning story idea, nor do any of my books slot into any one sub-genre.
Take The Divided Region, for example.
It’s epic in nature, but doesn’t have the dragons, multiple POV characters, or lore that you’d come to expect from a series in this genre. It’s grounded in a medieval world that screams “low fantasy”, yet magic and otherworldly beasts exist within it. It has the speed and action of sword & sorcery, but the story and stakes of an epic.
You can imagine the look on people's faces when I describe it to them. 🤣
And as I market myself and my books more, the question “What is your book most similar to?” keeps cropping up.
So much so that my sanity now demands I give a simple answer.
Ideally in fewer than 5 words.
So what did I do?
I did what I always do:
Retreat to my writer’s corner, cross my legs, and puff away on a smoke pipe, thinking and thinking some more until finally…
BING BING BING 💡
An idea.
(Alright, full transparency: I actually didn’t come up with this idea; my childhood friend did. Full credit to him. Oh, and I didn’t smoke a pipe either.)
Brace yourself.
This is going to sprout hairs on your chest and give you goosebumps for days.
Ready?
Alright. Here we go.
The idea my friend suggested that I dub my fantasy books…
“Watsonian Fantasy”
(pronounced: Wat-SO-nee-an.)
🤓😍
Bloody brilliant, eh?
I mean, if you can have Lovecraftian, Orwellian, and Dickensian books, then there’s sure as the seven hells room for your Overlord & Saviour. So, from this day on, I shall refer to my fantasy books — at least, The Divided Region — as “Watsonian Fantasy.”
And what are the core characteristics of Watsonian Fantasy?
+ Bingeable Epics: The stories are epic in their stakes, but not in their page count. I write lean, fast-paced novels that can be devoured in a few sittings.
+ Sword & Sorcery-Esque: While my work has the high stakes, world-in-peril scope of Epic Fantasy, it's told with the tight focus, relentless momentum, and character-centric drive of Sword & Sorcery.
+ Meat & Potatoes: The focus is on struggle, loss, sacrifice, and triumph. The stuff all classic fantasy is based upon. Characters are morally grey — neither entirely good nor entirely bad — and their heroism (or villainy) is earned through difficult choices, and sometimes, destiny.
+ Pragmatic World-Building: The lore and magic exist to serve the story, not the other way around. It avoids "hard" magic systems and info-dumps that slow down the narrative and character progression.
+ Characters Above the Belt Line: I actively sidestep the "romantasy" trend. Romance may exist as a subplot, but it is built on more than lust. The primary focus is on characters navigating immense external and internal conflicts, with motivations driven by duty, survival, ambition, or loyalty — not shirtless fae kings whispering, "You're mine, little one."
There are other characteristics that could have easily made the list, but like my novels, I don’t like to “bloat” these emails either.
So with that, I shall bow out of your inbox until tomorrow, Legionnaire.
But should this ‘Watsonian Fantasy’ seem to whet your appetite, you will find new and improved The Divided Region Starter Bundle right here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle
DJJW