Week Six

Week 6: Assignment 1
In Week 1: Assignment 4, you began following one of the genre links on the right. Write a blog post about your discoveries.

Well I'm still not hooked on any mysteries yet.  I've never been a big mystery reader (and most of the World seems to be) but to choose a story about, usually, murder just isn't my cup of tea even when it's served up by a pinafore wearing, white-haired Ms. Marple type with a lap cat.  I can't say that my mystery site (Stop Your Killing Me) either converted me nor impressed with with browsable discoveries. 

That being said:  it has several good lists including a comprehensive list of mystery characters (but how up to date?) that I might consult from time to time for missing series titles, etc.  The awards lists might be useful as well but I have NOT yet discovered much "new" content each week nor does it lead me to subgenres which I might enjoy despite the presence of a genre index that breaks it down a bit.  I THINK that I'd like something like "literary mysteries" but haven't seen a sign of them. 

Week 6: Assignment 2
Explore this Prezi link of Fiction Genres and Subgenres.

Explored.  Cool.

Week 6: Assignment 3
Pick 3 sub-genres that you are unfamiliar with.

• Find a fan website for each subgenre and summarize the current buzz among fans. Why are they excited about this subgenre? How did you find the website?
• Gay Science Fiction (Found via Google search):  They're excited about (Ugh!) fan fiction.
• Science Fiction Serial Killers (Found via Google search). Androids and aliens are big.
• Literary Historical Fiction (Found via Google search).  At first I was disappointed because "literary" and "classics" seem somewhat synonymous as catagories (which they are not in my head).  Ultimately: it did contain literary efforts both new and old so all was cool.  I can't say that I saw any specific trends except a lot of apparent diversity based on author's names.
• List three authors or titles that are associated with or typify each of these 3 subgenres. What are the hallmarks or appeal factors of each of the subgenres?
• Gay Science Fiction: Main characters with alternative gender orientations.  Biological traits other than those normally found in humans.
• Hero by Perry Moore
• Alpha by Ravon Silvius.  Heads up on this one!  Cover looks a bit racy but many reading in this category may like that. 
• Anne Rice:  Not truly scifi but an obvious choice if you need it on the shelf now.
• Science Fiction Serial Killers (Found via Google search). Androids and aliens are big.  Technologies which alter the rules of regular detective work.  Time travel, computers, or drugs which reinvent the rules.
  • The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
  • Flashback by Dan Simmons
  • A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
• Literary Historical Fiction (Found via Google search).  At first I was disappointed because "literary" and "classics" seem synonymous but it turns out that there is just (obviously) some overlap.
• Umberto Eco
• Phillipa Gregory (Warning:  may wander into romance at times).
• Atonement by Ian McEwan
• Mashups of subgenres, e.g. steampunk westerns, are becoming increasingly popular. Find two titles, not shown on the flowchart, which could cross over into another subgenre. Describe your rationale.
  
  Sorry but that's pretty much what I did above (those are some pretty freakin' esoteric subgenres!) and it would make my head explode if I had to come up with more.  I'm considering that question answered.