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On Genre - Karen's Musings
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01:27 pm July 1st, 2005
estherchaya
estherchaya
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On Genre
As a result of an odd conversation my boss and I ended up in, I am curious about how you, my faithful readers (hah!), classify books. I find it difficult to classify books into just one genre a lot of the time. Anywho, a not-so-brief survey appears below. The titles were all picked for a specific reason, which I'll explain at a later date if I get around to it. I have purposely used radio buttons and not check boxes, because I am trying to get people to commit to an answer, rather than saying it's both. But I was nice enough to include the cop-out "Speculative Fiction" for those of you who are afraid of committment. ;) (Though in all honesty, I think Speculative Fiction is a legitimate category...I'm just poking fun now)

Poll #524413 Genres
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All. Participants: 12

What genre is Beowolf?

View Answers
Fiction
2(16.7%)
Science Fiction
0(0.0%)
Fantasy
6(50.0%)
Historical Fiction
4(33.3%)
NonFiction
0(0.0%)
Speculative Fiction
0(0.0%)

What genre is The Iliad?

View Answers
Fiction
3(25.0%)
Science Fiction
0(0.0%)
Fantasy
5(41.7%)
Historical Fiction
4(33.3%)
NonFiction
0(0.0%)
Speculative Fiction
0(0.0%)

What genre is Frankenstein??

View Answers
Fiction
2(16.7%)
Science Fiction
6(50.0%)
Fantasy
2(16.7%)
Historical Fiction
1(8.3%)
NonFiction
0(0.0%)
Speculative Fiction
1(8.3%)

What genre is Around the World in 80 Days?

View Answers
Fiction
4(33.3%)
Science Fiction
5(41.7%)
Fantasy
0(0.0%)
Historical Fiction
1(8.3%)
NonFiction
0(0.0%)
Speculative Fiction
2(16.7%)

What genre is On Dragonwings?

View Answers
Fiction
0(0.0%)
Science Fiction
0(0.0%)
Fantasy
6(75.0%)
Historical Fiction
0(0.0%)
NonFiction
0(0.0%)
Speculative Fiction
2(25.0%)

What genre is So You Want to be a Wizard?

View Answers
Fiction
0(0.0%)
Science Fiction
0(0.0%)
Fantasy
9(90.0%)
Historical Fiction
0(0.0%)
NonFiction
0(0.0%)
Speculative Fiction
1(10.0%)

What genre is The Tempest?

View Answers
Fiction
3(25.0%)
Science Fiction
0(0.0%)
Fantasy
6(50.0%)
Historical Fiction
1(8.3%)
Speculative Fiction
2(16.7%)

What Genre is Star Wars?

View Answers
Fiction
0(0.0%)
Science Fiction
3(25.0%)
Fantasy
3(25.0%)
Historical Fiction
0(0.0%)
NonFiction
0(0.0%)
Speculative Fiction
0(0.0%)
Space Opera
6(50.0%)

What genre is A Wrinkle in Time?

View Answers
Fiction
1(8.3%)
Science Fiction
3(25.0%)
Fantasy
6(50.0%)
Historical Fiction
0(0.0%)
NonFiction
0(0.0%)
Speculative Fiction
2(16.7%)

What is the first Science Fiction Novel?

View Answers
Around the World in 80 Days
1(9.1%)
War of the Worlds
4(36.4%)
Frankenstein
4(36.4%)
The Return of the Black Widowers
0(0.0%)
From the Earth to the Moon
2(18.2%)

Please recommend one book (of any genre) to me.

View Answers

Tags: , ,
Current Mood: amused amused
11 comments or Leave a comment
Comments
Thread started by the King of Domesticity
From: gittygiggles Date: July 1st, 2005 05:58 pm (UTC) (Link)
i feel stupid. i've never heard of half those books.

did you know wrinkle in time is a MOVIE???????
(Reply) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: July 1st, 2005 06:42 pm (UTC) (Link)
Yes, I believe it was a small-screen (i.e. made-for-tv) movie. And I heard not amazing things about it, so I didn't see it.

And I didn't expect everyone to have heard of all of the books.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
From: gittygiggles Date: July 1st, 2005 06:55 pm (UTC) (Link)
i really liked the movie :) you can borrow my copy :)
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: July 1st, 2005 06:42 pm (UTC) (Link)
and P.S. I haven't read all of the books I've listed.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
From: gittygiggles Date: July 1st, 2005 06:56 pm (UTC) (Link)
i havent even HEARD of all of them! i put speculative fiction for all the ones i didnt know
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by The Wanderer
lionsaoi From: lionsaoi Date: July 1st, 2005 06:51 pm (UTC) (Link)
Heh. I've read or seen nearly everything listed.

This was difficult, as I wasn't sure if I was to mark the genres as they were initially intended (ie, Beowulf as history) or as they would be percieved today.

hmm... I really am a postmodernist
(Reply) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: July 1st, 2005 07:11 pm (UTC) (Link)
I was asking you to classify them as YOU perceive them, not as scholars perceive or perceived them.

Also, if you feel like you've got multiple answers (because of the whole "the author intended this, scholars perceive this, and I believe this" thing), feel free to put those answers in the comments.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
(Deleted comment)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: July 1st, 2005 08:21 pm (UTC) (Link)
I could only put so many categories without getting even more pedantic than I was being. So I figured people could stick all subcategories in "Fiction" which is why i didn't just put "general fiction."

As for the Tempest... I brought it up because Wikipedia says this:
Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology upon society and persons as individuals. The borders of this genre are not well defined, and the dividing lines between its sub-genres are often fluid. (In Strong Opinions, Vladimir Nabokov half-seriously argues that, if we were truly rigorous with our definitions, Shakespeare's play The Tempest would have to be termed science fiction.)


I've never read "On Dragonwings" but it's a book by Anne McCaffrey. I maintain that it's at least got an element of fantasy. Seth maintains that it is pure Science Fiction.

"So You Want to be a Wizard" is, in my opinion, solidly in the Fantasy category and is an excellent book. You should read it. I first read it the summer that I discovered Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique. I listed to it over and over and over while I read the book (it's short) over and over.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Comment by screened user
(no subject) - yermie - Expand
Comment by Glen Barnett
glenbarnett From: glenbarnett Date: July 2nd, 2005 04:01 am (UTC) (Link)

Hard to fill out because my desired options were frequently absent.

For example, Frankenstein is partly Science Fiction, but it's also Horror. And a morality play. And a powerful argument against her husband's philosophies.


(Reply) (Thread)
Comment by Malkin
malkin From: malkin Date: July 2nd, 2005 11:35 am (UTC) (Link)
Oh boy, I'm not even digging into this one. But, I'll say this:

1.) I can't even classify my own stories, and
2.) Dante's "Inferno" is a Mary Sue fanfic, but surely not the first. ;)
(Reply) (Thread)
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