GENRES

A Quick Review

OBJECTIVE By the end of the lesson, students

should be able to identify which genre they would most like to first read.

REMINDER There are dozens of potential genres out

there. The definition of many genres is open to

debate, as are what books belong to what genres.

Today we will cover the basics.

CLASSIC LITERATURE These are those books that have been

around for a while, are typically taught in schools and colleges, and have withstood the test of time as “quality literature.”

Examples include The Great Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Odyssey, Brave New World, etc.

CONTEMPORARY FICTION This is generally thought to be “modern”

fiction, or books that have only come out relatively recently.

Examples include Twilight, Harry Potter, The Shining, The Road, Atonement, and The Devil Wears Prada.

Could any of these titles belong to other genres?

HORROR Horror books are those books that are

usually graphic in nature and frightening.

Examples include books by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, John Saul, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, and H.P. Lovecraft.

What is the difference between gothic literature and horror (if any)?

FAMILY SAGA These stories tend to focus on family

plotlines, typically involving a conflict among family members.

Authors whose stories could fall into this category include Jodi Picoult, Connie Rose Porter, and Nicholas Sparks.

Family saga can sometimes blur into “chick lit” or “light romance.”

SCIENCE FICTION Science fiction books typically employ science

as a major component of the plotline. There is “hard” science fiction which is totally

based upon scientific fact as we know it. There is also “sci-fi” which loosely makes use

of science to explain otherwise unbelievable premises.

Some argue that Ursula Le Guin, Frank Herbert, Ray Bradbury, Phillip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, and H.G. Wells are among the greatest of science fiction writers.

Can you give an example of “hard” science fiction vs. “sci-fi?”

AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE African-American literature is the body

of literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent. It often offers a unique perspective on the African-American experience.

Recent popular African-American writers include Richard Wright, Gwendolyn Brooks, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, and Walter Mosely.

HISTORICAL FICTION Historical fiction usually takes place

during an important time in history. It often presents actual events from the point of view of fictional people living in that time period.

Examples include The Other Boleyn Girl, War and Peace, The Three Musketeers, The Killer Angels, Memoirs of a Geisha.

What are some books you’ve studied in high school that could be considered “historical fiction?”

WOMEN’S LITERATURE This literature expresses ideas about

feminism in unique and groundbreaking ways. It should produce new ways of thinking, feeling, and being in relation to the feminine perspective.

Well-known authors in women’s literature include Kate Chopin, Virginia Woolf, Gloria Steinem, Margaret Atwood, Sylvia Plath, and Marion Zimmer Bradley.

FANTASY Fantasy uses magic and other

supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. It’s different from sci-fi in that it makes no attempt to explain the impossibilities that occur, and it’s different from horror in that it doesn’t necessarily try to scare the reader.

Popular fantasy authors include Neil Gaiman, Terry Brooks, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

MYSTERY, THRILLER, SUSPENSE These novels quicken the pulse, engage

the reader, and provide a fun experience.

Today’s best-selling mystery, thriller, and suspense writers include Mary Higgins Clark, Tom Clancy, John Grisham, Dan Brown, James Patterson, Michael Crichton, and Agatha Christie.

TICKET OUT THE DOOR On a half-sheet of paper (please share

with each other), write down your name and the genre you are most interested in at this moment.