Young Writers Society

What is your take on genres? I was sitting, reading, while my dad mentioned that "new dragon movie" (Eragon, is it?) and I started thinking about how genre's are so crossed. And if they're crossed is there really any genre outside of 'fiction'?

I mean think about it. You have fiction, then fantasy. What is the definition of fantasy? "imaginative fiction featuring especially strange settings and grotesque characters" and Science fiction? "fiction dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals or having a scientific factor as an essential orienting component" but then you get the science fiction that talks about the future, Is that not fantasy?

And what about horror or dark stories, when there is an element of fantasy? And there is so many others I could go into. So the big question is: Do you think there is any true genre or all they are just combinations of things? And, can a book be placed in one genre alone? Are genres purposeless.

I know that with some genres its obvious what the book is for. But I suppose I'm referring more to genre-crossing, than anything else.

Genres are for describing. If you tell somebody "fantasy" they know (kinda) what to expect. There just descriptive terms. Loosely descriptive terms.

true... they are loose. Maybe I look at them too strongly? But some people hold to genres like they're gold, and that's what they're novel will be launched off of, the genre (in some cases, that's true)

I think some books don't fit in genres, and even then, who approves of these genres?

(:lol: I think I'm just using this to ramble and think out loud. But its a discussion none the less!)

Genres are the guidelines of literature, stop questioning their authority!

*MH's tiredness kicks in*

No...just joking...some books dont, but they can still be described by a genre. For instance...

"Basically, it's fantasy fiction, but kinda sci-fi-ish since the world's advanced."

For fantasy and sci-fi especially, genres don't really give you a clear impression of what the book entails. Mystery, for example, follows a pretty specific formula. So does romance. But sci-fi and fantasy don't really tell you what kind of plot the story will have, just the circumstances/environment/whatever surrounding that plot.

Genres are good for the post-production stages of a novel, i.e. the publication and the publicity, and for when someone is browsing through a bookstore and needs a quick way to lump together certain books so they can decide which ones they like best. So, yeah, don't hold genres to be the trumpeting standard of God. Or whatever.

I dunno, there can be a mixture of genres in one film/book/poem. Complicated really!!!!

It really depends. Most of the time there is one strong genre in focus with bits and pieces of others. I usually have historical combined with mystery or fantasy with sci-fi added in.