2009 "Genre of the Month" Poll

[clumsy angelle]

epic fantasies

[Drkshadow03]

I feel so very very very old reading of this particular nomination. Drk has no mercy!

Now for the non-teasing question: What are the characteristics of *New Weird* as you understand them?

Second world fantasy, but urban settings rather than the medieval settings of Epic Fantasy. A convincing mixture of Science fiction and fantasy. Playful and imaginative worlds. Playful and imaginative styles. Thematically significant issues.

Let's take China Mieville's seminal New Weird work, Perdido Street Station as our example. From the back cover:

Beneath the towering bleached ribs of a dead, ancient beast lies the city of New Crobuzon, where the unsavory deal is stranger to no one--not even to Isaac, a gifted and eccentric scientist who has spent a lifetime quietly carrying out his unique research. But when a half-bird, half-human creature known as the Garuda comes to him from afar, Isaac is faced with challenges he has never before encountered. Though the Garuda's request is scientifically daunting. Isaac is sparked by his own curiosity and an uncanny reverence for this curious stranger. Soon an eerie metamorphosis will occur that will permeate every fiber of New Crobuzon--and not even the Ambassador of Hell will challenge the malignant terror it evokes.

As the story progresses we encounter an interdimensional spider who weaves fate itself, a cult that worships an A.I. Machine-god made from the scraps in a garbage dump, non-traditional fantasy races Khepri (bug-people) and Cactae (Cactus people) who aren't just given, but rather in this world evolution happened differently and cactus for example evolved into sentient beings alongside humans. However, the literal races in this world all cramped together in this city with their own sections (think little italy, Chinatown) have all the dynamics of real race relations and tensions and misunderstandings in the novel. Mieville's descriptions are very evocative. Plus he experiments with style: the novel shifts from second-person to third person to the occassional burst of omniscient where he describes the city at large, which functions as a character in te novel (the second-person scenes seem annoying at first, but then it all comes together at the very end).

I think that captures the New Weird style very well. It's an extremely imaginative genre.

[Nightshade]

what so like fantasy books set in made up urbanish modernish seeming places?
What does Tad Williams war of the flowers come under? now that was a good book, although maybe a bit long...
When we read Hyperion we read it over 2 months didnt we?

[Niamh]

How about Morality Plays?(Mankind, Everyman, Mundus et Infans, Nice Wanton etc.) not sure if they are readily available online although i did buy three from Amazon... and Everyman is on here under Anon.
if thats a no, i'll go with Historical fiction... only i hope its not a no. they are witty and satirical.

[Jozanny]

Second world fantasy, but urban settings rather than the medieval settings of Epic Fantasy. A convincing mixture of Science fiction and fantasy. Playful and imaginative worlds. Playful and imaginative styles. Thematically significant issues.

Let's take China Mieville's seminal New Weird work, Perdido Street Station as our example. From the back cover:

Beneath the towering bleached ribs of a dead, ancient beast lies the city of New Crobuzon, where the unsavory deal is stranger to no one--not even to Isaac, a gifted and eccentric scientist who has spent a lifetime quietly carrying out his unique research. But when a half-bird, half-human creature known as the Garuda comes to him from afar, Isaac is faced with challenges he has never before encountered. Though the Garuda's request is scientifically daunting. Isaac is sparked by his own curiosity and an uncanny reverence for this curious stranger. Soon an eerie metamorphosis will occur that will permeate every fiber of New Crobuzon--and not even the Ambassador of Hell will challenge the malignant terror it evokes.

I think that captures the New Weird style very well. It's an extremely imaginative genre.

I need to get updated with this market. I appreciate the effort Drk, and will perhaps start a biblio for good days when I am less home bound. I have always enjoyed the speculative genre, broadly speaking, but I am hard on it, and prefer that it follow hard realism in presentation. Stephen Dedman's "The Devotee" is a great example of what I mean--not so much space opera as an alternate reality that is a great cripworld morality tale. I posted about it for my group, but no other member had read it. I dislike the satirical, but only because it is difficult to do well.

[Scheherazade]

Nominations so far:

1. Horror (Brigitte)

2. sci-fi (Manolia)

3. fairytale fantasy (Nightshade)

4. comic novel (bouquin)

5. young adult (motherhubbard)

6. war novel (Virgil)

7. erotica (Jozanny)

8. counterculture Lit (Papayahed)

9. Urban fantasy (Taliesin)

10. New Weird (Drkshadow03)

11. gothic (Wessexgirl)

12. Fantasy (Nossa)

13. detective fiction (Shannon)

14. Crime fiction (eyemaker)

15. epic fantasies (clumsy angelle)

16. Morality Plays (Niamh)


And I would like to nominate "Novel of Manners".

[Scheherazade]

Going once...

[applepie]

Can we add on a thriller genre? It would offer up some interesting stories.

[ntropyincarnate]

historical fiction

[DeadAsDreams]

Philosophical Novel

[thelastmelon]

Just for the fun of it, I'll nominate: Chick-lit.

[Scheherazade]

Nominations so far:

1. Horror (Brigitte)

2. sci-fi (Manolia)

3. fairytale fantasy (Nightshade)

4. comic novel (bouquin)

5. young adult (motherhubbard)

6. war novel (Virgil)

7. erotica (Jozanny)

8. counterculture Lit (Papayahed)

9. Urban fantasy (Taliesin)

10. New Weird (Drkshadow03)

11. gothic (Wessexgirl)

12. Fantasy (Nossa)

13. detective fiction (Shannon)

14. Crime fiction (eyemaker)

15. epic fantasies (clumsy angelle)

16. Morality Plays (Niamh)

17. Novel of Manners (Scheherazade)

18. thriller (mkhockenberry)

19. historical fiction (ntropyincarnate)

20. Philosophical Novel (DeadAsDreams)

21. Chick-lit(thelastmelon)

[Scheherazade]

Nominations so far:

1. Horror (Brigitte)

2. sci-fi (Manolia)

3. fairytale fantasy (Nightshade)

4. comic novel (bouquin)

5. young adult (motherhubbard)

6. war novel (Virgil)

7. erotica (Jozanny)

8. counterculture Lit (Papayahed)

9. Urban fantasy (Taliesin)

10. New Weird (Drkshadow03)

11. gothic (Wessexgirl)

12. Fantasy (Nossa)

13. detective fiction (Shannon)

14. Crime fiction (eyemaker)

15. epic fantasies (clumsy angelle)

16. Morality Plays (Niamh)

17. Novel of Manners (Scheherazade)

18. thriller (mkhockenberry)

19. historical fiction (ntropyincarnate)

20. Philosophical Novel (DeadAsDreams)

21. Chick-lit(thelastmelon)

Going twice...

[Scheherazade]

You can now vote for the genres you would like to read in 2009.

(You can pick more than one option)

*** The poll will be closed on November 1st. ***

[Scheherazade]

The standing at the moment:

Crime fiction 7

Detective fiction 6

Historical fiction 5

Comic novel 4

Gothic 4

Horror 3

Fairytale fantasy 3

Young adult 3

War novel 3

Epic fantasies 3

Novel of Manners 3

Thriller 3

Chick-lit 3
____________________________________

Counter-culture Literature 2

Fantasy 2

Philosophical Novel 2

Sci-fi 1

Urban fantasy 1

New Weird 1

Morality Plays 1

Erotica 0


One of the genres with 3 votes would have to be eliminated.

I am sincerely hoping that we won't have to read one fantasy genre after another!