2011 "Genre of the Month" Poll

[TheFifthElement]

Same with Bildungsroman. Is that a medical genre - post colon-ial?

I like your thinking.

Bildungsroman is a genre of the novel which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood. A really good example of this would be Black Swan Green by David Mitchell or A Room with a View by E.M. Forster.

[Paulclem]

Cheers Fifth.

I've not heard of Lesbian pulp either. Perhaps I'm just out of touch.

[OrphanPip]

Ha, you're not out of touch Paul. Pulp fiction is the term for the cheap low cost mass publishing of short stories and from the early 20th century, often genre fiction. You could consider them the roots of today's cheap romance novels and other formulaic mass market paperbacks.

Some good authors wrote for the pulps though, because it was a way to make money fast because they were paid by the word instead of by sales. The publishers relied on producing a consistent flow of stories for a niche market rather than producing successful novels that would get republished.

Most lesbian pulp, as you can imagine, was lesbian themed erotica written for men by men.

Edit: Gay and lesbian pulp fiction is rather negatively viewed by gay people these days, because they perpetuated a lot of negative stereotypes. Some, mostly of the lesbian variety, have been seen as early important cultural expressions of a gay identity. However, gay pulp tended to be much more negative because obscenity laws tended to require that it contain an explicitly anti-gay message in it.

[Virgil]

O-P, what's steampunk? I've never heard of it.

[OrphanPip]

O-P, what's steampunk? I've never heard of it.

It's a subgenre of sci-fi (and other genre fiction) that draws a lot on the grittiness of cyberpunk (it emerged at the same time) and on older eras of sci-fi, like Welles and Verne. It's often associated with a sort of Victorian setting with technology that would have maybe been envisioned by 19th century people, but was never achieved.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Difference_Engine

The Difference Engine is considered the prototypical steampunk novel.

[katelbach]

Voted for my favourite 12. Glad to see my choice of 'Picaresque' is in the lead. The Unfortunate Traveller by Thomas Nashe is reaching the top of my TBR list, although i'm sure a Tobias Smollett work would likely get the nod in the poll.

Reckon 'Lesbian Pulp' might not make it but OP's summary has rejuvenated my interest so maybe it will others'!

[Serena03]

Where's the fag pulp? I will go for realistic.

[Virgil]

It's a subgenre of sci-fi (and other genre fiction) that draws a lot on the grittiness of cyberpunk (it emerged at the same time) and on older eras of sci-fi, like Welles and Verne. It's often associated with a sort of Victorian setting with technology that would have maybe been envisioned by 19th century people, but was never achieved.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Difference_Engine

The Difference Engine is considered the prototypical steampunk novel.

Wow, that's interesting. Thanks. I'll vote for it.

[L.M. The Third]

Picaresque.

So what's this genre?

[OrphanPip]

So what's this genre?

Loosely defined, an episodic story about the adventures of a traveling roguish hero.

[L.M. The Third]

Loosely defined, an episodic story about the adventures of a traveling roguish hero.

Interesting. Thanks.

[Paulclem]

Ha, you're not out of touch Paul. Pulp fiction is the term for the cheap low cost mass publishing of short stories and from the early 20th century, often genre fiction. You could consider them the roots of today's cheap romance novels and other formulaic mass market paperbacks.

Some good authors wrote for the pulps though, because it was a way to make money fast because they were paid by the word instead of by sales. The publishers relied on producing a consistent flow of stories for a niche market rather than producing successful novels that would get republished.

Most lesbian pulp, as you can imagine, was lesbian themed erotica written for men by men.

Edit: Gay and lesbian pulp fiction is rather negatively viewed by gay people these days, because they perpetuated a lot of negative stereotypes. Some, mostly of the lesbian variety, have been seen as early important cultural expressions of a gay identity. However, gay pulp tended to be much more negative because obscenity laws tended to require that it contain an explicitly anti-gay message in it.

Cheers. A good explanation.

[JuniperWoolf]

I nominate Short Story Collections and Horror.

[Virgil]

I nominate Short Story Collections and Horror.

Oh I wish short story collections had been nominated (great idea), but unfortunately Juniper the nomination process has ended and we are now voting on what was nominated.

[JuniperWoolf]

Aww...