Modifier: Fantasy
Category: Genre
Type: Positive
Strength: Medium
Closely related to last week's entry, the genre of Fantasy can probably best be summed up by one word: magic. Much like Science Fiction, Fantasy works are built around creating a world different from our own, albeit difference based on the supernatural and mystical rather than scientific. This isn't always as clear cut a division as it might seem -- many Fantasy works will bring SF elements into themselves, and vice versa. Generally, whatever aspect is prevalent will determine how the work is categorized, but even that can be a matter of preference.
When talking about Fantasy, people often speak in terms of High Fantasy vs. Low Fantasy, but as demonstrated by a recent conversation with my pal Josh, the text book definitions of the two terms often differ from the general perception people have of the terms. If you were to consult a text about genre fiction, odds are good it would define High Fantasy as a Fantasy taking place in a world completely different from our own and Low Fantasy as one that takes place in our world, with just a bit of magic sprinkled in. However, many discussions I've observed among general Fantasy fans shows a different understanding of the terms, with High Fantasy indicating stories filled with epic quests pursued by noble heroes and champions of virtue, while Low Fantasy is much grittier, grimier, and greyer in terms of morality and motivation.
As with SF, one of the bigger draws of Fantasy for me is world building
and seeing the inventiveness of the creators in conjuring up a greatly
different world. Unfortunately, one of the pitfalls of many Fantasy
works is an adherence to ideas originating from two sources: Lord of the Rings and Dungeons and Dragons.
While there can still be well-crafted works that draw from these
sources, my enjoyment is usually lessened when a work is too obviously
derivative. This is part of why Fantasy's strength as an Enjoyment
Modifier is medium across the board for me. I prefer Fantasy works that
invent their own rules for magic rather than consulting the D&D
Player's handbook.
This is the first of the genres I've talked about in depth where I feel like the details of the sub-genres and other thematic elements hold more weight in my enjoyment than the trappings of the genre itself, so I think I'll hold off on any more in-depth discussions of Fantasy tropes and themes until I get to them.
Audience participation time: Do you love to escape into worlds filled with magic, or do you prefer your fiction to stay rooted firmly on the ground?
Showing posts with label Genres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Genres. Show all posts
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Enjoyment Modifiers: Science Fiction
Modifier: Science Fiction
Category: Genre
Type: Positive
Strength: High (Literature, Comics) Medium (Movies, TV)
For many people, the genre of Science Fiction conjures up images of spaceships, aliens, and futuristic landscapes, but really it encompasses a wide range of possibilities: time travel, alternate history, psychic abilities, mutations, extrapolations of scientific theories and concepts, etc. There's "hard" Sci-Fi, where all of the scientific principles are grounded in cold, hard fact -- at least as understood at the time of writing -- and then there's the branch where the laws of physics are treated more as suggestions. At its core, Science Fiction is about conjuring up a world different from our own, in ways both large and small.
One of my pet peeves is hearing a writer/actor/director/producer/etc. claim that a Sci-Fi project they're involved in isn't really a Sci-Fi project, but instead something "serious." You know, the typical "Oh, sure, we're a series set in outer space that involves sentient robots hunting down a fleet of spaceships bearing the last remnants of humanity, but we're more of a Tense Character Drama than a Science Fiction show" type of comment. This always infuriates me, as it ghettoizes the genre in a way that not only insults its fans, but also ignores the fact that Science Fiction has long been a genre which lends itself to introspection, philosophical musings, political commentary, satire, and examination of the human condition. And no, not all Science Fiction is concerned with such lofty intellectual goals, but to suggest that adding literary merit automatically removes a text from the genre is asinine.
Much like with Horror, my love of Science Fiction stems from the inventiveness and departures from the norm inherent in the genre. At the same time, Sci-Fi is the flip side of Horror in terms of which media I'm willing to cut more slack. For Sci-Fi I'm much more forgiving of the printed word than I am film; also, the MST3K Effect comes into play much less often. I believe this is because, for me, Science Fiction is largely a genre built around ideas, and when those ideas are lacking or poorly executed, the work loses me. I have low tolerance for lapses in internal consistency in Sci-Fi works; I don't care if your work plays fast and loose with science, as long as your world's rules don't contradict each other. And while Horror can often win me over with its tone and atmosphere, for Science Fiction that's a much rarer feat; yes, I can be swayed by cool visuals or effects, but they have to be well-executed, or else I'm drawn out of it.
Another aspect of Science Fiction that appeals to me is the concept of world-building. I love discovering the details of a society and culture vastly different from our own conjured up out of whole cloth, whether it be an alien world or a future shaped by radical technology shifts or a past where key events happened in vastly different ways; watching these details unfold and admiring the imagination that fuels them is one of the things that makes Science Fiction one of my favorite genres.
Audience Participation Time: Do you love all things Science Fictiony, or does anything with an out-of-this-world flavor kill your interest immediately? If you are a fan, are there any particular sub-genres you'd like to see me tackle? Comment away below, and then join me next week for a look at Sci-Fi's chaotic sibling, Fantasy.
Category: Genre
Type: Positive
Strength: High (Literature, Comics) Medium (Movies, TV)
For many people, the genre of Science Fiction conjures up images of spaceships, aliens, and futuristic landscapes, but really it encompasses a wide range of possibilities: time travel, alternate history, psychic abilities, mutations, extrapolations of scientific theories and concepts, etc. There's "hard" Sci-Fi, where all of the scientific principles are grounded in cold, hard fact -- at least as understood at the time of writing -- and then there's the branch where the laws of physics are treated more as suggestions. At its core, Science Fiction is about conjuring up a world different from our own, in ways both large and small.
One of my pet peeves is hearing a writer/actor/director/producer/etc. claim that a Sci-Fi project they're involved in isn't really a Sci-Fi project, but instead something "serious." You know, the typical "Oh, sure, we're a series set in outer space that involves sentient robots hunting down a fleet of spaceships bearing the last remnants of humanity, but we're more of a Tense Character Drama than a Science Fiction show" type of comment. This always infuriates me, as it ghettoizes the genre in a way that not only insults its fans, but also ignores the fact that Science Fiction has long been a genre which lends itself to introspection, philosophical musings, political commentary, satire, and examination of the human condition. And no, not all Science Fiction is concerned with such lofty intellectual goals, but to suggest that adding literary merit automatically removes a text from the genre is asinine.
Much like with Horror, my love of Science Fiction stems from the inventiveness and departures from the norm inherent in the genre. At the same time, Sci-Fi is the flip side of Horror in terms of which media I'm willing to cut more slack. For Sci-Fi I'm much more forgiving of the printed word than I am film; also, the MST3K Effect comes into play much less often. I believe this is because, for me, Science Fiction is largely a genre built around ideas, and when those ideas are lacking or poorly executed, the work loses me. I have low tolerance for lapses in internal consistency in Sci-Fi works; I don't care if your work plays fast and loose with science, as long as your world's rules don't contradict each other. And while Horror can often win me over with its tone and atmosphere, for Science Fiction that's a much rarer feat; yes, I can be swayed by cool visuals or effects, but they have to be well-executed, or else I'm drawn out of it.
Another aspect of Science Fiction that appeals to me is the concept of world-building. I love discovering the details of a society and culture vastly different from our own conjured up out of whole cloth, whether it be an alien world or a future shaped by radical technology shifts or a past where key events happened in vastly different ways; watching these details unfold and admiring the imagination that fuels them is one of the things that makes Science Fiction one of my favorite genres.
Audience Participation Time: Do you love all things Science Fictiony, or does anything with an out-of-this-world flavor kill your interest immediately? If you are a fan, are there any particular sub-genres you'd like to see me tackle? Comment away below, and then join me next week for a look at Sci-Fi's chaotic sibling, Fantasy.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Enjoyment Modifiers: Horror
As the first full exploration of my Enjoyment Modifiers, I suppose I should explain the format I've settled on. First, I'll give a nice itemized breakdown of the modifier name, category the modifier fits into (Genre, Plot point, Character type, etc.), type of modifier (Positive, Negative, Neutral), and the strength of the modifier to effect my enjoyment on average. For type and strength there could be multiple values, since some things effect me differently depending on the medium, as demonstrated by our first entry. After the bare bones breakdown, I'll then pontificate about why it affects me, and maybe post a few examples. So, without further ado, on to the EM exploration.
Modifier: Horror
Category: Genre
Type: Positive
Strength: High (Film, TV) Low (Literature, Comics)
When it comes to TV and Film, I'd hazard to say that the genre of Horror is one of my most consistently powerful positive Enjoyment Modifiers, regardless of subgenre; it doesn't matter if it's vampires, slasher, werewolves, demons, or zombies*, if it's a Horror movie then odds are good I'm going to enjoy it, even if just ironically. This love of Horror fiction stems from several aspects of my personality.
First, it appeals to the part of me that is drawn to the outre, the unique, the inventive, the out-of-this-world. I have a feeling this aspect of my personality is going to pop up a lot in these posts, as I've found that I'm willing to give much more leeway to anything that's a bit "out there" than I am a more "normal" film of the same general quality. So, anything with a supernatural theme already has my interest, and even the horror featuring regular human slashers usually gets a bump from featuring some original death sequences.
Second, it appeals to my darker side; I have a cynical streak which finds boundless optimism in fiction cloying and off-putting, but with the bulk of Horror films, even when the good guys win -- and with horror that is not even close to a given -- there's generally a fatalism that resonates with my own. This fascination with the darker side of things also applies to the bleak, dreary, and creepy atmospheres you often find in Horror flicks.
Third, even the less stellar examples of horror can provide for that need that many of us share: a need for mindless, predictable, formulaic pablum that allows us to turn off our brains for a bit and just enjoy ourselves. For many people action movies fill this role; for others, it's romantic comedies or procedurals. But for me, when I'm in the mood to just vegetate, I will always turn to a B-movie filled with slashers or giant animals wreaking havoc on Z-grade actors. This is probably why out of all the genres, Horror gets the biggest boost from the MST3K effect.
Please note: I'm not saying all Horror is mindless, predictable, formulaic pablum -- just that when it is, I'm more likely to enjoy it than other examples of mindless, predictable, formulaic pablum.
In regards to the printed page, however, the bonus is much lower. Part of that is due to the fact that I prefer to get my mindless, predictable, formulaic pablum in moving picture form, and not in typeset; the whole point of such entertainment is to turn your brain off for a bit and just vegetate, and I find it much more difficult to zone out while reading.
Another factor is that I am not a particularly visual thinker, and thus the perennial bit of wisdom about how the pictures in your imagination are better than anything that makes it onto the screen doesn't always hold water for me, particularly when it comes to conjuring up mental images of the dark and disturbing things that populate Horror fiction. Not that it can't happen; I've gotten completely creeped out by descriptive passages from Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker, and others. But the amount of verbal skill required for a writer to take me to that place means that it's not as sure a thing as a well designed and directed film.
How about you, my blog monkeys? Are you fellow gorehounds, or do you eschew all things horrific? If you are a horror aficionado, are there any particular sub-genres (vampire, slasher, zombie, etc.) that you'd like me to discuss? Sound off below, and come back next Thursday for a look at another big Genre: Science Fiction.
*Well, maybe it matters a little if it's zombies -- zed-word burnout has diluted the Horror bonus quite a bit there -- will talk more about that in a sub-genre post at some point.
Modifier: Horror
Category: Genre
Type: Positive
Strength: High (Film, TV) Low (Literature, Comics)
When it comes to TV and Film, I'd hazard to say that the genre of Horror is one of my most consistently powerful positive Enjoyment Modifiers, regardless of subgenre; it doesn't matter if it's vampires, slasher, werewolves, demons, or zombies*, if it's a Horror movie then odds are good I'm going to enjoy it, even if just ironically. This love of Horror fiction stems from several aspects of my personality.
First, it appeals to the part of me that is drawn to the outre, the unique, the inventive, the out-of-this-world. I have a feeling this aspect of my personality is going to pop up a lot in these posts, as I've found that I'm willing to give much more leeway to anything that's a bit "out there" than I am a more "normal" film of the same general quality. So, anything with a supernatural theme already has my interest, and even the horror featuring regular human slashers usually gets a bump from featuring some original death sequences.
Second, it appeals to my darker side; I have a cynical streak which finds boundless optimism in fiction cloying and off-putting, but with the bulk of Horror films, even when the good guys win -- and with horror that is not even close to a given -- there's generally a fatalism that resonates with my own. This fascination with the darker side of things also applies to the bleak, dreary, and creepy atmospheres you often find in Horror flicks.
Third, even the less stellar examples of horror can provide for that need that many of us share: a need for mindless, predictable, formulaic pablum that allows us to turn off our brains for a bit and just enjoy ourselves. For many people action movies fill this role; for others, it's romantic comedies or procedurals. But for me, when I'm in the mood to just vegetate, I will always turn to a B-movie filled with slashers or giant animals wreaking havoc on Z-grade actors. This is probably why out of all the genres, Horror gets the biggest boost from the MST3K effect.
Please note: I'm not saying all Horror is mindless, predictable, formulaic pablum -- just that when it is, I'm more likely to enjoy it than other examples of mindless, predictable, formulaic pablum.
In regards to the printed page, however, the bonus is much lower. Part of that is due to the fact that I prefer to get my mindless, predictable, formulaic pablum in moving picture form, and not in typeset; the whole point of such entertainment is to turn your brain off for a bit and just vegetate, and I find it much more difficult to zone out while reading.
Another factor is that I am not a particularly visual thinker, and thus the perennial bit of wisdom about how the pictures in your imagination are better than anything that makes it onto the screen doesn't always hold water for me, particularly when it comes to conjuring up mental images of the dark and disturbing things that populate Horror fiction. Not that it can't happen; I've gotten completely creeped out by descriptive passages from Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker, and others. But the amount of verbal skill required for a writer to take me to that place means that it's not as sure a thing as a well designed and directed film.
How about you, my blog monkeys? Are you fellow gorehounds, or do you eschew all things horrific? If you are a horror aficionado, are there any particular sub-genres (vampire, slasher, zombie, etc.) that you'd like me to discuss? Sound off below, and come back next Thursday for a look at another big Genre: Science Fiction.
*Well, maybe it matters a little if it's zombies -- zed-word burnout has diluted the Horror bonus quite a bit there -- will talk more about that in a sub-genre post at some point.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Enjoyment Modifiers: Genre
Welcome to the first of what I hope will be many posts on my Enjoyment Modifiers schema. To start us off, I thought I'd tackle the broadest category of modifiers: Genre. After all, even people who don't put a lot of critical thought into their entertainment choices tend to use genres as de facto Enjoyment Modifiers, selecting and avoiding media by virtue of its status as a work of Science Fiction, Romance, Drama, etc. In other words, a good jumping off point for the series.
To start off, what exactly constitutes a genre? Well, the dictionary definition is "A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content." In other words, a genre is a label given to works that share commonalities in their plots, themes, settings, etc. For my purposes, I have separated out what I think of as the Major Genres: those categories which are joined together more by broad themes than by specific plots. The more narrowly defined categories fall into my idea of Sub-Genres. There are lots of lists of what people consider the Major Genres, but here is my own personal list.
Along those line, one of the difficulties with having such broad designations is that many works will actually be a mixture of two or more of the above; Back to the Future merges Science Fiction and Comedy, Sweeny Todd is a Musical that is also part Horror and Drama, True Blood is Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Drama, and Comedy all rolled into one. Often one aspect outshines the others in some way and thus becomes the accepted Genre label, but others have the different threads entangled so much that it's difficult to separate one out from another.
While the major genres can be a useful shorthand for explaining likes/dislikes, in practice the individual works underneath the umbrella often have such a wide range of other factors that it makes their efficacy as modifiers minimal. For example, while I could say "I like Comedies", in reality there are numerous sub-genres that have varying degrees of negative mods (Slapstick, Farce, Cringe) that outweigh my general love of humor significantly. Similarly, while I might say "I don't like Romance," there are several works with romantic undertones which I thoroughly enjoy, and in reality it's not so much the larger genre I abhor, as it is certain plot elements which tend to crop up (Misunderstandings, Assumptions) and leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Practically speaking, for me there are only a few Genres which serve as true Enjoyment Modifiers, and even then their use varies depending on medium and overall quality of the work. My next few posts will be examining these Genres in a bit more detail, starting with one of the more striking ones: Horror.
So, which of the Major Genres attract and repel you? Please answer below!
To start off, what exactly constitutes a genre? Well, the dictionary definition is "A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content." In other words, a genre is a label given to works that share commonalities in their plots, themes, settings, etc. For my purposes, I have separated out what I think of as the Major Genres: those categories which are joined together more by broad themes than by specific plots. The more narrowly defined categories fall into my idea of Sub-Genres. There are lots of lists of what people consider the Major Genres, but here is my own personal list.
- Action/Adventure
- Comedy
- Crime
- Drama
- Fantasy
- Historical
- Horror
- Musical
- Mystery
- Romance
- Science Fiction
- Superheroes
- Thriller
- Western
Along those line, one of the difficulties with having such broad designations is that many works will actually be a mixture of two or more of the above; Back to the Future merges Science Fiction and Comedy, Sweeny Todd is a Musical that is also part Horror and Drama, True Blood is Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Drama, and Comedy all rolled into one. Often one aspect outshines the others in some way and thus becomes the accepted Genre label, but others have the different threads entangled so much that it's difficult to separate one out from another.
While the major genres can be a useful shorthand for explaining likes/dislikes, in practice the individual works underneath the umbrella often have such a wide range of other factors that it makes their efficacy as modifiers minimal. For example, while I could say "I like Comedies", in reality there are numerous sub-genres that have varying degrees of negative mods (Slapstick, Farce, Cringe) that outweigh my general love of humor significantly. Similarly, while I might say "I don't like Romance," there are several works with romantic undertones which I thoroughly enjoy, and in reality it's not so much the larger genre I abhor, as it is certain plot elements which tend to crop up (Misunderstandings, Assumptions) and leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Practically speaking, for me there are only a few Genres which serve as true Enjoyment Modifiers, and even then their use varies depending on medium and overall quality of the work. My next few posts will be examining these Genres in a bit more detail, starting with one of the more striking ones: Horror.
So, which of the Major Genres attract and repel you? Please answer below!
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