Week 6 Assignment 2 and 3

The Prezi was Wonderful!  Thanks Alex for that well crafted presentation.  Very easy to follow!

The first subgenre I selected was Western-Native American. I have read westerns in the distant past, but nothing within this area. All 3 titles I selected are by Louise Erdich: "The Round House" , "Love Medicine" and "Tracks". Reading reviews of her works on Goodreads suggest that the appeal factors are setting, pacing and character. The setting is usually a Reservation, characters are generally Native American and the language lyrical. Reviewers used the terms "simple prose" to describe the language and "meandering" to describe the pacing. I would say that her works would be best for someone who liked Westerns with a Literary edge.... As far as a website, I think goodreads.com reads was the best I could find! Reviewers LOVE her works for the setting and the cultural development. The big buzz is, of course, her latest novel "The Round House", nominated for an award, and simultaneously described as a legal thriller...

The second subgenre I selected was Comic Sci Fi. Being a fan of classic Sci Fi, I wasn't certain how I would feel about this subsection. However it turns out I have read (and loved) some books in this genre. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series as well as "To Say Nothing of the Dog" by Connie Willis are favorites. I also remember my husband reading Harry Harrison's "A Stainless Steel Rat".    I didn't think of them as comic at the time I read them, but reading the description from bestsciencefictionbooks.com I see the appeal. Characterization is important as is setting. The Hitchhikers series is quite descriptive, and the Willis book includes Time Travel, so of course setting is quite important. I would not describe this subgenre as fast paced, but language is indeed important. Sly humor, sarcasm, satire are all important to this subgenre. Comic Sci Fi receives much of its accolades for its ability to make the transfer to the big screen.

The third subgenre I selected was quirky offbeat fiction. I have read virtually nothing in this subgenre, and once again goodreads.com is the best website/fansite. I think the appeal factors would most definitely be language, setting and pacing. Christopher Moore has been in my house (my son loves him) as has Michael Chabon, (a husband choice). Jasper Fforde makes this list as well, an author I always meant to read, but haven't.

As far as a Mashup, I found Western/Time Travel Romance! I found this genre listed on www.westernauthors.com . A popular author in this genre is Madeline Baker. A couple of her books include the Native American theme as well: "A Whisper In the Wind" and "Under a Prairie Moon". Based on the reviews, the appeal factors of this genre are similar to Historic Fiction and Historic Romance. Each include a well described setting, strong characterization, moderate pacing and language geared to the setting.