For questions about genres as they relate to literature. Note that questions asking for the genre of a work are off-topic.
Questions tagged [genre]
44 questions
12
votes
2 answers
What is steampunk?
I've long been confused about what exactly comprises the steampunk genre. Of course I realise that genres aren't usually things for which one can pin down exact definitions, but I don't even have a proper 'feel' for the steampunk genre or where its…
Rand al'Thor
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3 answers
What are genres? Are they a useful concept?
We all have an intuitive idea of what a genre is. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery... these are all examples of genres. But this intuitive understanding doesn't seem to easily translate into coherent definitions. It's easy to list books that…
user111
6
votes
2 answers
What is the distinction between literature and genre? Is such a distinction useful?
On the inside jacket of my copy of His Master's Voice, there is a short biographical blurb about the author, Stanislaw Lem. The blurb contains the following sentence:
Originally trained in medicine, he began his writing career in the 1940's,…
user111
3
votes
3 answers
What's the distinction between a narrative and an essay?
During a recent symposium a speaker stated that "Thomas Kuhn's book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions was not a narrative, it was an essay".
In searching online there are discussions of narrative vs descriptive writing (e.g., on Synonym.com)…
DJohnson
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1 answer
Do genre(s) of literature exist which take advantage of the Zeigarnik Effect?
It is probable that humans remember unfinished/incomplete tasks better than completed tasks. I am wondering if there is a genre/style of literature which takes advantage of this to boost the memorability of stories by leaving none of the threads…
Bug Catcher Nakata
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0
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Is there any sort of literature consisting of the description of paintings or images?
I'd like to learn how to better write physical descriptions, in particular, of architectural features and interiors, but I'd like to develop this ability in general. Is there any genre of literature that focuses around describing paintings or…
shintuku
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