Fiction Genres by Tori Miller

Graphic Novels

torisss18 — 2018-09-17 16:19:26 UTC

Graphic Novels are usually considered second-class literature to the majority of people. Because of the illustrations within them, they are looked at less seriously, childish. However, this is simply false. Although Graphic Novels are different than most literature, they are defiantly not second-class. Instead Graphic Novels fall in the first-class category of literature. Graphic Novels are a unique type of Fiction genre, because of what the images can do to the readers emotions and perspective of the story being told. Unlike short stories, essays, and novellas, graphic novels leave less room for imagination. Instead of creating details in your mind or interpreting how characters might act or look like, Graphic novels provide these for you. Authors use these images to help influence the reader on how they want to react to a certain scene or character. Genius!

An example you ask?
Mays contains Marjane Satrapi's, a famous graphic novel author, chapter called The Shabbat (pg. 21-29). Satrapi growing up in the Islamist Revolution uses the graphic novel to draw and write environments she grew up in Iran. Readers get to experience both visuals and words with Graphic Novels.

The following is one of Satrapi's quotes on the genre, "Graphic novels are not traditional literature, but that does not mean they are second-rate. Images are a way of writing. When you have talent to be able to write and to draw, it seems a shame to choose one. I think it's better to do both" (Brainy Quote).

Another quote about Graphic Novels:
"Comic books and Graphic novels are a great medium. Its incredibly underused." -Darren Aronofsky (Brainy Quote)

Other famous Graphic Novel Authors: Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Art Spiegelman, Chris Ware, and Noelle Stevenson

Citations:
Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 2017

BrainyQuote. BrainyQuote.com, 2009. Web.25 Mar. 2009.

The Novel

torisss18 — 2018-09-21 04:05:08 UTC

What's the face or main genre of literature?
The majority would say, The Novel. Since the 14th Century the genre of the Novel has brought the world literary masterpieces. From Huckleberry Finn to The Little Women to Moby Dick, Novels have grown the participation of literature across populations and cultures. The Novel is defined by a work of prose fiction of about forty thousand words or more (Mays pg. 31). Within the Novel, there are many different kinds of sub-genres.

Romantic Novel- Consists of Love Story, and star-crossed lovers. Nicholas Sparks is a known romantic novel author (Books written: The Notebook, The Lucky One, The Last Song, etc).

Science Fiction Novel- Consists of scientific discoveries, space-travel, and futuristic societies. Famous science fiction authors are Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and H.G. Wells.

Historical fiction Novel- Consists of past events or time periods. Historical Novels typically use setting from the past, like World War II, to tell a fictional story. Examples of this would be The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, and Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon.

Beyond just Romantic, Science Fiction, and Historical Fiction Novels, their are many more sub-genres of the Novel (Mystery Novel, Adventure Novel, Gothic Novel, Historical Romance Novel, etc.)

Other Novel Authors: J.K Rowling, R. L. Stine, Stephen King, and James Patterson.

J.K Rowling says, "I do believe something magical can happen when you read a good novel" (Goodhousekeeping.com).

Citations:
Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 2017

Best Novel Quotes. GoodHouseKeeping.com, 2011. Web. 21 Sept. 2018.

The Short Story

torisss18 — 2018-09-21 05:04:05 UTC

Whats the difference between a short story and a novel?
For starters the Short Story is Shorter (obviously) than a Novel. Short Stories usually consists between one thousand and twenty thousand words (Mays pg. 31-32). Because of the shorter length, Short stories are structured differently than Novels. They have less room, length wise, to talk about multiple major events or plots. Most short stories only focus on one character or one event in detail, rather than having to cover over multiple events within a story like a Novel does. In a excellent short story everything is compact and exciting. Every sentence is used to help build the main idea of the Short Story. While short stories are interesting, they are also convenient. Short Stories are meant to be read all at once, and won't take as big of a time committed compared to a Novel.

Quotes on Short Stories:

"“Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.”
--- Neil Gaiman

“A short story is a love affair, a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film.”

― Lorrie Moore

“Short fiction seems more targeted - hand grenades of ideas, if you will. When they work, they hit, they explode, and you never forget them. Long fiction feels more like atmosphere: it's a lot smokier and less defined.”

― Paolo Bacigalupi

Well Known Short Story Authors: James Baldwin, Edgar Allan Poe, Franz Kafka, Anton Chekhov, Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway.

Examples of Short Stories:
-Hills like White Elephants By: Ernest Hemingway
-Sonny's Blues By: James Baldwin
-Girl By: Jamaica Kincaid
-The Single-Man By: Charles Dickens
-The Magic Shop By: H.G. Wells
-Desiree's Baby' By: Kate Chopin

Citations:
Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 2017

GoodReads. Goodreads.com, 2007. Web.23 June. 2018.