Genre? Or not? (was Re: Wasted Charms & other magical devices (Time Turner))

ftah3 ftah3 at yahoo.com
Fri Jan 4 22:01:35 UTC 2002


No: HPFGUIDX 32776

Elizabeth Dalton wrote:
> As someone who's read a *lot* of "genre" fiction, I think you (and 
Grey Wolf)
> are selling the category short. Yes, there are plenty of hackneyed
> "tall-elf-short-dwarf-wizard-with-beard" stories out there, but 
there's plenty
> of good, well-conceived, well-written fiction out there, too, 
written by authors
> who would be (I believe) just as popular and successful if there 
were no fantasy
> or science fiction genre marketing category. Orson Scott Card comes 
to mind. So
> does Ian Banks, or C.J. Cherryh.

Exactly.  Which is part of the reason I also had a smidge of an 
objection to your previous statement that it would have been better 
if Rowling had read more sci-fi-fantasy/had left 'hokey' devices 
alone.  The fact is, the good writers can use certain devices and 
they will *not* be hokey/contrived/full of holes because they are 
talented writers.  In fact, in the hands of a talented writer, the 
most hackneyed idea can become (to hyperbolize) ground-breaking 
literature.  I mean, if what if Shakespeare had decided that, what 
with all the murdering royals and quilt-ridden heroes floating around 
in peer's stage plays, he might as well pitch in the trash that 
little idea he'd had about a fellow named Hamlet?

I don't like time travel stories, generally.  Even in the hands of 
respected writers, I find them tiresome.  But for some reason, I 
really like Rowling's Time Turner.  I think it has something to do 
with jealousy.  I had to take as many courses as I could fit into 
four years of college, due to a time-limited scholarship.  And I 
*did* ~ but I still regret having had to give up classes in certain 
areas in favor of other areas.  I would have loved to give Hermione's 
experience with the Time Turner a try.  And with that introduction, 
the Time Turner became a fresh idea to me.  Also, I felt that the 
contained way in which Rowling used the device kept loopholes from 
spiralling totally out of control; and the loopholes that *could* be 
brought up remained well inside my personal form of 'time structure 
agnosticism' (i.e., is it linear? circular? three dimensional? 
incomprehensible?  who knows... :-P).  I'm rather glad that Rowling 
didn't fall prey to the...hmm, sort of sci-fi/fantasy genre prejudice 
against time travel, nor allow herself to be intimidated by the fact 
that the current stock of genre fiction has a lousy track record in 
dealing with that particular device.  Because I would miss it.

Which I suppose all goes to the age old maxim "to each his own...."

:-)
Mahoney





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