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Sub-Genre Focus Challenge
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Jain
Posted 2014-09-07 6:49 PM (#8465)
Subject: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Discussion thread for the Sub-Genre Focus challenge, running from this month through August 2015, in which you choose a single WWEnd sub-genre to explore in depth.

Anyone participating in this challenge is encouraged to post a comment here naming your chosen sub-genre, since it might be difficult for interested observers to figure it out based just on your challenge book selection.

For myself, I'll be participating with "space opera" as my chosen sub-genre. I read very little space opera until the past year or so, under the--completely mistaken, as it turns out--impression that I wouldn't enjoy it. There's still a ton out there for me to explore, though, and I'm looking forward to developing a fuller understanding of the sub-genre.
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daxxh
Posted 2014-09-08 5:05 PM (#8476 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Great Lakes, USA		Space Opera is my favorite sub-genre. Because of all the challenge books I've been reading, I have been neglecting it. I was going to put a Space Opera Challenge in for next year (and may still do that).

From the description on your Sub-Genre Focus Challenge, it sounds like I should pick something I haven't read much of, so I think I will pick Cyberpunk. I have had Neuromancer and Snow Crash on my TBR pile for years. Now I have incentive to read them!

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HRO
Posted 2014-09-09 8:22 PM (#8482 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: RE: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Neither here...nor there		I might join this one. It's a good idea for a challenge. Hrm, debating.

The subgenre part of WWEnd needs some work, though, imo. For example, "gaslamp fantasy" is not included at all, so a lot of those books are under steampunk (which is something else entirely). And "new weird" ala Jeff Vandermeer and China Mieville is lacking. Also, there's no "slipstream" or "theological" for fantasy, only for sci-fi. And there are lots and lots of books which are not tagged, or are tagged incorrectly.

Edited by HRO 2014-09-09 8:49 PM
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HRO
Posted 2014-09-10 6:15 PM (#8495 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: RE: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Neither here...nor there		I've decided to join and will be focusing on "theological." I included a few fantasy books in my list even though the subgenre on WWEnd is only listed under sci-fi.

I was able to include one book that I just recently finished (and loved!) - The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. The rest of the books are on the 2015 TBR pile, though, so I won't really be in the challenge until January, which means I might not finish by August. But, we shall see.
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jontlaw
Posted 2014-12-22 6:13 PM (#9040 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Alief, TX		Added this challenge today. My genre will be Gothic Horror. I'll be clearing out a whole section of my shelf that I planned to get to this year anyway.

Kinda makes me wish we have another Guardian List challenge next year. I could almost complete it with what I plan to read for this one.

Edited by jontlaw 2014-12-22 6:38 PM
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justifiedsinner
Posted 2014-12-22 10:22 PM (#9041 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Who said there wont be?
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Linguana
Posted 2015-01-31 11:56 AM (#9416 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: RE: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Austria		Okay, I've got way too many challenges going already but I can't resist.

I'll join in with Fairytale Fantasy not only because I like fairytales and retellings but because it ties in nicely with my other challenges. A few books are coming out this year (or were already published) that I'm eager to read - they work for the new books of 2015 challenge and the sub-genre challenge. And my TBR pile is so full of fairy tale retellings that I should really start reading a few of them...

The definites are:
Catherynne M. Valente - The Boy Who Lost Fairyland
Holly Black - The Darkest Part of the Forest
Helen Oyeyemi - Mr. Fox
Alethea Kontis - Dearest (not in the database yet)

As for the rest, I've added a few books to my challenge but I don't know if I'll read those or find something else - it would be great if I actually read some of my older books instead of always buying the new and shiny ones. Fingers crossed.
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Jain
Posted 2015-02-01 9:43 AM (#9436 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Reading levels have been introduced for challenges, and I've taken the opportunity to create some for the Sub-Genre Focus Challenge, all the way from the introductory level 5 books 0 reviews to the master level 20 books 10 reviews. (The previous challenge requirement of 10 books 5 reviews is now the intermediate level, for anyone who was wondering.) I've also extended the challenge deadline to December 2015, to make it a little easier on participants who want to try tackling one of the higher levels.
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pizzakarin
Posted 2015-02-02 1:50 PM (#9471 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Austin, Tx		I chose the "steampunk" genre and thought I'd share a great blog post I read which describes the "steampunk" aesthetic.

First, I'll admit, I'm sometimes a subgenre snob and steampunk was one of those genres I turned my nose up at. I like mad science (but prefer when it is used optimistically instead of pessimistically) and airships almost universally fail to capture my imagination. But, I like using challenges to expand my reading boundaries and to force myself into carefully considered opinions rather than knee-jerk ones.

So I picked a bunch of books that were in the steampunk section and, only two books into the challenge have had to confront my feelings about the genre as a whole. I still dislike airships (maybe some upcoming book with change my mind), but I fell in love with the author of the blog's definition of the steampunk aesthetic and have had to think really hard on whether "The Digging Leviathan" by James P Blaylock, which I had pegged as definitely misclassified as steampunk might actually be steampunk despite being completely devoid of steam. My mind's jury is still out on the subject, but I am enjoying the brain stretch.

Anyone else out there finding their definition of a genre to be expanding? or finding books that are definitely (and sometimes infuriatingly) popularly misclassified?

Edited by pizzakarin 2015-02-02 1:51 PM
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jontlaw
Posted 2015-02-02 3:42 PM (#9474 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Alief, TX		Looks like you're on the right path. I've read six of your chosen ten books, and will get another this year. The Scott Westerfeld and Cherie Priest series are more sciency steampunk, and there's lots of airship in them, but they're very strong series. The Mark Hodder is completely outlandish and wonderful. The Gail Carriger series is fun and fluffy, airships present but only as background in a much more gaslamp fantasy world. Difference Engine is foundational, as important as Anubis Gates or any of the Blaylock. And the Ekaterina Sedia is just beautiful. Here's hoping that you finish this a convert.

And btw, if you really like what you read, there is a Gaslamp Fantasy challenge going on. You'll have quite the head start.
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jontlaw
Posted 2015-02-02 3:42 PM (#9475 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Alief, TX		Looks like you're on the right path. I've read six of your chosen ten books, and will get another this year. The Scott Westerfeld and Cherie Priest series are more sciency steampunk, and there's lots of airship in them, but they're very strong series. The Mark Hodder is completely outlandish and wonderful. The Gail Carriger series is fun and fluffy, airships present but only as background in a much more gaslamp fantasy world. Difference Engine is foundational, as important as Anubis Gates or any of the Blaylock. And the Ekaterina Sedia is just beautiful. Here's hoping that you finish this a convert.

And btw, if you really like what you read, there is a Gaslamp Fantasy challenge going on. You'll have quite the head start.
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dustydigger
Posted 2015-02-03 1:01 PM (#9502 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		Hi everyone. This new feature of reading levels has let me join you at last. Too many challenges last year,and looking at my reading list for this year,I see that almost none of the sub-genre Urban Fantasy , a firm favourite of mine, are even on the WWEnd website. However ,Badseed Girl has kindly offered to add some of my 2015 reads to the site,and so I can do a rather truncated version of the UF fantasy I am doing over on Shelfari.
I really enjoy the UF genre,a ''what if'' speculation. What if all those classic creatures,elves,vampires and werewolves were to be around in our modern society? Would we cope? Would they eat us,co-exist,or love us? Could they cope with our modern world? We get such a variety,from vampires sucking our blood,or weres chomping us.to peaceful/uneasy co-existence,to all out war.,or love between species.I think it is a really fun sub-genre,. I am firmly to the urban fantasy rather than the paranormal romance side,but all in all it is a genre that tends to be neglected here on shelfari. I hope in future fellow fans will work with me to make sure lots of great books are added to the site. For the moment,lets see how far I can get!

Edited by dustydigger 2015-02-03 1:06 PM
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pizzakarin
Posted 2015-02-03 1:46 PM (#9503 - in reply to #9502)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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dustydigger - 2015-02-03 1:01 PM
I see that almost none of the sub-genre Urban Fantasy , a firm favourite of mine, are even on the WWEnd website.


That also makes you a great candidate for The Unloved Challenge, specifically for those books out there that didn't win any of the tracked awards or end up on a list.
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dustydigger
Posted 2015-02-03 3:41 PM (#9505 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: UK		Pizzakarin,I have now joined that challenge too,on a lower level. I was daunted at the thought of checking through books on my TBR to see if they are ''unloved'' Mostly I read award winners,or books on lists,so finding ''unloved'' wwsnt as easy as you would think. Especially since most of the lighter stuff I DO read isnt on the database. Oh well,we'll see how it goes. The TBR is relentlessly growing higher!
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pizzakarin
Posted 2015-03-30 9:18 AM (#9969 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Austin, Tx		An update on my steampunk odyssey:

* It turns out that I don't mind airships if they are airbeasts (lesson from Leviathan)
* James P Blaylock is a brilliant writer, but not one for me. His books bog down my brain in ways I hadn't thought possible. (lesson from The Digging Leviathan and Homunculus)
* I prefer the themes of autonomy, oppression, and the nature of consciousness to the theme of natural vs mechanical. This is also something I like about transhumanist fiction and why I like Philip K Dick so much, so I think after the challenge I will use that as one of my criteria for determining if a steampunk book is up my alley. (lesson from The Alchemy of Stone)
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Badseedgirl
Posted 2015-04-18 8:55 PM (#10176 - in reply to #8465)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Location: Middle TN, USA		I joined this challenge but am still contemplating which sub-genre to indulge in. I thought I would just dip my toe in several and see what grabs hold and drags me into the water!
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Badseedgirl
Posted 2015-05-16 9:47 PM (#10563 - in reply to #10176)
Subject: Re: Sub-Genre Focus Challenge		Quote Reply



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Badseedgirl - 2015-04-18 8:55 PM

I joined this challenge but am still contemplating which sub-genre to indulge in. I thought I would just dip my toe in several and see what grabs hold and drags me into the water!


Well I decided to go with Cyberpunk as my genre because I loved Little Brother but did not understand Neuromancer at all. Clearly I need more experience with this genre. I loved loved loved Feed by M.T. Anderson so maybe I will like the genre after all. At least the more modern ones.
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