Genre Fiction Workshop
Students read texts in genres such as fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, noir, and horror, typically focusing on one genre exclusively in a given semester. Formats may include short stories, novels, films, TV shows and other narrative media. Considers genre protocols and how to write within the restrictions and freedoms associated with each genre. Students write fiction within a genre (or "between" genres) for roundtable workshopping. Intended for students with prior creative writing experience. Limited to 15.
Fall 2016 · Genre Fiction Workshop: Fantasy
Topics
- Why do we love fantasy? Why is it one of the most popular and enduring genres across platforms?
- Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell
- Campbell, Jung, and Gaimen
- Concept of the Central Mythos and the Matter of Kingship
- Within and Beyond the Mythos (Tolkien, Martin, etc.)
- Alternative views of Mythos
- Exercises
- Warping our world
- Fantasyland world building, cliché’s and cultures
- Fantasyland 201—Not your Medieval World! Urban, Dark, and Gaslight
- Playing by the Rules
- The World and Its Magic
- Magic changes History
- Multiplicity
- Workshop
- Special Topics/Discussion
- More discussion of the professional world; other related areas: horror, romantic fantasy, etc.
Readings
- Tolkein, J. R. R. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . Del Ray, 2012. ISBN: 9780345538376.
- Martin, George R. R. Game of Thrones: A Song of Fire and Ice (Book 1) . Bantam, 2011. ISBN: 9780553593716.
- Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter (Books 1–7) . Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009. ISBN: 9780545162074.
- Carey, Jacqueline. Kushiel’s Dart . Reprint edition. Tor Books, 2015. ISBN: 9780765379726.
- Powers, Tim. Expiration Date . Gollancz, 2015. ISBN: 9781473211988.
- Novik, Naomi. His Majesty’s Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1) . Reissue edition. Del Ray, 2006. ISBN: 9780345481283.
- Another brick of a book. Do not start this until you have read The Once and Future King or feel deeply grounded in the Arthurian cycle. Please note: Some people may be offended because the book can be deeply anti-Christian in some parts. This reveals both the prejudice of the author and the era in which it was written. Think of it from the context of what the author is trying to say about the origins of the Arthurian cycle.
- Jones, Diana Wynn. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel . Revised and updated edition. Firebird, 2006. ISBN: 9780142407226.
- Please note: Both Mists of Avalon and Kushiel’s Dart and extremely long. They are wonderful books and I expect you will find them engrossing, but you will need to start reading them before the semester begins. We will be discussing Mists of Avalon first, so I strongly suggest you begin with that. Trust me, you will not be able to finish these books if you do not start them before Registration Day—and trust me, you will very much want to finish them!
Spring 2013
Some argue that genre fiction is only a marketing category, but other critics say that different genres meet specific expectations of readers. This course examines these different agreements of what the reader wants and what the writer provides under the aegis of different genres. We will look at how genres are divided into subgenres, and how they are combined into cross-genre work, always keeping in mind the Reader-Writer Contact that is at the heart of genre writing. We shall also think about the ways in which crossing genres has led to the establishment of new genres (steampunk, preternatural romance) and strongly established subgenres (historical mystery, urban fantasy).
Readings
- Five books are required for this class. I strongly recommend that you acquire them used through online sources. At least one of the books ( Babel 17 ) is currently out of print, but is widely available used online.
- Jones, Diana Wynn. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel. Firebird Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780142407226.
- Sayers, Dorothy. The Nine Tailors. Mariner Books, 1966. ISBN: 9780156658997.
- Delany, Samuel R. Babel-17. Ace Books, Inc., 1966. ISBN: 9780441045914.
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: Permission of instructor U (Fall) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units. HASS-A
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2016
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2013
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.