Genre Mixing

[sikdragon]

I was watching frisky dingo the other day and there's the episode with the nerds where xander is wearing robot pants and calls himself an elf. The two nerds in the back were all like, "genre mixing alert!"

Is their opinion on that issue represent the fantasy/sci-fi demographic in majority or was it just their individual opinion?

Does genre mixing go over well with you? What are your thoughts?

[Esratihs]

I think it depends on the two genres being mixed. For example I don't think fantasy and sci-fi mix too well together, they seem to me to be more at opposite ends of a spectrum. Most other genres are all right to mix into either sci-fi or fantasy, for example travel writing and fantasy or horror sci-fi.

[Medesha]

I think one genre can tend to dominate another unconsciously. If you put an elf in space, have him ride around on a spaceship, meet aliens, fire laser pistols, and in the end save a planet from being blown up by killer robots, it's science-fiction even though it may have a few fantasy elements (like an elf).

If you write a story about an elf detective who moves around fairyland, meeting and interacting with strange and wonderful creatures, and eventually uncovers the plot of a sorcerer-assassin to kill the Queen of Fairyland, and the elf detective thwarts the assassin with a powerful spell he unearths from a hidden dungeon, it's a fantasy story even though it has the structure of a mystery.

In each case, the book would be marketed as sci-fi or fantasy, not fantasy or mystery, despite the elements. Think about it: Lord of the Rings is classic epic fantasy, but it's also a classic romance novel, and in some aspects even a horror novel. But the fantasy dominates the other two genres, so it's fantasy.

(Romance is one genre I think that can be folded into almost any other genre seamlessly; we note romantic sub-plots and enjoy them without ever thinking, "Wait, I thought this was a fantasy novel, not a romance."

In a sense, genres have more to do with structure and expectations than external trappings (like elves and spaceships). Epic fantasy brings together a disparate band of adventurer heroes and sets them on a multi-stage mission against a powerful evil being. Set it in space and you have Star Wars, which isn't considered science-fiction, because it isn't. It's fantasy (it even has "magic" of a sort). Because it's set in space people didn't feel comfortable calling it "fantasy" outright, so it's termed "space fantasy" or "space opera."

If you're writing a mystery, people are going to expect a murder or other great crime in the first chapter, a series of suspects whom the detective eliminates one by one via clues and alibis, and a big reveal at the end. If you're writing a science-fiction story, people are going to expect a dilemma in the first chapter related to the future, aliens, or new technology, and a struggle over the course of the story to reconcile the dilemma by use of scientific or "real-world" techniques. If you write a romance, people are going to expect a beautiful heroine meeting an obnoxious but handsome man in the first chapter, a series of clashes, denials, and reversals, and then a wedding or other committtment at the end.

The external trappings, like setting, aren't irrelevant, but they're not as relevant as the story structure and target audience. In some cases it's possible to truly blend genres together; for instance, the tv show House is marketed as a medical drama, which it is, but it's really a mystery show (just look at the structure: The show opens with an unknown entity (the disease) attacking or killing people; House gradually eliminates the suspects one by one through tests and by observing clues, there's a reversal about 3/4 of the way through when the most likely suspect is proven innocent, and then the big reveal at the end when House nabs the guilty party. He's practically Sherlock Holmes). That's why I watch House, because it's a mystery and I like mysteries.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this; but it was fun to write! This is all just IMHO, of course.

[sikdragon]

I love house. He's not an addict. lol

That's all good to know. Answered my question thorougly. Now i'm off to finish my short story for the forums.