What is your favorite genre?

[binzer]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

How about a multi-pick poll? Then we could pick several categories, and the results would still show where our interests fall!

this is a multi-pick poll

[spirits]

Originally Posted by Cthulhu

Hear Hear.

Have mentioned this elsewhere, but most of what passes for "non-fiction" in the ebook world is charlatanous self-help tripe, rather than good science writing or history.

I read self-help/achievement/spiritual, and I agree with your ridicule, especially when 80% of it have no real essence, but just another way saying it, most likely from another author. Some ideas compilation "garbage" like Brian Tracy's books are complete waste of money.

But when the real deal emerges, it immediately becomes national bestsellers.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by binzer

this is a multi-pick poll

Doesn't matter: The question is "What is your favorite genre?" Not "Which genres do you read?"

I voted for science fiction as my fave. I'm actually surprised by this breakdown: I expected to see less of a difference between SF and the other categories, based on discussions on these threads. Also, though romance is one of the most popular e-book genres, I guess the romance readers don't hang out at this site.

[binzer]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Doesn't matter: The question is "What is your favorite genre?" Not "Which genres do you read?"

I voted for science fiction as my fave. I'm actually surprised by this breakdown: I expected to see less of a difference between SF and the other categories, based on discussions on these threads.

Well my intention was to get everyone's favorite since a lot people like EVERY genre to a certain extent, but I knew some people probably couldn't narrow it down to one so I made it multi-pick I guess the title should be "what are your favorite genres" but I didn't want to encourage people to go crazy

Also, though romance is one of the most popular e-book genres, I guess the romance readers don't hang out at this site

It is rather odd that there aren't more romance votes isn't it? I would think romance readers would feel an extra draw to e-books, simply because people can't tell what they're reading!

[Maggie May]

I read Mystery/Suspense, Action Adventure, Romance, and the Classics of course.
I love Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte. My two favourite books of all time are Pride and Prejudice, and Jane Eyre.

Mag.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by binzer

It is rather odd that there aren't more romance votes isn't it? I would think romance readers would feel an extra draw to e-books, simply because people can't tell what they're reading!

My understanding is that that is exactly right... and if you haven't heard, Harlequin books maintains that romance e-books are the best selling genre of all. Like I said, they're clearly not hanging here (they must all be doing discussions around the Harlequin site!).

[zelda_pinwheel]

i voted for :

- Mystery / Suspense (D.L. Sayers, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Tonino Benacquista, Léo Malet, Fred Vargas, SS Van Dine, Dickson Carr / Carter Dickson / etc., Conan Doyle and Christie of course, actually far too many to list...),

- Classics (Jane Austen, Boris Vian, Camus, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Molière, Kafka, Ionesco, Gombrowicz, Sartre...), and

- Humour (PG Wodehouse, Raymond Queneau, Douglas Adams, Sempé / Goscinny (le Petit Nicolas !), James Thurber, Oscar Wilde, Jerome K. Jerome...). i couldn't choose fewer favorites than that.

I would have added Historical Fiction (well, more accurate would probably be Historical Mysteries, like Anne Perry, so i can get some edification with my entertainment), General fiction (is Nabokov Classic, or General Fiction ?? he is one of my favorite authors...), non-fiction (if only for Feynman : i love science and math, from afar mostly since i don't know enough about either to do anything practical, but i like reading articles... nano-technology is CRAZY !!), and possibly Science fiction as well, but you did say not to go too crazy.

i chose humour for writers like PG Wodehouse and Queneau who are among my favorites (although a lot of my favorite mystery writers can be very funny as well ; Dorothy L. Sayers, Maurice Leblanc, ES Gardner and Léo Malet come to mind). i don't think i would want a new genre just for them, i already have a hard enough time fitting things into categories (see my dilemma about historical mysteries above). dave barry (or whoever) can sit next to Wodehouse ; it doesn't mean i have to read him.

i see i am in good company here. Tompe and I could probably have a lot of fun sharing books, unless we both already have identical libraries, since our tastes seem to be pretty close. i love Jane Austen as well (so far it seems everyone does, which i find encouraging !), and although it was not proposed in the poll i love comics as well !! yay Tintin ! my favorite is le Capitaine Haddock... however i have never thought of reading them on my eb1150...

[Basqueman]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wonder how many other people share my tastes for both Jerry Pournelle and Jane Austen?

Ahh! Jerry Pournelli! I loved his work with Larry Niven. "The Mote in God's Eye", "The Gripping Hand", "Footfall", "Lucifer's Hammer".

Some of my all time favorites!

[Basqueman]

Originally Posted by binzer

I loooooove Jane Austen, but I've never tried Pournelle. I like Austen so much in fact that I'm going to try Pournelle, solely based on the fact that you like both!

Binzer. His best work are the books he co-wrote with Larry Niven.

[binzer]

Originally Posted by Basqueman

Binzer. His best work are the books he co-wrote with Larry Niven.

Noted, thanks

[TommyCooper]

My favourite genre is, without doubt, Science Fiction. I wonder if those of us who like this genre do-so because we don't like the world we live in and simply enjoy escaping into realms with fantastical technologies, new worlds and alien races. Perhaps we see in some of our favourite authors and their stories a hope for the future which doesn't seem to be apparent in the circumstances which we find ourselves.

Can anyone explain to me why there are so many pathetically awful films [that's movies for you colonists ] made of our favourite genre. Science Fiction writers have such brilliant ideas which are usually reduced to an orgy of special effects, bad dialogue and second-rate acting. It used to be bad special effects - but at least that's improved. Thank goodness the synapses will always produce a better picture than the the screens at the local fleapit. Hmmm, that's a good point - why am I worrying about films when I can read a book?

Tommy

[TallMomof2]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

My understanding is that that is exactly right... and if you haven't heard, Harlequin books maintains that romance e-books are the best selling genre of all. Like I said, they're clearly not hanging here (they must all be doing discussions around the Harlequin site!).

Well, I buy some from Harlequin. I consider that my junk food reading. Tasty and addicting. Most of my SF and Fantasy reading is not of the junk food variety and frequently I want something light to read. That's probably because I spend many hours daily with my brain in high gear and use reading to relax and wind down.