Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenMonkey
I find non-"genre" fiction more formulaic than genres. In a fantasy book, for example, you can build an entire world and new kinds of characters and roles.
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I said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by taosaur
the most formulaic genre work (romance, mystery, thriller, sword & sorcery, any fan fic)
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making no sweeping statements about "genre" and referring to only one small corner of speculative fiction. Nor was I using "formulaic" pejoratively, but only proposing that those who read a great deal of highly formulaic work do so for different reasons than readers of, say, science fiction or absurdist metafiction.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenMonkey
Your typical "fiction" work will have, say, an American police officer. They don't have to explain this role, they don't have to draw up the guidelines or the concepts behind it. It's simple plug-n-play into the role. All of the framework exists - Miranda rights, court systems, guns, police cars, etc. Maybe you make 'em an alcoholic or something, oryou can make the character interesting, but the framework stays pretty much the same.
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You cite a distinction without a difference. One, police procedurals and crime fiction
are genres. Two, plenty of fantasy plugs-n-plays Tolkien's elves, dwarves, wizards and warriors, often derived third-hand from D&D. The same can be said for Heinlein's
Starship Troopers in sci-fi.