Quote:
Originally Posted by Catlady
My definition of a genre mystery is a story in which a protagonist solves a dilemma, usually a crime of some sort, and reestablishes the social order. That doesn't happen in Drood. It doesn't happen in Daughter of Time, either, but it's closer. Sure, you can broaden the definition of mystery, but in a sense every story is a mystery--just as every story is a fantasy.
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Yes, I very much agree with this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dazrin
.It's the sub-genres in SFF or the other genres that could cover the book that begin to have depth/meaning.
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Yes. Specific categories can ensure that everyone’s preferred genre is guaranteed to have a turn. But you'd need prior agreement on well defined categories to avoid disappointments.
For example, I find Amazon’s “Mystery/Thriller/Suspense” category far too broad to be useful. Usually a mystery is about solving a puzzle, and as
Catlady said, restoring social order.
Suspense is an entirely different reading experience. And though I really enjoy mysteries, I don’t like the feeling of suspense, and avoid reading books that make me keep looking over my shoulder.
I’ve only participated a short while, but my guess is that there must be fewer disappointments with a themed approach, if only because it’s harder to have expectations about what the next month will bring.