Historical fiction has surged in popularity in recent years, with new subgenres emerging (e.g. Viking romance, religious thrillers) and reader interest showing no signs of slowing down. This follow-up to Johnson's critically acclaimed guide published in 2005 covers new territory by focusing on English-language historical novels for adults published between mid-2004 and mid-2008, in particular those commonly found in American public library collections. The author's unique approach involves classifying titles by subgenres, rather than strictly by geography and chronology; thereby grouping read-alikes together. It gives users a deeper understanding of the genre, an update on new titles, and an easy way to identify read-alikes and book club selections for library patrons. More than 2,700... Less

Several years ago, after many years of writing nonfiction, I decided to write a novel-a medical thriller in the mold of Robin Cook, Michael Crichton, and Michael Palmer. The problem was that, although I knew how to write and had received a number of awards for nonfiction works, I didn't know the how to write fiction. So, before putting fingers to keyboard I did a thorough search of the literature, which included reading numerous books and hundreds of website articles. What I discovered was that there simply wasn't one good source from which to learn the craft of writing genre fiction. "Writing Genre Fiction: A Guide to the Craft" is the book I was looking for when I set out on my quest to learn how to write fiction. It is an attempt to share what I learned from my research. It covers the... Less

Several years ago, after many years of writing nonfiction, I decided to write a novel-a medical thriller in the mold of Robin Cook, Michael Crichton, and Michael Palmer. The problem was that, although I knew how to write and had received a number of awards for nonfiction works, I didn't know the how to write fiction. So, before putting fingers to keyboard I did a thorough search of the literature, which included reading numerous books and hundreds of website articles. What I discovered was that there simply wasn't one good source from which to learn the craft of writing genre fiction. "Writing Genre Fiction: A Guide to the Craft" is the book I was looking for when I set out on my quest to learn how to write fiction. It is an attempt to share what I learned from my research. It covers the... Less

Historical fiction has surged in popularity in recent years, with new subgenres emerging (e.g. Viking romance, religious thrillers) and reader interest showing no signs of slowing down. This follow-up to Johnson's critically acclaimed guide published in 2005 covers new territory by focusing on English-language historical novels for adults published between mid-2004 and mid-2008, in particular those commonly found in American public library collections. The author's unique approach involves classifying titles by subgenres, rather than strictly by geography and chronology; thereby grouping read-alikes together. It gives users a deeper understanding of the genre, an update on new titles, and an easy way to identify read-alikes and book club selections for library patrons. More than 2700... Less

Genre authors, like genre fiction, often get no respect. Traditional biographical dictionaries tend to focus on established authors with literary credentials, and if genre writers are included, they are certainly not the focus of the book. Yet genre fans hunger for information about their favorite writers. This compilation focuses exclusively on genre fiction authors, more specifically today's most popular genre authors. It profiles representatives from all major genres (mystery/detectiv e, crime, adventure/suspens e, thriller, horror, fantasy, science fiction, western, historical, women's, and romance). Most are contemporary authors, but a few classics who are still in print and widely read (e.g., J.R.R. Tolkien), are included. Featured authors include Julia Alvarez, Maeve Binchy,... Less

The thriller is perhaps the most popular and widespread movie genre--and the most difficult to define. Thrillers can contain gangsters or ghosts, space helmets or fedoras. They charge our familiar world with a spirit of exotic, old-fashioned adventure. They give us pleasure by making us uncomfortable-- on the edge of our seats. Thrillers provides a comprehensive treatment of this genre, from silent serials to stalker films, from Alfred Hitchcock to Quentin Tarantino, from The Great Train Robbery to L.A. Confidential. This accessible, wide-ranging volume is designed to appeal to students and general filmgoers alike, and shows how this visceral, double-faced film genre has aroused our intense sensations throughout decades of American cinema.

This is a series of introductory books about different types of writing. One strand of the series will focus on genres such as Science Fiction, Horror, Romance, and Crime. The other strand will focus on movements or styles often associated with historical and cultural locations – Postcolonial, Native American, Scottish, Irish, American Gothic. These introductions all share the same nine-part structure: 1. A broad definition of the genre and its essential elements 2. A timeline of historical developments 3. Critical concerns to bear in mind while reading 4. Detailed readings of several key texts 5. In-depth analysis of major themes and issues 6. Signposts for further study 7. A summary of the most important criticism in the field 8. A glossary of terms 9. An annotated,... Less

This is the first study of Irish improvement fiction, a neglected genre of nineteenth- century literary, social, and political history. It shows how the fiction of Mary Leadbeater, Charles Bardin, Martin Doyle, and William Carleton attempted to lure the reader away from popular genres such as fantasy, romance, and "radical" political tracts by demonstrating the value of hard work, frugality, and sobriety in a rigorously realistic mode, representing the contentment that inheres in a plain social order free of excess and embellishment. Improvement discourse defined itself in opposition to the perceived excesses of both revolutionary politics and romantic poetry, seeking (but failing) to demonstrate how both political discontent and unhappiness could be offset by a strict practicality and... Less

Thrillers, tear jerkers, horror movies, melodramas--like so many movie terms, these genre designations immediately evoke characteristic kinds of emotional response. Yet emotion is a subject that film and literary theory have traditionally dealt with in only the most impressionistic and tangential fashion. Engaging Characters presents a precise discussion of the varieties of emotional response to films, integrating them into a larger theory of our engagement (or "identification") with characters in both cinematic and literary fictions. Films and filmmakers discussed include The Accused; Hitchcock (including detailed analyses of The Man Who Knew Too Much [1956] and Saboteur); Godard; Ruiz; Bu�uel's That Obscure Object of Desire; Dovzhenko's Arsenal and Preminger's Daisy Kenyon;... Less

Film critiques have agreed that there is a suspense thriller film genre, but have not been able to agree on its specific criteria and features. Derry (writing and film criticism, Wright State U., Dayton, Ohio) develops a generic classification and vocabulary as a framework within which to analyze these films. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This historically grounded account of Gothic fiction takes issue with received accounts of the genre as a stable and continuous tradition. Charting its vicissitudes from Walpole to Scott, Watt shows the Gothic to have been a heterogeneous body of fiction, characterized at times by antagonistic relations between writers or works. Watt examines the novels' political import and concludes by looking ahead to the fluctuating critical status of Scott and the Gothic, and perceptions of the Gothic as a monolithic tradition, which continue to exert a powerful hold.

Cultural concerns about gender and empire converge in striking and unexpected ways in two popular novel forms of late-Victorian Great Britain. In the 1880s and 1890s, feminist New Woman fiction and colonial adventure stories competed for the sympathies of their readers. While one form questions a system that proclaims male superiority and the right to dominate others, the second celebrates British male victories over “savage” landscapes, animals, and people.          Despite their differences, the author argues, one subgenre is the twin star of the other: Each revolves around the other, affected by the other’s gravitational pull as well as by the influence of larger ideological constellations. In each subgenre, shifting gender boundaries are at stake and sexual desire often drives the... Less

Historical fiction has surged in popularity in recent years, with new subgenres emerging (e.g. Viking romance, religious thrillers) and reader interest showing no signs of slowing down. This follow-up to Johnson's critically acclaimed guide published in 2005 covers new territory by focusing on English-language historical novels for adults published between mid-2004 and mid-2008, in particular those commonly found in American public library collections. The author's unique approach involves classifying titles by subgenres, rather than strictly by geography and chronology; thereby grouping read-alikes together. It gives users a deeper understanding of the genre, an update on new titles, and an easy way to identify read-alikes and book club selections for library patrons. More than 2700... Less

In Why Fiction?—one of the most important works of narrative theory to come out of France in recent years—Jean-Marie Schaeffer understands fiction not as a literary genre but, in contrast to all other literary theorists, as a genre of life. The result is arguably the first systematic refutation of Plato’s polemic against fiction and a persuasive argument for regarding fiction as having a cognitive function. For Schaeffer fiction includes not only narrative fiction but also children’s games, videos, film, drama, certain kinds of painting, opera—in short, all the intentional structures arising from shared imaginative reality. Because video games and cyber- technologies are the new sites of entry for many children into such an imagined universe, studying these cyber-fictions has become... Less

Covering nearly 6,000 titles in such popular genres as crime, adventure, romance, western, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, Herald's best-selling reference defines each, describes its characteristics and subgenres, and groups authors and books according to type or subject. You'll also learn about some of the latest subgenres that have emerged.Find the best read-alikes for patrons and build a fiction collection that appeals to the broad spectrum of readers that you serve with this thorough guide. Covering nearly 6,000 titles in such popular genres as crime, adventure, romance, western, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, Herald's indispensable reference defines each, describes its characteristics and subgenres, and groups authors and books according to type or subject. You'll find... Less

100 Masters of Mystery and Detective Fiction is a response to the growing attention paid to genre fiction in schools and universities. Since Edgar Allan Poe invented the modern mystery story in the mid-19th century, the number of authors writing in this field has steadily grown, as have the appetites of growing numbers of readers. This collection surveys 100 of the writers who have made the most lasting contributions to the genre, covering such major figures as Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ellery Queen, and Rex Stout.Articles range in length from 2,500 to 6,000 words and are organized in a format designed to provide quick access to information. Handy ready-reference listings are designed to accommodate the unique characteristics of the mystery/detective fiction genre, including... Less

This is a series of introductory books about different types of writing. One strand of the series focuses on genres such as Science Fiction, Horror, Romance, and Crime, and the other focuses on movements or styles often associated with historical and cultural locations— Postcolonial, Native American, Scottish, Irish, American Gothic. Authors covered in this volume include William Peter Blatty, Ira Levine, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, Angela Carter, Mary Shelley, Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Washington Irving.

At last—the first comprehensive readers' advisory guide for this highly popular genre! With an emphasis on contemporary publications, this book covers nearly 2,000 Christian fiction titles, featuring detailed annotations and bibliographies. Award-winning author and Booklist columnist John Mort has gone out of his way to present—for the first time—a broad spectrum of Christian fiction literature, setting a new standard for Christian fiction readers' advisory. With this book you will no longer face difficulties locating new reads and read-alikes in this genre! Each chapter features a subgenre or theme, including biblical fiction, historical fiction, sagas, romance, fantasy and science fiction, westerns, mysteries and thrillers, and more. There are also chapters on Catholic and Mormon... Less

The Seventh Seal, a Top 20 Kindle Bestseller in BOTH the Contemporary Fantasy and the Action & Adventure genres! ***WARNING*** Please do NOT purchase The Seventh Seal if you are a religious person and find violence committed by members of the church offensive. If you do not like fiction with SEX and VIOLENCE, do NOT buy this book.  However, if you want to suspend reality with a fast-paced, post-apocalyptic fantasy, please continue..."What if the morning after was also the End of the World? That's what happens to J. Thorn's protagonist in this edgy take on the End of Days. What emerges is an edge-of-your seat apocalyptic adventure full of twists and turns. I couldn't put it down! This is an edgy book, however, and not without controversy. If you don't like your religion or your world view... Less

This book explores the ways in which a range of recent American novelists have handled the genre of the 'coming-of-age' novel, or the Bildungsroman. Novels of this genre characteristicall y dramatise the vicissitudes of growing up and the trials and tribulations of young adulthood, often presented through depictions of immediate family relationships and other social structures. This book considers a variety of different American cultures (in terms of race, class and gender) and a range of contemporary coming-of-age novels, so that aesthetic judgements about the fiction might be made in the context of the social history that fiction represents. A series of questions are asked: Does the coming-of-age moment in these novels coincide with an interpretation of the 'fall' of America? What kind... Less

This is a series of introductory books about different types of writing. One strand of the series will focus on genres such as Science Fiction, Horror, Romance, and Crime. The other strand will focus on movements or styles often associated with historical and cultural locations – Postcolonial, Native American, Scottish, Irish, American Gothic. These introductions all share the same nine-part structure: 1. A broad definition of the genre and its essential elements 2. A timeline of historical developments 3. Critical concerns to bear in mind while reading 4. Detailed readings of several key texts 5. In-depth analysis of major themes and issues 6. Signposts for further study 7. A summary of the most important criticism in the field 8. A glossary of terms 9. An annotated,... Less

Drawn from the Science Fiction Research Association conference held in Lawrence, Kansas, in 2008, the essays in this volume address intersections among the reading, writing, and teaching of science fiction. Part 1 studies the teaching of SF, placing analytical and pedagogical research next to each other to reveal how SF can be both an object of study as well as a teaching tool for other disciplines. Part 2 examines SF as a genre of mediation between the sciences and the humanities, using close readings and analyses of the literary- scientific nexus. Part 3 examines SF in the media, using specific television programs, graphic novels, and films as examples of how SF successfully transcends the medium of transmission. Finally, Part 4 features close readings of SF texts by women, including... Less

When beings from another world invade Los Angeles, Steven, his wife, and a few others, escape and head up into the high mountains. But when he and his new found friends go off in search of a safe place, what they come to discover will change their lives forever. Unfortunately, the group falls into the hands of an elite group of government scientists, and a new kind of nightmare begins to unfold.As they get deeper, Steven soon discovers a complex world of alien- experimentation; one can only but wonder, what else they've been hiding. Their lives are soon shattered when they discover the chilling truth behind it all, as then they must fend for their lives-or die trying. Not wanting to believe, Steven retaliates only to be confronted by an unexpected visitor, and the gripping conclusion,... Less

This important new book provides a comprehensive introduction to British fiction from 1979 to the present. The volume outlines the main developments in contemporary fiction and engages with key themes such as cultural identity, gender, myth and history, postcolonialism and urban culture. In a series of lively and accessible essays, key critics introduce a broad range of leading British writers, including Salman Rushdie, Jeanette Winterson, Will Self, Pat Barker, Kazuo Ishiguro, Martin Amis and Zadie Smith. Offering an illuminating analysis and contextualiztion of British fiction today, this book will be essential reading for students and scholars of contemporary literature.

Thrillers, tear jerkers, horror movies, melodramas--like so many movie terms, these genre designations immediately evoke characteristic kinds of emotional response. Yet emotion is a subject that film and literary theory have traditionally dealt with in only the most impressionistic and tangential fashion. Engaging Characters presents a precise discussion of the varieties of emotional response to films, integrating them into a larger theory of our engagement (or "identification") with characters in both cinematic and literary fictions. Films and filmmakers discussed include The Accused; Hitchcock (including detailed analyses of The Man Who Knew Too Much [1956] and Saboteur); Godard; Ruiz; Bu�uel's That Obscure Object of Desire; Dovzhenko's Arsenal and Preminger's Daisy Kenyon;... Less

The writings of twentieth- century author Jack Finney are classic contributions to the genres of science fiction and suspense thrillers in American literature. Two of Finney’s novels, The Body Snatchers and Good Neighbor Sam, became the basis of popular films, but it was his time-travel story Time and Again (1970) that won him a devoted following. The novel about an advertising artist who travels back to the New York of the 1880s quickly became a cult favorite, celebrated especially by New Yorkers for its rich descriptions of life in the city at that time. The year of his death, Finney finished the sequel, From Time to Time (1995). In 1955 he published The Body Snatchers, a chilling tale of aliens who emerge from pods in the guise of humans. Many critics interpreted the insidious... Less

The thriller is perhaps the most popular and widespread movie genre--and the most difficult to define. Thrillers can contain gangsters or ghosts, space helmets or fedoras. They charge our familiar world with a spirit of exotic, old-fashioned adventure. They give us pleasure by making us uncomfortable-- on the edge of our seats. Thrillers provides a comprehensive treatment of this genre, from silent serials to stalker films, from Alfred Hitchcock to Quentin Tarantino, from The Great Train Robbery to L.A. Confidential. This accessible, wide-ranging volume is designed to appeal to students and general filmgoers alike, and shows how this visceral, double-faced film genre has aroused our intense sensations throughout decades of American cinema.

Mitch Rapp and his protege, Mike Nash, may have met their match. The CIA fears that a terrorist cell is on the loose and about to descend upon America....

Placing the popular genre of neo-Victorian fiction within the context of the contemporary cultural fascination with the Victorians, this book argues that these novels are distinguished by a commitment to historical specificity and understands them within their contemporary context and the context of Victorian historical and literary narratives.