In reference to adult pleasure reading of books (novels), genre is traditionally understood through the paradigm of author-defined customs and conventions, that gradually develop and evolve over time. Using science fiction (SF) as an example, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne, and HG Wells can be said to have established a genre, to which subsequent authors contributed, in both content and delineation. Building upon scholarship here at FIMS, from the work of the late Catherine S. Ross to that of Paulette Rothbauer and Heather Hill, I propose another understanding of genre that focuses upon reader agency and personality. This challenges our understanding of SF – and how genre, in general, should be understood by scholars in LIS, literary studies, and cultural studies.

This event is part of the Mediations Lecture Series.

Host:

Faculty of Information and Media Studies

URL:

https://www.fims.uwo.ca/

Contact:

FIMS Communications
fims-communications@uwo.ca

Department:

Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS)