 Good morning peeps! Today at the League book club, I thought we could talk about technique stuff. Stacia is a great storyteller and here's why, she can weave together several experiences in a single book. Personal Demons is at once a tale of horror, adventure and mystery, romance and comedy. Let's discuss these cross-genre interplays and how the writer uses them to guide the reader on an emotional journey. Or... Wow, Stace is super manipulative. |
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Heeheehee...
I got nuthin' but that was funny. I just enjoyed the book. But as to genre, I think alot of writers cross over into multiple genres which is why genres are such a pain in general. 'It's a romance!" 'No, it's an urban fantasy!' "Never! It's a paranormal romance!' Oi! My head! It's a story... a GOOD story. Why for must we be so damn picky?
I was thinking about how Stace was able to perform a "fake out," which is my terminology for lulling the reader into a false sense of security through humor and then diving straight into a serious horror scene.
Wow, Mark, when did I do that? Because that sounds awesome.
Your mastery is innate, you don't even realize you're doing it.
*psst*
Play along, dammit!
Hmm...this is an intriguing topic. I wish I had my copy of the book handy to analyze. Or "analyse," for Ms. Kane's Briticised ears.
I don't want to get into spoilery stuff, but the Big Bad was pretty evident to me early on...and that character was a perfect microcosm of what Mark's describing. To me, at least. Although I knew the identity, the character still managed to override that initial impression to be quite scary.
This is a good point to bring up, and something we were talking about on one of my reading lists. Not all cross genre works, but Personal Demon's does. I think a lot of it is the pacing which never lets up on you. When I read PD it took me about four to six hours. Stacia is also very good at drawing in a lot of elements from various genres.
Comedy elements - check
Personal friend relationships - check
Hot hot love interest - oh baby
Solid setting and rules of her uf universe - check
Melissa - I think we're being picky because it's something to talk about besides just doing the Stacia wrote a killer story dance.
~J
I really liked the book. Do I have to analyze it? I don't really care about the "why" so much as "when" the next one comes out. And frankly, that's enough for me.
And yes, I realize this defeats the purpose of the book club discussion.
Shannon's being defeatist!
Mark- labeling and projection walk hand in hand!
Okay, how 'bout this:
I loved the banter between her characters. The comedic trio of demons really fleshed out the cast enjoyably. I bet they were fun to write.
And I agree with tmthomas that it was obvious who Big Bad was, but I could have cared less because I was so thoroughly enjoying the nuances of the relationship between Meg and Greyson.
Stacia managed to balance humor, exciting action scenes, hot sex, and a horror-esque climax (unlike Mark's book that has humor and horrific sex). And yes, the "bad guy" was ultimately an unexpectedly pretty scary dude. But we are talking about a book with demons, not fluffy bunnies (insert death with sharp pointy teeth comment here).
Don't you find that most book that are really enjoyable combine elements from several genres? i.e. a horror/mystery combo or humor/mystery/romance etc.
Thanks Shannon, that's more like it.
And yes, I do find that. I love the mix. But then there are times where I like a straight mystery (though I have nothing against a gay mystery, if that's your thing).
I guess I'm really interested in where the genres are stitched together. Those spots where comedy turns to horror, where drama gets so intense it turns to laughter. The transitions.
You know?
mark- i understand and agree about transitions. Without them, the story would lack drama and realism. But I can honestly not think of a book (off the top of my head) that does not somehow blend aspects of at least two different genres.
Though I can agree with ~j that some genre combos just don't mix well. For example (not to point fingers and this is only IMHO) LKH's latest few Anita Blake installments pretty much blend horror and erotica. It's just a transition I cannot comfortably make in one novel.
Interesting.
In film, David Cronenberg has tried to blend horror and erotica and I'd agree it's definitely horrific, but not at all sexy.
I stopped reading LKH after Guilty Pleasures and never tried Merry Gentry, so I can't really speak on that.
I read LKH thru Micah and let me just say, that by the last couple of books, it was gettin' too weird for me to enjoy. I began to feel like she had written herself into a corner. Where she had created too many new rules and situations that completely changed the original direction of the story arc. But that's my opinion, not necessarily true.
I also read the first 3 Merry Gentry... those seem to be more erotica with a fantasy/mystery plot. But anytime the protagonist is trying to gain a throne thru impregnation, I'm guessing sex becomes somewhat pertinent.
Then again, maybe orgies just aren't my style. :D
Okay, I'm a day late and a dollar short, but I wanna chime in!!!
PD is a ride, and what a good ride! We follow a character we relate to (and like) as she's feeling 'wow, this my break, but wow this kinda sucks at the same time cause my boss and my business partners are all being big dicks.' Who can't relate to that? I love seeing a character getting ahead, only to have their world turned upside down and see how they react. (Heroes Journey 101.) It's fun! I love the female protagonist who's tough, and yet not. Who's serious, and yet funny. Those characteristics are anchors of reality in a fictional 'zombie and demon' filled world. (Unless, of course, in /your/ reality the ex is the zombie you imagine, the boss is the demon you imagine and the meds you take are more fun than my multi-vitamins.) So, PD is like one of those great theme park roller coasters you wait through the 2 hour line for, then get right back in line for. I can't wait for the 2nd installment. (Demon Inside, right?)
I like to mix it up, but the purists seem to think otherwise when 'genre-izing'. It only bugs me when I am trying to find my favorite vamp book and find it in the romance section...I used to just race on by that area, now I linger.
Now where to locate this one? It's on the wishlist.