Explore the trend of famous authors' first drafts and unfinished novels being published. Should authors publish these unfinished works? Or does it take away from the canon of their own literature?
Lauren Mead, looks good. I think you have to mark it fixed. It doesn't look like I have the option. – Tigey8 years ago
Cool idea! Off the top of my head I know that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has two different drafts published that make distinctions in the representation of the monster. – Kevin8 years ago
Did they do this with any works by Tolkein? I know there was a lot of talk about it once upon a time. Now people are constantly talking about whether George R.R. Martin will live to see the completion of his books (which I find very rude) and "who will finish them in his place?" I feel like it's all about what the authors wishes are, but maybe showing some examples of it going wrong or right in the past would make a good article to drive an opinion towards the future of unfinished famous authors' works. – Slaidey8 years ago
This is an interesting topic. I think it would be worthwhile to include in the discussion authors like J.K. Rowling who are supplementing their published works with online snippets while they are still living. – C8lin8 years ago
As an author, I say: please, only do this to me after I'm dead. :) Seriously though, I have to wonder how the actual authors feel or would feel about it. My concern is not that first drafts take away from canon, but that they might expose thoughts and feelings the author wasn't ready to share. Then again, certain "draft works" give us fresh insight into certain writers. – Stephanie M.8 years ago
Interesting topic. Sadly, the idea has been explored extensively in academia. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Initially coined as an insult, the term 'Space Opera' has now become synonymous with melodramatic space adventure: books written as colourful and dramatic pieces of literature which largely explore the human condition and entertain the question of where humanity might fit among other, fictional races in the stars. To what extent is this insinuation that Space Opera might not be as high-brow compared to other books in the wider Science Fiction genre, correct? Is Space Opera the so-called 'Soap' of the Science Fiction genre, or is it more than its title would suggest? Indeed, would you agree with the negative connotations that imply this subgenre is a 'lesser' form of sci-fi, outworn and tacky? Or is it merely a different, and more interesting, strand of Science Fiction that is less concerned with the intricacies of actual science? Probably worth discussing some of the more popular, and well known, Space Opera books and series and explaining why they might be so popular (as some examples, see: Douglas Adams' 'Hitchhikers Guide', Frank Herbert's 'Dune', Orson Scott-Cards 'Ender's Game', Kevin J. Anderson's 'Saga of the Seven Suns').
Lucy, I separated my corrections by line, rather than commas, but they were "squished" together when traveling through cyberspace. Sorry about that. – Tigey8 years ago
It would be a good idea to go in further detail on the characteristics that define a space opera, and what distinguishes it from other sci-fi book. – thelordofmoo8 years ago
Provide the typology of famous detective's sidekicks and analyse the way they have changed over the years. What makes a likable sidekick in modern detective literature. Is the fact that Robin Ellacott is a woman dictated by the feminist trend, by the plot or by any other factors? Does the detailed characterisation of the sidekick make for a better novel? What kind of detective – sidekick tandem would you like to read about in future?
Cool topic. I took a seminar in Detective Fiction last year within which a popular speculative theory was brought to our attention that many people believe there is evidence to suggest that Watson could have been female...or at least that Watson's gender was left ambiguous. This would be something interesting to look into if you were to discuss detective sidekicks and gender. -hillary – hilldextrase8 years ago
Building off of Hillary's point, there's an interesting intersection between John Watson and recent feminist trends which has come in the form of "Joan Watson" (as played by Lucy Liu) in the American tv series Elementary. Although the show is vastly inferior to its BBC counterpart, one could argue that re-casting Watson as a female is quite the progressive move - which is consequently negated by her frequent involvement in oversexualised slap fights with equally attractive female villains and henchwomen. When Conan Doyle first invented the character in 1887, he was a doctor and a war vet, both of which being indicators in that day and age that the character most likely needed to be male; however, this recent update has proven that, in 2012 and onward, there is no valid reason why the same character cannot be female and still prove to be just as proficient a detective as Holmes. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
Good topic. Is it possible, though, that the writer might find that sidekicks have not changed in a significant way, or that they have changed but the changes are superficial? – Tigey8 years ago
Interesting topic--I found both Robin and John to be very similar at first glance (Robin's definitely a little more on top of it than Watson). In the early detective fiction, many of the sidekicks were meant as a frame for the reader to be put in (think Edgar Allen Poe's stories). – ckmwriter8 years ago
Analyse whether or not dystopian young adult novels have become essential reading or a completely redundant genre. Make sure to include examples like The Hunger Games and Divergent and discuss how they have increased the popularity of dystopian fiction for younger readers. Also evaluate newer titles and their impact on the publishing industry (whether or not they serve a purpose, are simply a cash grab, etc.).
The popularity of dystopian fiction among YA readers is often explained by it being a theme with which they can personally relate. The world is in shambles and it's up to the young protagonist (representing the future generation) to attempt to fix it. If the state of the world continues on its current trajectory - as the current presidential candidates give us much reason to suspect - the looming threats that can be seen in the novels become all too real. Though this theme feels incredibly relevant at this current historical moment, the mass sensationalism of the genre since 2008 (particularly with the publishing, film, and merchandising industries doing whatever they could to strike while the iron was hot), has very rapidly exhausted its narrative potential - evidenced by how similar the plots of Hunger Games and Divergent are, indicating a lack of original content to fill the demand. Like all fads, it isn't long until people lose interest and move on to the next one. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
Historically speaking, I think the rise and ultimately extreme popularity of dystopian YA novels is significant. I think it certainly says a lot about our culture. Does this automatically mean it is good literature? For most of it, probably not. Rereading the Hunger Games series will show that the quality of writing is very poor, and the characters are not compelling. I think that we tend to get sucked into these kinds of stories because of how horrifying the dystopian thing is, while we live comfortably with the knowledge that it is a highly exaggerated, excessively violent version of some of the real "dystopian" structures in our society (there are things about our world that are truly dystopian, but I don't necessarily think these are the themes and structures explored in YA novels). It doesn't matter if the book is good or not, we become fascinated because it's so sickening and yet usually unrealistic enough that we don't feel compelled to try and fix things. Years down the road, my guess is scholars will examine the eventual impact of this kind of literature, and it will be studied - but more for its value through the socio-cultural perspective than the literary one. – darapoizner8 years ago
It may be helpful to consider the dystopian young adult novel from this perspective: imagine an alternate reality of Harry Potter where Voldemort won and people held to a 'resistance'. We see a glimpse of this reality preceding the battle at Hogwarts, and afterwards when Voldemort appears to have defeated Harry. From this perspective the dystopian young adult novel represents the version of our realities as youth where we are not imbued with a bildungsroman-style ascension to adulthood. In other words, this genre is an inevitable continuation of children's literature. The difference between film adaptations and the novels themselves -- especially for The Hunger Games -- will likely be of more interest to future scholars (i.e. do the books matter anymore once the film adaptation has entered the collective consciousness). As for whether this means that the value is more socio-cultural than literary is an interesting predicament given that the separation of the two could likewise be up for debate. – Kira Metcalfe8 years ago
Trace the history and development of polyvocality (a work having multiple narrators, or following varied narrative voices and perspectives from different characters) as a literary form. From its humble beginnings in the canonisation of the Gospels – combining four distinct accounts of Jesus' ministry and death by separate authors into one collected volume of scriptural authority – to the epistolary style of Samuel Richardson and Bram Stoker, all the way to Modern novels by William Faulkner, Lawrence Durrell, and George RR Martin. How have methods of polyvocal narration developed over time? What social and aesthetic factors may have given it more prominence at certain historical periods? How have these authors' choices to present their stories from multiple perspectives been reactionary to the long tradition of single narrators, whether omniscient 3rd person or limited 1st person? How is this reflected in contemporary literary styles and trends?
Are you considering fiction, non-fiction, or both? If including non-fiction, it might be enlightening to investigate whether polyvocality increases or decreases the accuracy of eyewitness accounts of events, such as those in the four Gospels. – Tigey8 years ago
Very ambitious. Also, necessary mention: The Canterbury Tales. – TKing8 years ago
This sounds like a topic that can really be developed and analyzed. The only issue I have here is the word "polyvocality.". Are there other words that can express your idea such as multiple narrators in postmodern literature? I am not sure polyvocality is the way to go but am at a loss to give a concrete suggestion. Perhaps someone on the forum could help. – Munjeera8 years ago
Tigey: Though I mainly had fiction in mind, there's certainly room for nonfiction as well. It's certainly debatable which category the Gospels belong to (I'd personally categorise them as "Historical Fiction," but am aware of how contentious such claims can be). If whoever writes this topic wishes to follow that thread further, I'd highly recommending reading The Rise and Fall of the Bible by Timothy Beal; he discusses the polyvocality of the Bible at great length, combating the contemporary notion of its univocality as a "magic eight-ball" with all the answers to life's mysteries.
TKing: Good addition, that definitely slipped my mind. In all honesty, I've never been a big Chaucer fan myself, but it belongs on this list nevertheless. I'm sure there are countless other texts that I failed to mention, and it's up to whoever decides to write this topic to do their research to fill in the blanks.
Munjeera: You're probably correct that there may be a better word for it, but "polyvocality" was the most suitable term that I was able to think of, and often does appear in literary (and biblical) studies. If you think of a better option, don't hesitate to come back here and share it. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
Another important aspect to mention is free-indirect discourse, when discussing this topic. – danielle5778 years ago
A famous example of polyvocality is Virginia Woolf's The Waves, due to the excessive use of polyvocality and the great difficulty the reader has in deciphering, at multiple parts in the novel, just in fact which character is speaking. She is known for her streams of consciousness writing, and the novel is so intricately woven that multiple streams of consciousness begin to become embedded--which can be infuriating for some readers, while utterly beautiful for others. I want to write this topic!!! – danielle5778 years ago
If you choose to include modern literature, Jodi Picoult is a good example of this, as are Kathryn Stockett and Amy Tan. – Stephanie M.8 years ago
May I suggest as an alternative to polyvocality: "Transversal Literature" – L:Freire5 years ago
Among the anticipated release of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child', readers were avid to know more about the Potter universe based 20 years after Voldemort's defeat. But did the playwrights do an accurate job of representing Harry in the script? Readers might see him as stony, uncompassionate and cold- not representative of Harry. Explore why Harry might come off as 'different' and whether this is a possible interpretation of how he might be in the years after he defeated Voldemort, as he attempts to create a 'normal' life for himself and his family.
Well, the Harry we knew was Harry as a child. The Harry of the books is an adult, having faced trauma, accompanied by current real-life stressors and a slew of responsibilities. Also, people do change after traumatic events. Another thing to consider is the fact that when people are facing obstacles, they have a level of momentum driving them through each challenge; yet, once these obstacles cease to exist, the person can sometimes become lost and not know how to interact "normally," now that their world, as they've known it, has changed. Just a few thoughts... – danielle5778 years ago
Harry Potter, as we knew him at the end of Deathly Hallows was at the beginning stages of the transition into wizarding adulthood. The only glimpse we got of him as an adult is the epilogue, which was very brief, but it was all we had to go off of for nine years. It is important to remember that the 20's is another very important season of changing for most people, and Harry Potter shouldn't be considered immune to that at all. Another idea, this play is mostly told from Albus Severus's perspective. Perhaps this is why Harry does oftentimes read as cold or stony, especially when taking into consideration the conversations between Ginny and Harry about the father and son's relationship in the play. – EmilyEMeadows108 years ago
I recently read an article in which a woman was complaining about constantly having to defend herself for listening to audiobooks. People would accuse her of being "lazy," or "cheating." Sadly, this said person had brain surgery 5 years ago that left her eye sight greatly diminished and reading had become a difficult process, and audiobooks her salvation. Where do you weigh in on this argument–just skim through the internet as those for and against audiobooks take great pride in stating their stance–and why is it even necessary to discuss one's "reading" habits? Is this a form of prejudice? Why should individuals feel the need to defend themselves? When did the format of reading–though it has been occurring on the e-reader versus paper platform for many years–become such a volatile topic?
I love this topic. I love reading but my husband hates it. He got hooked on audio books a long time ago and now we can discuss so many of our same interests. – Munjeera8 years ago
That's interesting that people are being criticized for using audiobooks. I haven't listened to one yet, but isn't it just like having someone read to you? I can see there being tension between print and online formats but I'm curious about where audiobooks fall into the mix. – S.A. Takacs8 years ago
For me and my ADD, they're more work. – Tigey8 years ago
My cousin has motion sickness, so during car rides my aunt and uncle play audio books in the car since she loves to read. this way, for long car drives, she get's to experience and listen to stories with getting ill – Mela8 years ago
Seems like an interesting topic, but I can't help feeling that it might be a little too subjective to arrive at any significant conclusions (or rather, in the case of conclusions like "laziness," judgment calls). It's the kind of thing that varies from person to person. For me personally, though I've never ventured a full novel in audio format, I really enjoy listening to poetry, and often read along with book in hand. There are a lot of great YouTube videos of Sir Anthony Hopkins reading poems by the likes of W.B. Yeats, Dylan Thomas, and T.S. Eliot, which can really enhance the experience when the written word is paired with his classically tempered voice and rhythm. Again, that's just my personal taste; I have no expectation for anyone to necessarily agree with it for their own personal engagements with literature. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
ProtoCanon, I agree. Hearing Eliot reading "The Wasteland" recalled my grandpa's accent and diction while speaking of '30's bootleggers and railroad men in Northern Minnesota. The poem is one thing, the history - not quite Greil Marcus' Weird Old America - in his voice another. – Tigey8 years ago
This is an interesting topic. I personally prefer reading the old-fashioned way. I've tried audiobooks a few times, but I find my attention wanders way too easily for me to retain much. I have to be in an incredibly quiet place where I can just focus on the story without any other distractions for there to be any hope for me. I don't think the use of audiobooks necessarily means one is a lazy reader. It may just mean one prefers to (or has to, as the case may be) experience the story in an auditory way as opposed to the written way. It may even encourage people who aren't avid readers into becoming more invested in literature they might have never tried before. – aprosaicpintofpisces8 years ago
As a question of lack of maturity, it could be. A person that never fully explored the experience or the importance of being self-informed rather than waiting or expecting that another will water it down or mince it into relatable morsels of ideas, perhaps. In that manner, audiobooks may be viewed as counterproductive to self-improvement. Gathering information from several paper books heightens learning activity by deepening personal understanding as well as the sheer entertainment factor of reading for pleasure. – L:Freire6 years ago
Are there any contemporary writers who might live on in the Pantheon of greatness alongside the likes of Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Dickens, Dostoyevsky, etc.? If so, who are they? Explain why their greatness transcends time and place. If not, why not? Why doesn't their work transcend our time?
I agree with Munjeera, especially since your tag is literature, that you stick to literature in answering this question. This alone is already a rich and difficult question to broach, but if adding aesthetics into the equation, the topic deems nearly impossible to adequately answer. – danielle5778 years ago
Must this writer begin with the assumption that such a thing is possible? I think achieving canonical "greatness" requires a considerable degree of cultural concentration, a society with a sure sense of its own aesthetics. No doubt, this is true somewhere in the world. But where? – TKing8 years ago
Good point, TKing. Would you please request a revision so I could please change it? – Tigey8 years ago
Nice reworking of this topic. Samson Rushdie comes to mind, Thomas Pynchon, David Foster Wallace, Charles Bukowski, one of my personal favorites--Michael Cunningham, and I consider myself very difficult to please. Ouch, just realized I didn't mention one female writer!! I know people are going to read this--please note, quick, incomplete list, briefly off the top of my head--and think I'm insane by those I mentioned, and those I've forgotten. – danielle5778 years ago
Fantastic topic. However, for the writer, it might be worth mentioning for clarity that the placing of contemporary writers in an established literary 'canon' is something that does not necessarily equate with their current popularity/how many books they've sold? See as examples: Austen, Keats, Melville. – lucyviolets8 years ago
