Special Topics in Literature

GENRE FICTION & FILM: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

Julia Gordon

Wednesdays and Fridays
3:05 - 4:20 pm

In this class, we will be reading and watching the “worst” of genre fiction—the most derided, mass-produced works (“slop,” in other terms)—and the “best” of genre fiction—novels and films that were dismissed upon release but later became revered. What distinguishes “generic” genre fiction from the great works of genre that are remembered for centuries? What do we, as readers and viewers, want from these types of works?

We will consider what differentiates the great works of genre fiction from mere pulp and what we mean when we judge a work to be “good” or “bad.” Potential texts include Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49, Sally Rooney’s Normal People, and samples of contemporary BookTok “romantasy” pulp. Potential films include They Live, Blue Velvet, and Fifty Shades of Grey.

We will ask, what exactly drives the appetite for books and films that struggle to surprise us? One could argue that it is simply a mass crisis of taste and judgement, but to do so would neglect the very real influence that these allegedly “low-brow” genres have on “high-brow” arts and culture. Why are “bad” books and movies often so fun and pleasurable? Does our experience of enjoying “bad” art feel different from how we enjoy “good” art? Should commercial success have any place in how we evaluate artistic merit?

Assignments will include regular discussion posts, a creative writing project, and a final essay (8-10 pages). No exams, no prerequisites.