Juri asked,
"And can the genre and the story be separated in that way?
The genre is manifested in the works."
Of course they can be separated. For instance, can't we all
think of plenty of books which are undeniably part of the
genre which are awful stories? There are genre conventions
which show up in both good and bad books, but each can be
just as much part of the genre. As a matter of fact, some of
the worst books are bad because they so slavishly adhere to
the genre conventions without anything at all added,
essentially becoming unwitting parodies of the genre. So
quality can be totally independent of its place in the
genre.
It also depends where a story falls within the evolution of
the genre. Cain, maybe Goodis and maybe Thomspon, though the
genre had become more self-conscious by the time of the
latter two, were inventing the genre rules which they and
others later worked within. But by the time traits have
become rules, there is a certain expectation on the part of
the reader as to the world they are entering and the rules of
behavior in that world -- for instance, attractive women are
not to be trusted, they will lead to your downfall. That is
what I believe is "reassuring" to the reader, entering a
world they know and understand. This knowledge makes them
comfortable in the world even if they find their comfort in
discomfort -- violence that makes the reader cringe, shouting
to the hero, no, don't do that, all the time knowing he will.
It's like shouting "Don't go in the basement" in a horror
film -- it is comforting to know she will, would be
disappointing if she didn't, even though the expectation is
that something is going to happen in that basement which
better make you uncomfortable, hence, comfort in discomfort
-- the genre conventions have been met by making you
uncomfortable, as on a rollercoaster ride.
Sometimes the thrill comes from expecting the unexpected,
which is why Disneyworld's Space Mountain, which would be a
kinda rinky dink rollercoaster if it were outside, is so
thrilling, because it is in the dark and you can't see the
drops and turns ahead. You expect them, but don't know
exactly when they will come. So the rider is reassured that
it meets all the expectations, but pleasantly surprised by
the way the expected thrills actually play themselves out,
just like the best genre fiction.
Mark
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