Literature

Paranormal romance is a new genre of literature that is identified as being a story that predominantly focuses on the romance between characters who are either both, or at least one, supernatural beings. For example, ‘Twilight’ falls into this category as it focuses on the developing relationship between a human and a vampire. There are many examples that range from werewolves, vampires, dragons in human form, fairy-creatures, etc. Largely this genre is making use of the growing popularity and interest in supernatural creatures in a less monstrous form and more as a form of sexual taboo. However, this genre is also of concern for the perpetuation of rape fantasies and the lack of consent. Part of the problem is that it is handled in a manner that can be argued as being due to supernatural influences rather than a true "rape" as we understand it. However, rape is considered as an act without ongoing consent. Just because a character is under thrall, or a spell, or under the "animalistic drives" of their other form, this does not diminish the importance of consent. The use of statements such as "she couldn’t resist," are very similar to the style of romance novels known as "bodice rippers" which are historic novels where women are "freed from their social constraints by the presence of a real man." Regardless of the supernatural presence, a number of these paranormal romance novels perpetuate the normalisation of rape culture and this needs to be called out.

Within feminist discourses there are a number of texts and authors who are held up as the exemplars and originates of the movement. Some of the most famous are Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote the first seminal text ‘The rights of women,’ then we have Virginia Woolf with ‘A room of one’s own,’ Simone de Beauviour with ‘The second sex,’ and Germaine Greer’s explosive ‘The female eunuch,’ and so many more. Yet how well do these texts still speak to the women of today? What would Wollstonecraft, Woolf, de Beauviour and Greer think of the behaviours and portrayals of women today? Especially those that perpetuate some of the behaviours these women originally fought against. Has the social context changed so significantly that these texts no longer offer a valid perception? I would argue not, but perhaps there is a need for a new voice to frame the next wave of feminism?

Firstly, I am not using "adult" as an innuendo for pornography or erotica, I actually mean adult as in the state of being over 18. Picture books are often relegated to being considered only of value to very young children. Although recent artists and writers have been producing work that fits into the young adult category, there is very little that would be categorised as an adult picture book that does not then become a graphic novel. Largely this is a matter of categorisation, as publishers are uncomfortable with the idea of an adult picture book, and that many people too would not be comfortable purchasing one. Yet those picture books that end up categorised as young adult are usually very mature in their subject matter, dealing with issues as diverse as mental health, sexuality, grief and death, love and social responsibility. A prime example of this is Shaun Tan’s ‘The Red Tree’ shows the journey of a girl through a myriad of situations in a dark world that we would recognise: isolation in a crowd, depression and anxiety, feeling trapped by a situation, loneliness, a loss of direction, a loss of self, all without engaging in any writing and yet this is still considered as only a children’s book. Another example is ‘Meh’ by Deborah Malcolm about a boys experience of depression, and then there is ‘Michael Rosen’s Sad Book’ by Michael Rosen and Quentin Blake that depicts a father’s grief and mourning for his son, it even comes with a warning about the serious and realistic depiction of grief. Graphic novels and comics used to suffer from this assumption of immaturity, but many are now comfortably accepted as being adult-only.

So why is it that we still cannot accept that a book that is primarily full of pictures can be for adults, and by extension may actually have something very real and important to say?

The genre of detective literature – murder/mystery – has never actually experienced a period of absence. Much like the action adventure or the romance, it is a broad enough category to appeal to a wide audience. Yet what is it about detective stories that continues to engage audiences across time, across societies and across cultures? Is it that we all fundamentally like to solve puzzles? Or is it that we like being carried along with a brilliant sleuthing mind? Often it is discussed that we love the "I figured it out before the hero" sensation. So do we just like feeling smart? There are a myriad of great detective stories out there, but it would be worth honing in on the two most enduring, which is the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Agatha Christie mysteries that feature a number of different lead detectives, including Hercule Poirot.
So what do you think? Why does everyone seem to want to be a detective?

The modernist period in literature saw a massive shift not only in the structural and generic elements of literature, but also in the thematic foci. One area that began to gain greater representation was the discussion of mental illness, especially through the lens of female authors. Great examples of this are Virginia Woolf’s ‘Mrs. Dalloway’, Janet Frame’s ‘Intensive Care’ and much more, Charlotte Gilman Perkins ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and more. We are almost 100 years on from these breaking edge works that helped shape a greater understanding of experiences of mental illness. The prompt I would suggest would be to look now at examples of contemporary fictional works that deal with mental illness and how those experiences and stories are creating new conversations.

Analyse why the byronic hero trope continues to be popular and "sexy" male characters are still often depicted as arrogant, proud, brooding, unemotional on the surface and somewhat antagonistic to the female protagonist in the beginning to create sexual chemistry. Why haven’t we moved past the Mr.Darcy fantasy- now the Mr.Grey/Edward Cullen fantasy? Why do male characters, especially those in YA such as Jace Herondale in the City of Bones series for example, continue to be by far one dimensional leather-jacket-wearing, smouldering "bad boys". There are SO MANY examples that could be discussed and explored here!!

So the other day, I’m surfing the Internet looking at Harry Potter writings (I’m a recent Potterhead and enjoying the addiction). I came across someone complaining about The Cursed Child and the Deathly Hallows epilogue, saying that they were too "heteronormative." In other words, this person wanted to know why it was always necessary for our favorite characters to get married (to a heterosexual, but I guess really to a person of any gender) and have kids to be happy.

Now, I’m a sucker for what TV Tropes calls Babies Ever After, but that post made me wonder. Why is marriage/babies held up as the ultimate happy ending? Is it the only one? What works can you name where this didn’t happen, but the characters were still happy and fulfilled? How has the concept of "happily ever after" evolved? Discuss.

There seems to be a lack of critical analysis with regards to the Maze Runner theories, especially with regards to the religious, sociological and political perspectives.