The Shifting Definitions of Genre
Essays on Labeling Films, Television Shows and Media
Edited by
Lincoln
Geraghty
and Mark Jancovich
ISBN
978-0-7864-3430-5
notes, index
268pp.
softcover
2008
Available for immediate shipment
Description
Histories of science fiction often dicuss Fritz Lang’s Metropolis as a classic work within the genre--yet the term "science fiction" had not been invented at the time of the film’s release. If the genre did not have a name, did it exist? Does retroactive assignment to a genre change our understanding of a film? Do films shift in meaning and status as the name of a genre changes meaning over time?
These provocative questions are at the heart of this book, whose thirteen essays examine the varying constructions of genre within film, television, and other entertainment media. Collectively, the authors argue that generic labels are largely irrelevant or even detrimental to the works to which they are applied.
Part One examines the meanings of genre and reveals how the media is involved in the production and dissemination of generic definitions. Part Two considers specific films (or groups of films) and their relationships within various categorizations. Part Three focuses on the closely tied concepts of history and memory as they relate to the perceptions of genre.
About the Author
Lincoln Geraghty is principal lecturer in film studies in the School of Creative Arts, Film and Media at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. He serves as editorial advisor for The Journal of Popular Culture, Reconstruction and Atlantis.
Other Book(s) by Lincoln Geraghty Available from McFarland:
The Influence of Star Trek on Television, Film and Culture
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Table of Contents & Excerpts
Related Books
Performing Arts/Film
Interdisciplinary Studies/Popular Culture
Genre/SF & Fantasy
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