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 106-035 Popular Fiction

Note

Formerly available as 106-246/346. Students who have completed 106-246/346 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Credit Points

12.5

HECS Band

1

Coordinator

Ken Gelder

Prerequisites

Usually 25 points of First Year English, see Prerequisites.

Semester

1 (view timetable)

Contact

A 1-hour lecture and nine 2-hour tutorials scheduled across the semester

Subject Description

This subject takes popular fiction as a specific field of cultural production. Students will analyse various definitive features of that field: popular fiction's relations to 'literature', genre and identity, gender and sexuality, the role of the author profile, cinematic and TV adaptations, readerships and fan interests, and processing venues. The subject is built around a number of genres: crime fiction, science fiction, horror, the 'sex and shopping' novel, the thriller and the blockbuster. On completion of the subject students should be familiar with some important genres of popular fiction, and some representative examples of each genre; and have a sense of the role of popular fiction in the broader field of cultural production.

Assessment

Written work of up to 4000 words.

Prescribed Texts

A subject reader will be available.

  • A C Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Penguin.
  • H G Wells, The War of the Worlds. Penguin.
  • A Christie, A Murder is Announced. Harper Collins.
  • I Fleming, Dr No. Hodder & Stoughton.
  • T Harris, The Silence of the Lambs. Mandarin.
  • A Rice, Interview with a Vampire. Warner Books.
  • M Crichton, Jurassic Park. Arrow.
  • W Gibson, Idoru. Penguin.
  • J Collins, The Stud. Pan.
  • J Grisham, The Firm. Random House.
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