Lit Meme
From ewans_gal_4ever
1. What's your name?
Labingi
2. Do you read a lot?
No. Hence a Ph.D. in English.
3. What's your favorite genre?
Right now, it's probably actually whatever you'd call the branch of Japanese pop novels that get adapted into anime. Traditionally, I'd say sci-fi.
+++FANTASY AND SCI-FI+++
4. Do you prefer fantasy or science fiction?
Sci-fi
5. What's your favorite fantasy book/series?
The Lord of the Rings
6. Who's your favorite fantasy author?
Tolkien, I guess.
7. What's your favorite science fiction book/series?
The Left Hand of Darkness
8. Favorite sci-fi author?
Le Guin, I guess... or maybe H. G. Wells given all the criticism I've done on him.
+++MYSTERY, HORROR, AND THRILLERS+++
9. Which do you prefer: a puzzling mystery, or a terrifying thriller?
Neither
10. Do you have a favorite mystery novel?
I think the only one I've read is Ten Little Indians
11. A favorite horror novel?
Can't really remember reading one. Does Firestarter count?
+++ROMANCE+++
12. Do you read romance novels?
No.
13. How about gay romance novels?
Well, they're a lot easier to stomach because a bit less stereotypical, but aside from yaoi fiction, I haven't found one I've liked.
14. What's your favorite romance novel?
My favorite novel about a romance would be Wuthering Heights (yes, Mirage of Blaze is a better love story! But it's not a better written novel.) Yet WH isn't really a "romance" novel.
+++CHILDREN'S AND YA+++
15. What's your favorite children's book?
Maybe Winnie the Pooh.
16. Is it the same book that was your favorite when you were a kid?
No, my favorite was Rinkin of Dragonswood. Is that YA?
17. What's your favorite YA book?
The Greensky Trilogy
18. Did you actually read it as a YA?
Yes
19. In general, do you prefer children's books over grown-up books?
No
+++CLASSICS AND GENERAL FICTION+++
20. What's your favorite classic novel?
The Brothers Karamazov
21. What about general fiction?
Um... Don't really read it enough to say. Embers was quite good (the Hungarian novel).
22. What classic novel do you just *not* *get*?
Our Mutual Friend. Why??
23. Do you have a favorite play or drama?
Hamlet, I s'pose. That or King Lear.
24. What do you think of Shakespeare?
Oh, I think Shakespeare's very good. That was driven home to me in my Renaissance drama class when I got to compare to other good writers. I do find most of his comedies annoying because the incessantly repetitive chirpy structure (not his fault), but I do like Much Ado about Nothing.
+++POETRY+++
25. Could you pick a favorite poem?
Horatius at the Bridge
26. What about a favorite poetry collection?
A Treasury of the Familiar
27. Who's your favorite poet?
Shelley, Blake, or Burns: Shelley because his ideas are just cool, even though his poetry is not always my favorite; Blake because his Four Zoas universe is just sublime and fantastic; Burns because you can just feel his daily life so profoundly through his poems.
+++COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS+++
28. Do you read comics or graphic novels?
Occasionally
29. Do you have a favorite series?
The Sandman
30. A favorite book?
The Watchmen (and, there, that about covers all I've read in the past 15 years)
+++SHORT STORIES AND NOVELLAS+++
31. Do you prefer short stories (or short novels) over full-length novels?
Novels
32. What's your favorite short story?
Can't pick just one. I do remember that "Pretty Boy Crossover" from the cyberpunk collection, Simulations, really impressed me a strong human interest story conveyed in a remarkably small space.
32b. Favorite novella?
Probably the dyad of Le Guin's "A Man of the People," and "A Woman's Liberation" from Four Ways to Forgiveness.
33. Favorite short story collection?
My collected works of Poe.
34. Do you have a favorite short story author?
Poe?
+++NONFICTION+++
35. What kind of nonfiction do you usually read?
These days it's usually meta, informal lit crit., reviews online. And adoption books, right now. Used to read more formal literary criticism--oh, and used to read the newspaper, need to start again.
36. Do you have a favorite nonfiction book?
Hm... not really. Not a fav.
37. Read any interesting biographies?
Several of T. E. Lawrence
38. History books?
Not really.
39. Politics?
Too depressing, except in small articles in newspapers and magazines.
40. Religious texts?
I just read the story of David and Absalom today. That is a freaking weird story! My favorite religious text is the Mahabharata.
41. How about books on mythology, fairy-tales, or other cultural stories?
Joseph Campbell, a few miscellaneous books. Yeah, some other miscellaneous stuff on fairies, Greek myths, general mythology. Not recently.
+++ELEMENTS OF FICTION+++
42. What's the most important element of a novel? Plot? Characterization? Style? Themes? Happy ending?
Compelling characterizations and character relationships
43. What kind of plot interests you the most?
One whose needs can be appropriately met without doing violence to the integrity of any characterizations (ideally including minor characters).
44. What kind of characters usually appeal to you?
Psychologically realistic, quirky, Dostoevskian weirdos.
45. What is your favorite book overall (fiction)?
Speaking of which, The Brothers Karamazov
1. What's your name?
Labingi
2. Do you read a lot?
No. Hence a Ph.D. in English.
3. What's your favorite genre?
Right now, it's probably actually whatever you'd call the branch of Japanese pop novels that get adapted into anime. Traditionally, I'd say sci-fi.
+++FANTASY AND SCI-FI+++
4. Do you prefer fantasy or science fiction?
Sci-fi
5. What's your favorite fantasy book/series?
The Lord of the Rings
6. Who's your favorite fantasy author?
Tolkien, I guess.
7. What's your favorite science fiction book/series?
The Left Hand of Darkness
8. Favorite sci-fi author?
Le Guin, I guess... or maybe H. G. Wells given all the criticism I've done on him.
+++MYSTERY, HORROR, AND THRILLERS+++
9. Which do you prefer: a puzzling mystery, or a terrifying thriller?
Neither
10. Do you have a favorite mystery novel?
I think the only one I've read is Ten Little Indians
11. A favorite horror novel?
Can't really remember reading one. Does Firestarter count?
+++ROMANCE+++
12. Do you read romance novels?
No.
13. How about gay romance novels?
Well, they're a lot easier to stomach because a bit less stereotypical, but aside from yaoi fiction, I haven't found one I've liked.
14. What's your favorite romance novel?
My favorite novel about a romance would be Wuthering Heights (yes, Mirage of Blaze is a better love story! But it's not a better written novel.) Yet WH isn't really a "romance" novel.
+++CHILDREN'S AND YA+++
15. What's your favorite children's book?
Maybe Winnie the Pooh.
16. Is it the same book that was your favorite when you were a kid?
No, my favorite was Rinkin of Dragonswood. Is that YA?
17. What's your favorite YA book?
The Greensky Trilogy
18. Did you actually read it as a YA?
Yes
19. In general, do you prefer children's books over grown-up books?
No
+++CLASSICS AND GENERAL FICTION+++
20. What's your favorite classic novel?
The Brothers Karamazov
21. What about general fiction?
Um... Don't really read it enough to say. Embers was quite good (the Hungarian novel).
22. What classic novel do you just *not* *get*?
Our Mutual Friend. Why??
23. Do you have a favorite play or drama?
Hamlet, I s'pose. That or King Lear.
24. What do you think of Shakespeare?
Oh, I think Shakespeare's very good. That was driven home to me in my Renaissance drama class when I got to compare to other good writers. I do find most of his comedies annoying because the incessantly repetitive chirpy structure (not his fault), but I do like Much Ado about Nothing.
+++POETRY+++
25. Could you pick a favorite poem?
Horatius at the Bridge
26. What about a favorite poetry collection?
A Treasury of the Familiar
27. Who's your favorite poet?
Shelley, Blake, or Burns: Shelley because his ideas are just cool, even though his poetry is not always my favorite; Blake because his Four Zoas universe is just sublime and fantastic; Burns because you can just feel his daily life so profoundly through his poems.
+++COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS+++
28. Do you read comics or graphic novels?
Occasionally
29. Do you have a favorite series?
The Sandman
30. A favorite book?
The Watchmen (and, there, that about covers all I've read in the past 15 years)
+++SHORT STORIES AND NOVELLAS+++
31. Do you prefer short stories (or short novels) over full-length novels?
Novels
32. What's your favorite short story?
Can't pick just one. I do remember that "Pretty Boy Crossover" from the cyberpunk collection, Simulations, really impressed me a strong human interest story conveyed in a remarkably small space.
32b. Favorite novella?
Probably the dyad of Le Guin's "A Man of the People," and "A Woman's Liberation" from Four Ways to Forgiveness.
33. Favorite short story collection?
My collected works of Poe.
34. Do you have a favorite short story author?
Poe?
+++NONFICTION+++
35. What kind of nonfiction do you usually read?
These days it's usually meta, informal lit crit., reviews online. And adoption books, right now. Used to read more formal literary criticism--oh, and used to read the newspaper, need to start again.
36. Do you have a favorite nonfiction book?
Hm... not really. Not a fav.
37. Read any interesting biographies?
Several of T. E. Lawrence
38. History books?
Not really.
39. Politics?
Too depressing, except in small articles in newspapers and magazines.
40. Religious texts?
I just read the story of David and Absalom today. That is a freaking weird story! My favorite religious text is the Mahabharata.
41. How about books on mythology, fairy-tales, or other cultural stories?
Joseph Campbell, a few miscellaneous books. Yeah, some other miscellaneous stuff on fairies, Greek myths, general mythology. Not recently.
+++ELEMENTS OF FICTION+++
42. What's the most important element of a novel? Plot? Characterization? Style? Themes? Happy ending?
Compelling characterizations and character relationships
43. What kind of plot interests you the most?
One whose needs can be appropriately met without doing violence to the integrity of any characterizations (ideally including minor characters).
44. What kind of characters usually appeal to you?
Psychologically realistic, quirky, Dostoevskian weirdos.
45. What is your favorite book overall (fiction)?
Speaking of which, The Brothers Karamazov