Adventure,

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Adventure, Mysteries, Supernatural, and Humor
Chapter 6 p. 175 - 208
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Adventure

• realistic fantasy which allows us to dream in our
  known world

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Adventure Plot

• action driven
• could happen in real life
• reader wants surprises
• reader wants risk
• reader wants turn of the screw
• violence is implied and safety comes through
  jeopardy

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Adventure Setting(s)

• details realistic enough to be possible and
  believable
• enhance the story but dont get in the way of the
  plot

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Adventure Characterization

• believable, likeable imperfect protagonist
• heroes are entrapped
• face incredible odds but come out a winner
• wily, dangerous villain

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Adventure Mode(s)

• most center around person against person
• person against self
• and nature
• accident, unforeseen or purposeful challenge
• many are romances

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Good Adventure BooksTable 6.1 page 177

• 1. likeable protagonist with whom reader can
  identify
• 2. verisimilitude- probable could happen
• 3. efficient characterization
• 4. interesting, enhancing setting
• 5. immediately draws reader into story

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Poor Adventure Books

• 1. protagonist too exaggerated to be believable
• 2. no excitement
• 3. stereotyped characters
• 4. long drawn-out conclusion

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The Quintessential Adventure...

• Person against person, nature and self
• Survival
• Reader doubts sanity and virtue will win

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Some other good adventure reads
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Adventure Web Site of Note

• http//members.tripod.com/hermani1/index.htmHome
  
• has interdisciplinary lesson plans for Titanic,
  An Adventure

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Mysteries
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Brief History of the Mystery

• Story of Susanna in Apocrypha
• may be first detective novel but
• The Moonstone (Collins, 1868)
• accepted as first detective novel
• Murders in the Rue Morgue (Poe) considered first
  modern mystery

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...History

• Nick Carter ..said to have been created by J.R.
  Coryell Carter appeared in over 1000 stories by
  various authors
• stories considered best imitation of Poe
• Greatest detective - Sherlock Holmes

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Rules of Mysteries according to Hillary Waugh

• 1. Clues discovered by detective must be
  available to reader
• 2. Murderer must be introduced early
• 3. Crime must be significant
• 4. Must be detection
• 5. Suspects must be known and murderer among them
• 6. Everything must relate to story or puzzle

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Mystery Plot

• plot driven
• unrealistic mere games
• nothing to do with real-life detection
• theft okay for short story but novel must have
  murder
• usually takes place in first few chapters
• clues, investigation, solved, guilty punished,
  innocent restored

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Mystery Characterization

• Little character development often underdeveloped

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Mystery Style

• often relatively easy reading level
• for teens
• violence usually on fringes of the story
• bright young people
• Victim will be connected to protagonist
• recovers from grief by solving crime

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Types of Mysteries

• 1. Amateur detective - Hardy Boys usually
  optimistic, bright male
• 2. Cozy - Agatha Christie Angela Landsbury
• small English village or New England
• 3. Puzzle - Ellery Queen intricate plot

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• 4. Private detective works for money, not love
  of chase
• often cynical
• many are former police officers
• 5. Police procedural - Ed McBain
• often most believable
• 6. Thriller - James Bond

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Some Other Good Mystery Authors

• Jay Bennett
• Tony Hillerman
• P.D. James
• M.E. Kerr
• Elliott Roosevelt
• Margaret Truman
• Sara Paretsky

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Some Oklahoma Mystery Writers
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Mystery Web Sites of Note

• http//www.mysteryguide.com/index.html
• database of original book reviews author
  interview series, games, other features
• http//www.mysterynet.com/learn/
• lesson plans and ideas for using the mystery in
  the classroom
• http//www.hycyber.com/MYST/edgars2.html
• Edgar Award winners

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• http//www.themysteryreader.com/
• http//www.mysterynet.com/learn/
• http//www.kidsloveamystery.com/

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Why Do We Read Supernatural?

• fascination with the unknown
• use of myths and legends to explain
  unseen,unknown
• one of the oldest genres e.g. Greek, Roman
  Elizabethan
• its a social experience

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What are the Values of the Supernatural?

• makes us realize human organism is frail
• never dates stands the test of time
• allows writer to write of old-fashioned things
  without being ridiculed by readers

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Brief History of Supernatural

• Gothic began with The Castle of Otranto (H.
  Walpole, 1764)
• apotheosis of the genre - Frankenstein (M.
  Shelley, 1818)

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Supernatural Plot

• oblivious to evil for a time but ultimately
  recognize power of darkness of the soul
• rituals or ceremonies are essential
• family curses or pacts with the devil are
  commonplace

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Supernatural Characterization

• Too many powers, too little responsibility is a
  weakness of some authors

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Supernatural Setting(s)

• Usually eerie, haunted house, or where mysterious
  event occurred
• darkness is essential not necessarily physical
  darkness, but dark atmosphere
• time is not relative

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Supernatural Style

• Similar to fantasy and mystery

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Ghost Stories

• undying spirit, not flesh
• possible to escape into the land of the
  impossible
• anything can happen
• reassure us of our own mortality

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Some other good reads
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Supernatural Web Sites of Note

• http//www.creative.net/alang/lit/horror/horror.s
  ht
• Info on certain authors
• http//www.horror.org/
• HorrorWriters Association
• http//4horror.4anything.com/4/0,1001,4116,00.html
  
• 1,000 bibliographies of the best horror, science
  fiction and fantasy authors.

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Gothic Novels

• Northranger Abbey (Austen)
• Wuthering Heights (Bronte)
• Bleak House (Dickens)

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more good authors

• Caroline Cooney
• Lois Duncan
• Stephen King
• Richard Peck

• Robert Westhall
• Richard Patterson
• Peter Straub

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Humor
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Humorous Gothic Tales

• Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Ghostbusters
• Little Shop of Horrors
• Munsters

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Stages of Humor Interest

• Ages 10-11
• literal
• slapstick
• grossness
• misbehavior
• mildly lewd jokes

• Ages 12 13
• practical jokes
• goofs
• sarcasm
• gross, gross, gross
• riddles
• sick jokes

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• Ages 14-15
• aimed at adult authority
• gross, gross, gross, gross
• lewd jokes
• catching on to adult humor

• Ages 16
• subtle
• satire
• witticisms
• adult humor

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Focus Boxes
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Film Boxes
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Film Box
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Table 6.2 page 206-207
Humor and Holes (Sachar)
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Discussion Questions

• 1. Suggest one brief positive attribute of a
  supernatural story that you would be comfortable
  expressing to a concerned parent.