What's genre got to do with it? Pt 2
Further musings on genre
Hi Stackers!!
I’ve been wanting to write more about genre after my first “What’s genre got to do with it” post last year and I have a great example for us to talk about.
When I recently read Girlfriend On Mars by Deborah Willis, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I quickly realized it wasn’t a romance, which is the section where my library previously shelved it. Neither is it strictly sci-fi or any other genre label.
First things first, there will be some spoilers for Girlfriend On Mars below, so beware.
Here’s an image of the hardback/audiobook cover while you think about whether you’re willing to risk spoilers. This is one case in which I’d recommend reading a book, but knowing what you’re getting into.
As you can see, Goodreads includes genre tags for “Science Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Literary Fiction and "Fantasy.”
Usually, when a book isn’t easily categorizable in one genre, it gets shelved in “fiction.” One of the reasons for this is that folks who primarily read in any one genre are very likely to be disappointed by more experimental cross-genre books, unless they’re specifically seeking those books.
Genres have “rules,” like most romance readers will expect a HEA (happily ever after) and main characters they can like or at least heavily identify with. There are definitely subgenres and exceptions to the above, but subverting understood genre rules and tropes can definitely have mixed results.
Right now, “Romantasy” is a huge cross-genre or sub-genre and the tropes and expectations are developing, largely pulled from the romance and fantasy genres. These books are designed appeal to fantasy readers *and* romance readers, typically.
So let’s start with the cover for Girlfriend on Mars. Personally, I think it’s great - it’s what initially caught my attention, which is what covers are meant to do. We always say “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but of course we all do. I always say, “don’t stop judging a book at its cover.” Read the description, the first few paragraphs or pages. The author’s previous work, as well who is blurbing the book, might also tell you something of what to expect from the work.
For instance, look at the screenshot above, and the description that starts:
“Amber Kivinen is moving to Mars. Or at least, she will be if she wins a chance to join MarsNow. She and twenty-three reality TV contestants from around the world—including a hunky Israeli soldier, an endearing fellow Canadian, and an assortment of science nerds and wannabe influencers—are competing for two seats on the first human-led mission to Mars, sponsored by billionaire Geoff Task.”
You might think this is Amber’s story, especially if you skip the rest of the description, which focuses on Kevin.
Meanwhile Kevin, Amber's boyfriend of fourteen years, was content going nowhere until Amber left him—and their hydroponic weed business—behind. As he tends to the plants growing in their absurdly overpriced Vancouver basement apartment, Kevin tunes in to find out why the love of his life is so determined to leave the planet with somebody else.
In reality, the book is told in alternating POV chapters following both of them, though Kevin’s are first person and Amber’s are third. The “hook” of the story is Amber’s desire to be part of the reality show/mission to Mars, but this is more of Kevin’s story, as is a bit more clear in the paperback description on the Penguin Random House website - note the new cover, too.
This time, the description starts with Kevin and stays focused on him:
What if the person you loved was on another planet?
Kevin is a thirtysomething homebody, happily committed to his hydroponics-expert girlfriend, Amber, as they grow weed in their basement in Vancouver.
Out of the blue, Amber announces that she has been selected for a reality show where she will compete for one of two seats on the first human-led mission to Mars. If selected, she must stay on Mars for good, because the technology to come home doesn't exist yet. Is this a suicide mission or a bold new frontier?
Girlfriend on Mars is the story of love unravelling in a world where truth is dictated by Facebook ads and "reality TV" is as scripted as any politician's speech. With rapt viewers voting for Amber to stay on the show and crates of Mars-mission branded protein shakes arriving at his door, is it any wonder Kevin wants to stay in the basement forever?
Girlfriend on Mars had been on my to-read list for a few weeks because I really wanted to listen to the audiobook. Finally, I realized it’s an Audible exclusive, so I did a trial. This was a really good listen and I think the great performances by Landon Doak and Vanessa Matsui smoothed over some of more unlikeable aspects of both Kevin and Amber - though these characters are meant to be human, fallible and often, unlikeable. Nothing could entirely save Kevin from being whiny and annoying, but the situation would definitely bring out the whininess in a lot of us.
After I finished listening to Girlfriend on Mars, I wrote a review on Goodreads in my attempt to update more reliably and read some other reviews because I knew that I had found the experience of listening to the book a worthwhile one, even if I didn’t entirely *enjoy* the characters and the story and I was curious about others’ experiences. Weirdly, I found myself agreeing with a lot of the reviews, at least in part, both the 1-star and the 5-star reviews, a lot of which started with a version of “this wasn’t what I expected,” whether it was 1-star or 5-stars.
Some examples:
I suppose this all feels really personal for me because I have a completed “literary novel,” which borrows from several genres but doesn’t necessarily follow genre tropes. It’s a coming of age novel more than anything else. There are alternating chapters from the two primary characters perspectives *and* not only do I have first and third POVs, I even have 2nd!
Some books can be really hard to market (i.e. sell) and it’s always possible that you’ll surprise your readers in both positive and negative ways. What gives me hope is how many classic, beloved books are almost impossible to categorize, though of course readers and booksellers try their best. Ultimately, genre is a tool to help us find books, but we all lose when we expect all books to fit neatly within a single category.
Let me know what you think? What do you think of the two covers for Girlfriend on Mars? Are you curious to read it? Have you read it? Have you read something recently that was hard to categorize or surprised you?