Episode 137: The Lost Genres

This week, Christopher Merchant is out, and Alan Lewis is in. The author of "Blood In Snowflake Garden" joins Josh and Dietrich for a topic that seems tailor made for his unusual and unique approach to storytelling. Together, they discuss three genres that, to varying extents, have struggled to find their footing in the public eye. First, they look at steampunk, a strange fusion of Victorian ideas and science fiction. Second, the western comes under the microscope, followed by a furious debate about whether Lovecraftian fiction has really captured the public eye. After discussing these three genres, they look at whether they're as neglected as they seem, how the different tropes of those genres have found their way into other books and media, and the difficulty of marketing niche genres to a mass audience. In addition, Alan finds a Stephen King novel that finally hooks him, Dietrich struggles his way through a fantasy book that disappoints despite its best efforts, and Josh visits some earlier work by the phenomenal author of "Winter's Bone". Finally, they wrap it up with a discussion of a delightful children's movie, a dark television series about pirates, and a game that will hook you like cocaine.  You can send questions or comments to questions@thelibrarypolice.com.

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Books We've Been Reading

- Stephen King, 11/22/63
- Daniel Woodrell, The Bayou Trilogy
- Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself

The Lost Genres

- Steampunk
- Westerns
- Lovecraft?
- Heists

Off The Bookshelf

- The Lego Movie
- Black Sails
- Threes
- Flappy Bird