Introduction To Subgenre Work

The Name of my Subgenre Exploration Publication on Substack

Creature Feature Robot Noir

Creature Feature Robot Noir is a new publication (or blog on my website) where I will explore and write within various subgenres and tropes. Everything from Space Critters and Movie Theatre Horror, to the more popular Neo-Noir and Cyberpunk. I’ll be finding obscure ones that are practically made-up, to subgenres that probably have lists and charts of their works. I’ll be using movies and books I like as examples of each, all while trying to keep the tone as fun and informative as possible.

These won’t be academic articles as despite my love and understanding of film theory and storytelling it’s simply not how I like to write. Instead, I’ll try to write the pieces in keeping with the various subgenres and tropes themselves. Have some fun with them, while also recommending plenty of movies and books within each that I personally enjoy.

I’ve been thinking about a project like this for quite some time. I’m a big fan of genre work, tropes, and conventions. I’ve never seen them as bad things. Of course some tropes can feel dated, or overused, but only when executed poorly. Personally, I find something comforting in tropes and conventions when they’re used in interesting and entertaining ways, or in a wrong and twisted manner that somehow works.

Anyone who’s read my work (or who knows me) knows I have an affinity for B-Movies, Video Nasties, Exploitation Flicks and Pulp Novels. That I adore every kind of Science Fiction from Space Opera to Hard-Sci-Fi. Corman to Arthur C Clarke. That I have always been fascinated by Westerns, be it the more Gritty, Backlot, or Spaghetti Westerns. That I have a deep built in love for the storytelling and character archetypes within Noir, and its many offshoots. I’m a massive fan of subgenre, who wants to write within more of them… so why not explore them as I go?

How Will It Work?

I will be working on one subgenre/trope at a time, for anywhere between a couple of weeks to a month. I’ll write several pieces within each, finishing with a short story (or flash fiction) and an account of my own personal experience within the subgenre.

So, I’ll start with a definition of the subgenre in my own little way (again, don’t expect an academic dry paper. I have nothing against those and read them myself, but it’s not how I write) From there, I intend to use a few movies and books I like as Case Studies.

These could be selecting something from within a movie or book to examine, which would closely relate to a single aspect of the subgenre, or, I could use a selection of stories to chat about the overall subgenre itself. As an example I am currently preparing a piece in Neo-Noir about the morality of the anti-heroes in L.A Confidential.

After presenting one to three Case Studies I will publish a short story I’ve written within the subgenre(Some of these may be things I’ve written in the past, but the majority will be new work) I will treat these short stories with the upmost professionalism acting like they’re stories I intend to publish within a book (which one day I might do) And, if they’re stories or ideas that I really like, maybe I’ll expand upon them some way in the future too.

To finish on each particular subgenre I will then write about my experiences within it. This will include the feeling I got from certain movies or books within the trope. And, how it personally felt writing within the subgenre, be that the short story I’d just written, or previous work from the past.

This is probably the piece that will vary the most in length depending on my history. Again, as an example, I’m looking to write about Movie Theatre Horror. This trope would tie into my previous work on the Abby Vs. The Splatploitation Brother books and therefore would offer plenty more to write about experience wise (Alongside writing a separate short story within the trope for this current work) Whereas, I have limited experience to date writing in something like Neo-Noir (although I massively intend to change that)

Frequency Of Work

I’ve given how often I would like to post a piece on subgenre a lot of thought over the last couple of weeks, but in the end I came to the standard conclusion, I will post an article once a week. I considered up to two or three pieces, but honestly, it would be to much work and distract from the writing. I don’t want to feel overwhelmed by this project, I want to thoroughly enjoy it.

I don’t want to phone it in in order to hit some arbitrary or self-imposed deadline. I want to write engaging pieces that make you want to read or watch the books and films I’m recommending… and, maybe gain love for a new subgenre you had been previously unaware of.

One piece a week would mean covering somewhere between twelve and twenty subgenres a year. That would also mean publishing an additional twelve to twenty short stories to go alongside my regular work (which will already consist of more standalone short stories.)

The current plan with the subgenre short stories is to post them separately, rather than make them the weekly article, so on those weeks there will be two pieces instead of one. At the moment, the plan is to post my Creature Feature Robot Noir articles on a Thursday each week, and the short stories on a Sunday when it’s their turn.

This will happen alongside my regularly Journal of a Coffee Shop Genre Author blog, so in actuality I could be writing up to three pieces a week anyway (At minimum two each week)

So yeah… that’s the subgenre plan for Creature Feature Robots Noir. Now I guess it’s time to get started on all that writing.

Stephen