Steampunk and Other Blended Genres

The topic this week is Steampunk and Other Blended Genres.  What exactly is a ‘blended genre’?  Something that takes elements from many ‘traditional’ genres such as Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery, Historical Novels, Romance and others then forges them all into one cohesive story.  You can have a realistic story interspersed with elements of magic (Magical Realism), an urban setting where elves and other mystical creatures live side by side with humans (Urban Fantasy) and many more interesting combinations.   Blended genre novels are a positive element because they encourage readers to explore outside the genre they are most comfortable with.  For example, a History purist who normally disdains Science Fiction books may be drawn to a title such as 1632 which successfully blends detailed historical research with the science fiction staple of time travel.  I’ll be discussing The Painted Boy by Charles De Lint as a representative example of a blended genre novel.

 

The Painted Boy

This story follows the adventures of a young Asian teenager named Jay.  Though Jay appears normal on the surface he holds a great secret.  He has within him the powerful spirit of the ancient Chinese Yellow Dragons that once guarded those ancient lands emperors.  He arrives in the Arizona desert town of Santo del Vado Viejo on a quest to discover what it means to be a dragon and how he should use his new powers.  Jay is immediately targeted by the local gangs, or bandas, headed by the vicious El Tigre – who shares a common secret with Jay.  With the help of new friends, including the soft-hearted but determined Rosalie and blunt but loyal lead-singer Anna, he faces both the bandas and himself.

Santo del Vado Viejo serves as home to both normal humans (five-fingered ones) and Cousins (animal-spirits that appear human).  The realistic issue of bandas (gangs) plaguing a community is intertwined neatly with both Chinese and Native American myth (yellow dragons and medicine wheels) to form a strong cohesive whole.  I think it definitely makes for good literature as both the story and characters are well executed.  Jay, the main character, is a good example.  Initially shown as a kind, lost soul looking for a home he quickly displays a darker side when he kills a gang member in a fit of violent rage (using the powers of his dragon spirit).  As I mentioned before the myth and reality components are neatly intertwined and I seldom felt like one completely dominated the other.  Teens are likely to enjoy this book because it shows their peers struggling with many of the same issues they struggle with (how to make friends, how to deal with gangs, the loss of loved ones, what to do when you are different from everyone around you etc) although in this case they occur within a fantastical setting.