As mentioned before, one aspect of how the Seton Hill MFA program is structured is the “Readings in Genre” courses. Students in the program complete a minimum of three (the courses themselves are offered in cycle, the focus repeating every third semester). Entering my third semester, and presumably final Readings course, here’s what’s on tap for the term ahead.
| Horror: Monsters Novels I am Legend (novella) – Richard Matheson Snow – Ronald Malfi Books of Blood (Vol. 1-3) – Clive Barker Breeding Ground – Sarah Pinborough The Wolfman – Jonathan Mayberry Thirty Days of Night (Graphic Novel) – Steve Niles Relic – Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child World War Z – Max BrooksShort Stories (in Books of Blood & I Am Legend) The Yattering and Jack – Barker Rawhead Rex – Barker Human Remains – Barker The Funeral – Matheson Movies How-To |
SF/Fantasy: Science Fiction Classics The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction – Farah Mendlesohn and Edward James Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
The Stars My Destination – Alfred Bester
Ubik – Philip K. Dick
Starship Troopers – Robert Heinlein
The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula LeGuin
Dune – Frank Herbert
Other books considered, but outvoted, by the members of the class:
Childhood’s End – Arthur C. Clarke Downbelow Station – C. J. Cherryh Neuromancer – William Gibson Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
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| Mystery: Contemporary Stork Raving Mad – Donna Andrews Still Life – Louise Penny A Test of Wills – Charles Todd Plum Island – Nelson DeMille Dead Until Dark – Charlene Harris The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo – Steig Larsson Gone Baby Gone – Dennis LehaneHandbook of the Mystery Writer’s of America, 2nd ed. – Sue Grafton (ed.) |
Romance (Contemporary/Women’s Fiction) Where We Belong – Emily Griffin Fire and Ice – Julie Garwood Boomerang Bride – Fiona Lowe Then Came You – Jennifer Weiner The Witness – Nora Roberts The Way Back Home – Barbara Freethy Me, Myself,and Why? – Mary Janice Davidson* OR Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn** Members of the class to vote during the semester |
| YA (Contemporary & Genre)Happy Families – Tanita Davis (realistic) Grave Mercy – Robin LaFevers (historical fantasy) Pushing the Limits – Katie McGarry (romance) Amelia is Dead and Gone – Kat Rosenfield (mystery) Unwind – Neal Shusterman (futuristic/dystopian) This is Not a Test – Courtney Summers (zombie) And EITHER*: The Farm – Emily McKay (vampire/survivalist) OR The Fault in Our Stars – John Green (realistic) *Members of the class voted during the summer. |
In addition to the above, the “common novel” for the next Residency will be Joe Hill’s NOS4ATU. Everyone in the program also has an assigned “Craft” book for the semester… mine is James Scott Bell’s Revision and Self-Editing for Publication, 2nd ed.
