Ep. 8: Let's Talk About Genres: How Do We Define Audiobook Categories?

By: The Audible Editors

Length: 42 mins

Publisher's summary

What’s the difference between a thriller and a mystery? When is something an autobiography and not a memoir? Our editors break down the “rules” of genres – and the books that epitomize each of them. Can't get enough Audicted?

Can’t get enough Audicted? Hear more from The Audible Editors at https://www.audible.com/Audicted

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

Confessions by Kanae Minato

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Terrible by Yrsa Daley-Ward

Katerina by James Frey

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Still Life by Louise Penny

Circe by Madeline Miller

Dark Eden by Chris Beckett

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Assault and Pepper by Leslie Budewitz

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor

The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey

Convenience Store Women by Sayaka Murata

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

The Liar's Club by The Liar's Club

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin 

©2018 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC

Episode 8

Some of these books sound really interesting. I'm hoping to give some of the books a listens soon!

Learning how audiobooks are grouped and why

I really enjoy free podcasts (episodes?) like these that Audible offers; it allows me to increase my understanding in an enjoyable manner. I recommend this series to others if you are like me and want to learn more about how Audible works with genres in the audiobooks they sell.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF AN AUDIBLE BOOK

I WAS ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN THE SECTION WHERE THE EDITORS TALKED ABOUT PARTICULAR GENRE, ESPECIALLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A "MYSTERY" AND "THRILLER" AND I WAS SURPRISED BY ABBEY, THE EDITOR IN CHARGE OF THESE TITLES. SHE SETS OUT SOME GUIDELINES FOR EACH CATEGORY. HOWEVER, WHEN SEARCHING FOR A BOOK ON AUDIBLE, THESE GUIDELINES ARE USELESS BECAUSE AUDIBLE LUMPS THRILLERS WITH THE MYSTERIES. THIS MAKES IT INCREDIBLY HARD TO PICK A BOOK WHICH ONE IS NOT FAMILILAR. I ONCE READ A REVIEW AND THAT PERSON TALKED ABOUT GETTING THE BOOK FROM THE LIBRARY FIRST IN ORDER NOT TO MAKE A MISTAKE. AND I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE DOING THAT!

TO GET BACK TO WHAT IS A MYSTERY AND WHAT IS A THRILLER --- MY ENGLISH TEACHER EXPERIENCE POINTS TO ONE CHARACTERISTIC: IN A MYSTERY THE READER DOES NOT KNOW WHODUNIT UNTIL COSE TO THE END, THE DENOUEMENT. IN A THRILLER (DAN BROWN'S DA VINCI CODE), CHAPTERS CAN BE WRITTEN IN THE VOICE OF THE VILLIAN/BAD GUY OR A COHORT OF SAID NEVER-DO-WELL).

I WOULD LIKE AUDIBLE TO SEPARATE THE MYSTERY GENRE FROM THE THRILLER GENRE. THAT WAY I WOULD NOT HAVE TO SURF THROUGH ALL THE LEE CHILD, KRUEGER, BOX, PATTERSON ETC AUTHORS WHEN I REALLY WANT TO READ AN ANTHONY AWARD/NOMINEE LIKE "IN THE BLEAK MID WINTER" BY JULIA SPENCER-FLEMMING. PERHAPS THE FILTER SYSTEM COULD BE ARRANGED TO ALLOW A COMBO: ONE MAIN GENRE WITH SOME ELEMENTS OF ROMANCE, SCI FI, SUPERNAURAL, GUNS BLAZING (I MADE THAT LAST ONE UP, BUT SOMETIMES IT SEEMS A BOOK IS WRITTEN JUST TO HAVE THE PRO AND ANTAGONIST SHOOT UP OR EXPLODE SOMETHING AT EVERY TURN OF PAGE). I WOULD OTHERWISE PUT A MINUS SIGN NEXT TO AN AUHTOR AND THE 600 BOOKS HE'S WRITTEN WOULD NOT COME ONTO 'WISH LIST SEARCH' UNTIL I WANT IT. GREAT TIME SAVER TO FILTER THE BOOK TITLES, TO PARE THE SEARCH DOWN TO MAKE IT EASIER TO FIND A BOOK.

THIS EDITOR DISCUSSION WAS GREAT! HOPE THEY DO IT AGAIN.

TO CONCLUDE: I JUST FIND IT A MISTAKE TO LUMP MYSTERY AND THRILLER.

& ONE EDITOR COMMENT: IF AN EDITOR WORKING FOR ME DID NOT KNOW WHAT A COZY MYSTERY WAS, I WOULD PUT SAID EDITOR ONTO THE FAST-TRACK- MULTI- AUTHORS READING TOURS--- OR REPLACE THE QUESTIONABLE EDITOR WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN READING COZY MYSTERIES SINCE AGE 5. MOI.
REALLY! OR, A NEW EDITOR COULD BE THE ANSWER.

THESE SHORT PANEL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BOOKS ARE LOVELY. IT WAS LIKE A STOPOVER AT A 3-DAY BOOK FAIR EVENT W/O LEAVING THE COMFORT OF ONE'S ARMCHAIR. A MUST FOR ANY BOOK LOVER.

Great series!

Who doesn't love listening to others talk about our favorite pastime? Obviously, not us or we wouldn't be here! I really enjoy the Audicted series by The Audible Editors! Everything about it is great, and I've added a bunch of new books to my wish list. At under an hour, it's the perfect listen for an afternoon at home or a drive in to work. Thank you! :-)

Sorting Through the Noise

Story: 4-Stars
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I am a bit of an academic at heart, so I was excited to see this episode's topic. The editors do a great job of going through the main genre definitions and clearly stating the criteria for most. If you have ever stood in a bookstore and wondered at the difference between a mystery and a suspense novel, look (listen) no further! Some genres (e.g. - fantasy) get more detailed discussions of the sub-genres that have also come into our lexicon.

Also appreciated were the conversations concerning the role of product marketing and how it confuses genre classifications, seemingly inventing them on the fly.

Performance: 4-Stars
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This was a cohesive presentation. The hosts seem much stronger when broadcasting about topics that fit in defined categories (in this case: genres). There are clear breaks, often accompanied by a change in speaker, that drive effective pacing.

The small 'get to know the editors' interludes (strange Audible habits, in this case) add a great personal touch to the episodes.