Introduction
Literature is considered to be a reflection of its times. As we know, it is also said that literature mirrors society. Literature is considered to be written works that have some artistic merit in it and have lasting value. The two most important words in the term ‘popular Literature’ are ‘popular’ and ‘Literature’. Both the terms are expensive and wide in meaning. “Popular” comes from the Greek word “Populus”, which means people. So Popular literature or culture, is people’s literature and culture, that is capable of affecting 90% of people, 90% of the time. “Popular Literature” includes both fiction and notification.
Genres of Popular Literature
One of the earliest genres that was relegated to the domain of popular Literature was “Romance”. The Second genre that found much favour in popular literature was “Fantasy” Children’s Literature, the most famous story being “Alice in Wonderland” by “Lewis Carroll” is also considered a representative fantasy, the other being Science fiction.
In India, “Satyajit Ray” created his magic with the ‘Feluda’ stories. Spy fiction as a genre was born with ‘Fennimore Cooper’ but further became popular with the creation of the figure of ‘James Bond’ by ‘Lan Fleming’ in the 20th century. As a detective genre “Arthur Conan Doyle” created a world-famous character “Sherlock Holmes”.
Popular Culture
The word ‘Culture’ comes from the Latin word ‘Colere’, which has a range of meanings – inhabit, cultivate, protect, honour with worship. But with the passage of time the meaning of ‘Culture’ has been changed. In the present time the term ‘Culture’ refers to all of those activities, or practices that produce sense and meaning. This includes the customs and rituals. Culture helps people develop. Raymond William says culture is “One of the two or three most complicated words in the English language”.
Some of the famous exponents of popular culture such as – ‘Ray B Browne’, Marshall Fishwick, Bruce Ludke, John Cawelti Russel B. Nye and Leslie Fiedler to name a few have tried to define various facets of popular literature. To define popular culture, Browne uses the symbol of the eyeball. On the one end is folk culture and on the other is elite culture. The middle, constituting the largest portion is the iris, comprising the popular culture which is ever expanding, growing and always seen widely, intently and deeply.
Popular Literature In India
Writers like Chetan Bhagat, Surender Mohan Pathak and Durjoy Datta works are great examples of popular literature in India. Chetan Bhagat, the creator of the genre of campus novels, can capture the pulse of the youth today by giving them a narrative in which the same youth lived and survived. His commercial popular fiction is – ‘Five Point Someone’, ‘One Night at a Call Centre’ and ‘The 3 Mistakes of My Life’.
Surender Mohan Pathak is an author of Hindi-language crime fiction with nearly 300 novels. Durjoy Datta is an Indian Author who writes for young adults.
Detective Fiction
Detective fiction is one of the top-rated genres of Literature. It is a sub-genre of crime fiction, with multiple sub-genres such as – ‘Detective Narrative’, ‘Murder Mystery’, ‘Mystery Novel’ and ‘Police Novel’. The emergence of detective fiction can be seen in the first half of the 19th century. ‘Edgar Allan Poe’s short story ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’ is considered to be the first modern detective story in English.
William Rushell is another popular name in the history of English detective narrative who wrote twelve ‘Police Memoirs’ which is collectively entitled – ‘The Mystery of Marie Roget’, ‘Wilkie Collins’, a morning star of murder mystery novel, has been known as ‘Grandfather of English Detective Fiction’.
Among his detective fiction included – ‘The Woman in White’, ‘The Moonstone’.
“Arthur Canon Doyle”, a British writer and physician painted a detective character named “Sherlock Holmes” in his novel ‘A Study in Scarlet and Other Stories”, who is no doubt, one of the best creations of a detective character in the history of the detective narrative. The Holmes stories are no doubt, one of the finest stories series in the history of earliest detective fiction.
The 1920s and 1930s are generally considered the golden era of detective fiction in the history of British English Literature. During this period, a lot of writers such as – ‘Agatha Christie’, Dorothy L. Sayers’, ‘Josephine Tey’, ‘Margery Allingham’ and ‘Ngaio Marsh’ wrote a lot of Detective Fiction.
Thus “Detective Fiction” helps us to understand the mindset of criminals, such as xappers, murderers, Killers, Chain- Snatcher and so on and so forth and at the same time the craftmanship of the detective.
Children’s Literature
Children’s Literature is defined as material written and produced for the information or entertainment of children and young adults. Many different types of books make up the category of children’s literature. Fairly tales, Picture books, Non-Fiction, Fantasy, Folktales, poetry and historical books are all included in this category.
Picture books are typically for younger children who have just begun to learn the alphabet and numbers and add new words and ideas to their repertoire through the context of pictures. Examples of picture books are – ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by ‘Eric Carle’ and ‘The Cat in the Hat’ by ‘Dr Seuss’.
Fairy tales and folklore stories were initially passed orally from generation to generation, but they became so popular and loved over the years that they continue to be published as books. Among fairy tales and folklore include ‘Indian Panchatantra’ by Krishna Dharma, and ‘Irish Fairy and Folk Tales’ by W. B. Yeats.
Imaginary worlds, amazing superpowers and other fantastical elements fuel a child’s wild imagination. Children enjoy works of fantasy fiction. ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ by ‘Lewis Carroll’, and ‘The Harry Potter Series’ by J. K. Rowling are great examples of fantasy fiction.
Science Fiction
Science fiction is the genre of fiction in which the stories often tell about science and technology of the future. Science fiction is often set in future, in space in a different world or a different universe or dimension. It suggests what could happen in the future, and the consequences of technology, scientific advancement and innovation. It also explores what could happen if certain events or circumstances came to be.
Some well-known 20th-century science fiction include “1984” by ‘George Orwell’, “And Brave New World” by ‘Aldous Huxley’. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and War of the World by H. G. Wells.
In addition, the four most popular and well-recognized 20th-century authors are Issac Asimov, author of the ‘Foundation Trilogy’ and his Robot series, ‘Arthur C. Clarke’ famous for 5001, ‘A Space Odyssey’, ‘Ray Bradbury’, known for his ‘Martin Chronicles’ and ‘Robert Heinlein’, author of ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ and ‘The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress’.
Thus, Science Fiction is a genre of possibility, imagination and innovation whose popularity rises because of advances in science and Technology. Its author uses real science to create fictional stories that explore the possible future of mankind.
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