# What Genre is Lemony Snicket's works?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 25, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904 "2004-05-25T00:59:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/1 "2004-05-25T00:59:19Z")
I was wondering if the SDopers could help me pinpoint the genre of stories like those by Lemony Snicket. They are dark, and perhaps macabre. Is there a term for this? - Jinx
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### Author:  [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/2 "2004-05-25T01:10:10Z")
I’d call them Children’s/YA humor, although I can see them potentially falling into fantasy - but only slightly.
But that’s my opinion, based on the few I’ve read.
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### Author:  [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/3 "2004-05-25T03:44:18Z")
“Gothic” is probably the word you are looking for – the exaggerated nature of the characters, the remote settings, the danger and intrigue, the secret codes and mysterious organizations. Very Gothic. “Gothic Humor” would be closer to the mark. I’d say his influences are probably Roald Dahl and John Bellairs.
The Molly Moon books by Georgia Byng and the Eddie Dickens trilogy by Philip Ardagh, are similar in spirit to Snicket’s books. Just in case you love LS and want to read more.
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### Author:  [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/4 "2004-05-25T03:45:23Z")
> [@Lsura](#):
>
> I’d call them Children’s/YA humor, although I can see them potentially falling into fantasy - but only slightly.
>
> But that’s my opinion, based on the few I’ve read.
Well, they’re labeled and marketed as Middle Grade, not YA, but I think some teens would read them and like them. As do some 35-year old men. Cough. What is everyone looking at?
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/5 "2004-05-25T03:51:52Z")
So what genre is “The Pony Party”?
I love a pony party.
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### Author:  [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/6 "2004-05-25T04:02:24Z")
Hm. Is “parody” a genre? I suppose parody is sort of the wrong word, but they have that very light tone and very dark storylines. Just calling them dark or macabre is very insufficient.
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### Author:  [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/7 "2004-05-25T04:19:09Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#):
>
> So what genre is “The Pony Party”?
>
> I love a pony party.
That Pony Party alternate cover was hilarious.
I also love the [amazon.com](http://amazon.com) review that reads, “Lemony Snicket has taken all the fun out children’s literature,” etc… it took me a few seconds to realize HE had written the review.
Funny stuff.
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### Author:  [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/8 "2004-05-25T06:11:11Z")
Black Comedy.
Speaking of Unfortunate Events, when’s the next book due to come out? (These I love, I can take or leave Potter - but the Baudelaires are awesome, and Snicket’s definition of “Busheny” (or something like that) made me die laughing)
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### Author:  [@Tamealien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamealien)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/9 "2004-05-25T07:15:06Z")
> [@amarinth](#):
>
> … when’s the next book due to come out?
September 21, 2004
[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0064410145/qid=1085469247/sr=8-3/ref=pd\_ka\_3/002-6547425-4617605?v=glance&s=books&n=507846](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0064410145/qid=1085469247/sr=8-3/ref=pd_ka_3/002-6547425-4617605?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)
🙂
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/10 "2004-05-25T12:06:55Z")
> [@skutir](#):
>
> The Molly Moon books by Georgia Byng and the Eddie Dickens trilogy by Philip Ardagh, are similar in spirit to Snicket’s books. Just in case you love LS and want to read more.
Thank you! And thank _you_, **Tamealien**!
And I would call them humor, although YA really seems to be the classification given to material of all genres written for that age.
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### Author:  [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/11 "2004-05-25T14:42:01Z")
> [@TJdude825](#):
>
> Hm. Is “parody” a genre? I suppose parody is sort of the wrong word, but they have that very light tone and very dark storylines. Just calling them dark or macabre is very insufficient.
Why should “macabre” be insufficient. You know not to expect a picnic in the park! If “horror” can have its own genre, then why not “macabre”? They are not the same thing. While I’m asking, how would classify Twilight Zone stories…sci-fi would not be sufficient, in this case, IMHO.
If it is dark but with a light tone, how about “Dark Comedy” or “Dark Satire”?
- Jinx
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### Author:  [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/12 "2004-05-25T15:17:32Z")
“Do you see anything, Sunny?”
“Scheiss!”
“Sunny says she doesn’t see anything either.”
When Snickett sneaks that type of thing in his stories, I realize the man is a freaking genius. Plus the Unauthorized Biography opens up a whole new joke in the Slippery Slope that you’d be unaware of otherwise. The first two books didn’t impress me, but it’s now amazing how in depth and subtle this series is. I don’t see how the movie will pull it off.
And I vote for dark comedy.
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### Author:  [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/13 "2004-05-25T20:50:24Z")
> [@Tamealien](#):
>
> September 21, 2004
>
> [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0064410145/qid=1085469247/sr=8-3/ref=pd\_ka\_3/002-6547425-4617605?v=glance&s=books&n=507846](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0064410145/qid=1085469247/sr=8-3/ref=pd_ka_3/002-6547425-4617605?v=glance&s=books&n=507846)
>
> 🙂
The [cover art](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0064410145.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) cracked me up.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/14 "2004-05-25T22:11:36Z")
Is condesending a genre?
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### Author:  [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-genre-is-lemony-snickets-works/246904/15 "2004-05-29T03:21:55Z")
I’ve never read any of the Lemony Snicket books. However, I have to ask (based on what little I’ve seen and heard of the books - and the upcoming [film](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339291/) with Jim Carrey), how do they compare to traditional, old-fashioned “fairy tales”?
Which reminds me of another film I’m looking forward to - Terry Gilliam’s _[The Brothers Grimm](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0355295/)_, with Matt Damon and Heath Ledger.
Anyhoo…