Okay, this is off topic, but while looking at the fan sites for week six's assignment and looking for their buzz, I thought about the sites of authors I usually visit and what people are nattering on about there. There is one topic that comes up again and again, that they never get tired of discussing: their irritation with the authors when the blog is "neglected" due to book tours, or worse, dead air when deadlines loom.  They like the format that they like, blogs and podcasts and videos, the immediate and interactive newer media, and see the books sorta like a musician's solo project that takes time away from the band going on tour.  "Yes, that's nice honey, you're doing your thing, but let's not lose focus here, you need to remember your responsibilities to the group." They need their daily fix. 

Maybe it is because I read divergent authors, but I see more sites by people who reach out to their personal fans using all sorts of media, blogs, podcasts, videos and polls.  It isn't the media so much as the message. John Green used a rocket ship, he probably transmits radio waves into space so the aliens don't feel left out.  Dan Savage employs flying monkeys. Dave Barry has cruises. I find interesting this trend that people follow personalities, celebrities, and they want to know what these people have on their minds, whether they get that through books, blogs, TV or mind meld, most of which can be accessed through the library.  More things to recommend in RA.

Back to the actual assignment:

Of course, there are plenty of fan groups on Goodreads, but we have explored that already so I wanted to find something else for this assignment.

On facebook I found a Cyberpunk page, aptly called "Cyberpunk," that discussed movies, RPGs, and books.  They like the gritty dystopia noir feel of the genre, the feeling of being on the outskirts of what is acceptable by society.  In fact, they declared that since there is a term for cyberpunk, it is definitely dead and over. It can't be punk and still be accepted as a genre; they are too cool to be cool. Their buzz is that there is no buzz. Whatever, I still like Blade Runner and Johnny Mnemonic. Some top authors of the genre are Neal Stephanson, William Gibson and Phil Dick.

In addition, I found a site called HistoricNovels.info that lists Historic Western sub genres and names some of the best books in each category. I decided to look for Native American Westerns, and I found that Piers Anthony wrote one, Tatham Mound. Who knew?  There wasn't much of a buzz here, either. There was just a lot of nostalgia, tradition and respect for people who had pretty tough lives. Hervey Allen, Win Blevins, Robert J. Conley and Vella Munn seem popular and Danielle Steele also makes an appearance.

And finally, I found Dark Warrior: To Tame a Wild Hawk by L. Wolfe, which is a Native American Western Romance. It might not be a smashup, but it's a crossover, at least.

Gumshoe Gorilla by Keith Hartman is a fun mix of hardboiled dective and urban fantasy. Very Noir, like The Maltese Falcon, but with Faries and shapeshifters.

Finally, Horror Fiction Review has a smell rating for each title.  Not your everyday factor in RA, but just in case someone asks, there is a resource for that.