I. Subject Vocabulary with Scope Notes – The Process
My subject vocabulary starts very
broad, and ends relatively specific. The headings use terminology found within
the books themselves. An example would be the Harry Potter series. The overarching subject heading for the entire
series is: fantasy - - magic - - witches
and wizards - - school. “Fantasy”
is first because it is the most general term applicable to the series. The
later terms are more specific, more likely to be used to narrow down a specific
book or series. The term “fantasy” is
used because the series is in the fantasy genre, a large umbrella genre for any
work with dragons, unicorns, magic, and many others aspects. As Harry Potter
has all of these and more, it fits under the fantasy umbrella. The next term –
“magic” – is used to narrow down the
type of fantasy. Other fantasy series can focus on “training to be a knight” or “dragons
and dragonriders,” but Harry Potter is overall about magic. The next term
–“witches and wizards” – is used
because that is how the magic users are referred to within the series. Other
series might use “sorcerer” or “Gifted” (Tamora Pierce’s works call all
magic users “Gifted,” as the Gods gave them their “Gift”). The final term – “school” – is used because this is where
the story is taking place. Where? At school. The terms can be read backwards: “this is a fantasy series about a school for
witches and wizards to learn magic.”
When a term like “mythology” is used, it is used in the umbrella concept of all
myths, legends, and stories associated with a people, a place, a series, or any
other concept. An example would be from Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned. One of the subject headings is: “mythology - - Vampires - - origin.” When
broken into separate parts, this means that the story is about the origin myths
of Vampires found within the Riceverse.[1]
One final example: “Vampires - - 19th Century - - New Orleans.” It breaks down to: Vampire and 19th Century and New Orleans… The broadest term – “Vampires – is a big warning saying: “Here there be Vampires.” The next term – “19th Century” – is when the story takes place. Taken with “Vampires” it means that the story is about 19th Century Vampires. The final term – “New Orleans” – is where the story takes place. So, this story would be about Vampires living in New Orleans during the 19th Century. “19th Century” is before “New Orleans” because Vampires are notoriously long lived in their universes. In some cases, knowing when the story takes place may be more important than where the story takes place.[2]
One final example: “Vampires - - 19th Century - - New Orleans.” It breaks down to: Vampire and 19th Century and New Orleans… The broadest term – “Vampires – is a big warning saying: “Here there be Vampires.” The next term – “19th Century” – is when the story takes place. Taken with “Vampires” it means that the story is about 19th Century Vampires. The final term – “New Orleans” – is where the story takes place. So, this story would be about Vampires living in New Orleans during the 19th Century. “19th Century” is before “New Orleans” because Vampires are notoriously long lived in their universes. In some cases, knowing when the story takes place may be more important than where the story takes place.[2]
This is not a comprehensive list of potentially confusing terms. There will be others. Those terms will get endnotes.
[1] With Vampires, as there are many authors
with their own universes and their own rules, when one is referring to a set
universe with set rules, the term ____verse is used, as the term is usually a
portmanteau of the author’s last name and universe. For Vampires from Dracula, the term is the Stokerverse, as
Dracula takes place in Stoker’s
Universe. For Vampires like Spike and Angel, from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, term used is Whedonverse, as it is Joss
Whedon’s Universe, and includes both Buffy
and Angel as source material.
Vampires from The Vampire Chronicles
are from the Riceverse, or Anne Rice’s Universe.
[2] This is, of course, Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire. The first
Vampire novel to make the Vampires of New Orleans famous.
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