just can't let the human factor fail to be a factor at all

[minkhollow]

...Okay, I have a ranty thing.

TO: Academia
FROM: a writer and reader
RE: Fiction

So. I understand you've got this conceit about 'literary' fiction being something other - and in fact better - than 'genre' fiction. And I think I can even pinpoint where you got the idea. However, there's something I'd like to clear up for you:

1) ALL FICTION IS LITERATURE.
2) NO PIECE OF FICTION IS WITHOUT A GENRE.

Now. I think you got this idea from the 'tropes' that some genres (fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc.) have accumulated over the years. But these 'tropes' are little more than early ideas that have become cliched through the constant lather-rinse-repeat work of mediocre writers. Any genre has its tropes (do Bodice Rippers, The Butler Did It, and Untrustworthy Second-In-Command sound familiar?), and a good writer in any genre knows how to avoid or reinvent the tropes.

I can pass Good Omens off as a political thriller, or Still Life With Woodpecker (which is, indeed, shelved as 'literary' fiction) as a romance novel. But the fact remains that each of those works has a genre - as do all others. Where the hell els would the plot come from?

Honestly. This is something you could actually learn from five minutes on fanfiction.net - not that I recommend the place for much else. Every piece of writing has a genre (or more than one, occasionally) listed, so that browsers know whether it's the type of story they'd like to read.

So. One more time:

1) ALL FICTION IS LITERATURE.
2) NO PIECE OF FICTION IS WITHOUT A GENRE.

Got it? Good.

Comments

[katmaxwell.livejournal.com]

AUGH, AMEN.

:(

[day-pirate.livejournal.com]

Preach it, sister.

[wildthyme.livejournal.com]

A.FREAKING.MEN.

I've had a couple classes with OSC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Scott_Card) and he always spends the first class period, and many minutes of classes that come after it, ranting about exactly this. And it never gets old. :) So this amused me.

[quinby.livejournal.com]

.... I'm jealous.

*massive Ender fan, hi*

Then again, rumour has it that he's read my fanfic.

[wildthyme.livejournal.com]

:) It was awesome, I loved being in a class with someone who had been successful in genres I really care about. I learned so much about writing. And he's one of the funniest profs I've ever had so that was nice.

...that...doesn't surprise me. That man gets around the internet. XD