Genre vs. Literary Fiction: Which is your preference?

[Superpride]

Which type of fiction do you all prefer reading or writing?  I ask this question because I have been writing literary fiction for my college writing class, including two short stories.  With the exception of my high school years, I mostly write genre fiction like sci fi and fantasy, so when my professor told the class that we could only write literary fiction, it was a definite challenge that I looked forward to taking.  It was a challenge since all the stories I have published on this site for example have futuristic or fantastical elements, and it was hard not to include such elements in my short stories, which I managed to do.  I do not know what draws me more to genre fiction.  Maybe it is because having fairies, mermaids, robots, and aliens provides escapism for me as I write these stories.  Though I can also understand literary fiction since it can make the reader think critically about issues in the world that this type of fiction addresses, while literary fiction is more about escaping that reality. 

 

I am actually considering writing a literary fiction story that follows the lives of three teenage girls.  The story will deal with serious issues like gang violence and child abuse and will relate back to popular fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel; though, this story I am planning will not include actual magic.  Some the students in my class have diverted from the professor's expectations and written genre fiction short stories, and the main problem I have discovered with these stories was they tried to condense so much world building and exposition in less than ten pages that it reads more like a chapter of a novel than a complete short story.  I wonder if writing a short story that is genre fiction is possible which is the second question that I ask since the most popular fantasy stories for example come in multiple books since there is so much to explain.  Both genre and literary fiction have their challenges, and I wonder what you all prefer?  😋

[Headstall]

 "I wonder if writing a short story that is genre fiction is possible which is the second question that I ask since the most popular fantasy stories for example come in multiple books since there is so much to explain."

 

That is probably why fanfiction is popular and works so well for its fans. I have read original genre short stories that work well, though. You don't need to build an entire world, and, when properly done, readers have the ability to fill in the blanks where popular fantasy genres are concerned. @Cia, as a good example, writes wonderful short stories that are fantastical, but feel complete... although they most always have me wanting more.  

 

 

I personally don't think genre limits us as writers. As far as preference, I've had my periods as a reader where I had ones, but in the overall, I'll read anything. The same goes as a writer. I love writing supernatural fantasy, but I also love coming back to good old human drama. Cheers... Gary....

Edited November 27, 2018 by Headstall

[Superpride]

10 minutes ago, Headstall said:

 "I wonder if writing a short story that is genre fiction is possible which is the second question that I ask since the most popular fantasy stories for example come in multiple books since there is so much to explain."

 

That is probably why fanfiction is popular and works so well for its fans. I have read original genre short stories that work well, though. You don't need to build an entire world, and, when properly done, readers have the ability to fill in the blanks where popular fantasy genres are concerned. @Cia, as a good example, writes wonderful short stories that are fantastical, but feel complete... although they most always have me wanting more.  

 

 

I personally don't think genre limits us as writers. As far as preference, I've had my periods as a reader where I had ones, but in the overall, I'll read anything. The same goes as a writer. I loved writing supernatural fantasy, but I also love coming back to good old human drama. Cheers... Gary....

 

Thank you telling me about fanfiction since I have not thought of that as I created this topic.  Yeah, fanfiction works great since there is already an established world that has been created by the original author and fanfiction just builds upon it.  I actually wrote a fanfiction based on Harry Potter that was about an American student attending a Filipino magical school called Mangkukulam School of Magic which was in fierce competition with its Japanese counterpart, Mahoutokoro School of Magic.  However, that story later developed to be its original story haha.  Also, what I have not mentioned is that I really like reading romance novels that are based in the real world since I really just want to get sucked in by the romance itself without any other story elements interrupting that like a ghost haunting, alien invasion, or zombie apocalypse.

[Cia]

Thank you, Gary ❤️ 

 

23 hours ago, Superpride said:

I wonder if writing a short story that is genre fiction is possible which is the second question that I ask since the most popular fantasy stories for example come in multiple books since there is so much to explain.

 

Absolutely it's possible to write a genre fiction short story. There's a big ole BUT in there, though. The true key is to involve themes utilizing elements and visuals that are evocative so they do not require complex explanation. Death, loss, pain, great love, exploration, fear. Those are just a few to consider. "I want my reader to fear (this)" What does that look like?"  or "I want the reader to love this character, so I will liken him to (Santa's appearance) and give him a name like Mr. Hans." (Anderson fans, anyone? Holiday memories of kindly old Santa, generous older man needed?) The rest you share is just window dressing. For example: 

 

Quote

The alien towered over the human , its multiple-eyes bulging out of its head set on a segmented body supported by arching legs bristling with spiny hairs. The clacking mandibles tapped jagged tips together with every word it hissed and clicked, its body twitching spasmodically as it studied the man as he scowled at the handheld scanner. The human examined each one closely before he accepted the precious rocks that could only be found deep in the planet's mantle, finally concluding their deal. The sun about to break the horizon, so the alien clutched the purchased bags of squirming bait in four sets of its arms and rapidly scuttled backward into the dark tunnels of its home.

 

Scary, creepy, disgusting, extremely recognizable due to it's known qualities (as a real bug on Earth) and I'm also working on the fear most human readers have of insects as a ingrained cultural bias to indicate the extreme danger and want for the character to leave the situation. Do I need to explain that it's an underground dwelling alien species that dislikes sunlight, with multiple legs and arms with the capacity for easily moving it's segmented (read, flexible even though it's got an exoskeleton) through a complex tunnel system? Or that it's a hunter species and just bought a bunch of bait to use for another species in exchange for some rocks it got from deep inside the planet where the human can't go because, hello, humans have a soft body and can't withstand the pressure of going very far underground on any planet? No, probably not. Also, I used the terms rocks, but rocks bring to mind maybe gems, which indicates great value that goes along with them being hard to find (great pressure creating something bring any particular type to mind...?) And the rocks would come into play later. I might have some dialogue that has someone else shocked or amazed the guy got the rocks from the alien because they're dangerous or something either before or after the scene, depending on the context/need as well.

 

Maybe some readers would get all that context. Others would just see the exchange and shudder thinking about the gross alien being like a bug and move on to why the human was there and needed/wanted the rocks. Certainly, when I crafted the story, I'd make sure I had all the back story and other information all planned out because aliens don't just develop willy-nilly because I want them to. They're either evolved to their ecosystem or engineered, depending on the theme. Heavier gravity planet? Thicker bones and wider bodies. Planets without much land? Aquatic species dominate or amphibious. Beings in a jungle? Thin skinned or with some capacity for handling the heat/moisture and maybe adaptations for climbing/moving through trees if the forest floor or water is dangerous. 

 

The same goes for any sort of magic themes or paranormal aspects in other genre fiction. You have to know what you're going to do, how, why, when, where, etc... but you don't have to SHARE it all. I've books upon books teaching techniques for figuring out the whos and whys and hows of speculative fiction works. That's the easy part, the fun part. The biggest challenge in writing speculative fiction where authors tend to fail--letting the readers' imagination do more of the work. They want to give them every inch of the world(s) they create, rather than giving readers the bones and letting the known fill out the rest so they don't get bogged down in the tedium of every how or why. 

 

Oh, by the way, I hate the terms genre fiction vs. literary fiction. Not that your topic has anything wrong with it, but the underlying premise always feels like a jab of condescension from those readers who feel only classic literature, or books like those, are worth the time/effort of reading them or emulating for authors. Authors can have extremely complex and 'serious' themes in stories that are still greatly entertaining and on point with modern cultural mores mixed with speculative fiction elements. All too many people dismiss anything geared toward entertaining the mind while educating it, but readers tend to spend far more time enjoying, thinking about, sharing--i.e. learning and teaching others what they learned--with the books they actually resonate with instead of the ones they are told they should be enlightened by because they are "serious work with layered themes that address universal problems" written by critically-acclaimed authors. 

 

Just saying.

[Timothy M.]

I have read all kinds of literature from Dickens to Donaldson - but sci-fi and fantasy remains my favorite. I'm in awe of authors who can create a whole new world. But I can see the advantage of trying different genres as a writer.

 

On 11/27/2018 at 6:20 AM, Cia said:

give him a name like Mr. Hans." (Anderson fans, anyone? Holiday memories of kindly old Santa, generous older man needed?)

 

are we by any chance talking about the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen (with an e) ? 

https://satwcomic.com/costume-party   

Edited November 29, 2018 by Timothy M.

[Cia]

Oh, you got me @Timothy M.! I'm usually so careful about that sort of thing. Darn voice to text spelling! 

[Thorn Wilde]

I find the literary vs genre fiction dichotomy really tiresome and outdated. It suggests that genre fiction isn't real literature. Which is ridiculous. It's all literature, and one kind isn't more valuable than another. Genre fiction is constantly undervalued. There's all this snobbery. You could have the most beautiful and meaningful prose ever, and it would never win or even be nominated for any of the great literary awards because it's genre fiction. Meanwhile, classic literature that's decidedly genre fiction somehow gets to be in the literary club because it's old. I have found the most beautiful and most interesting prose I have ever read in genre fiction.

 

...sorry for ranting.  I abhor gatekeeping of every kind, and I find the division between literary and genre fiction to be gatekeeping to the highest degree. 

 

To answer your question, I prefer to read SFF and young adult novels. I find most literary fiction written for adults boring. People are all, read this Nobel prize winner, and I just can't get into it. Ironically, most of the stuff I write that isn't outright erotica is, I suppose, literary fiction.

 

As for genre short stories, pick up Fragile Things, Smoke and Mirrors, or Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman. All short stories (+ some poems), almost all fantasy. Ursula K. LeGuin also wrote fantastic short stories in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. Many of them can be found in the collection The Found and the Lost, and yet more in the Unreal part of The Unreal and the Real.

Edited November 29, 2018 by Thorn Wilde

[Thorn Wilde]

On 11/27/2018 at 7:18 PM, Timothy M. said:

are we by any chance talking about the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen (with an e) ? https://satwcomic.com/costume-party   

 

That comic, omg! ❤️ 

 

So many queer classic authors out there, though. Andersen, Shakespeare, Wilde (no, not me, that other one), Whitman, Woolf... Is there a pattern with the W's?

[Superpride]

@Cia and @Thorn Wilde, I completely agree that there are people who underestimate the potential of genre fiction; however, I didn't really know that there is a heated debate on whether genre fiction should be considered real literature like literary fiction until you two replied to this post, and I thank you both.  Also, I'm sorry if I caused any division by the title of the post; I didn't mean anything malicious towards either type of fiction writing.  I now wonder if there is a debate on whether comic books and graphic novels are a real form of literature, which they are in my opinion, but I'm sure there are people who disagree.

[Thorn Wilde]

9 minutes ago, Superpride said:

@Cia and @Thorn Wilde, I completely agree that there are people who underestimate the potential of genre fiction; however, I didn't really know that there is a heated debate on whether genre fiction should be considered real literature like literary fiction until you two replied to this post, and I thank you both.  Also, I'm sorry if I caused any division by the title of the post; I didn't mean anything malicious towards either type of fiction writing.  I now wonder if there is a debate on whether comic books and graphic novels are a real form of literature, which they are in my opinion, but I'm sure there are people who disagree.

 

There are definitely people who disagree with that, unfortunately. I'm in full agreement with you, especially as pertains to graphic novels. And, don't worry about it. I can't speak for Cia, but I wasn't offended in the least by your topic. It was more a comment on the literary gatekeeping that is, unfortunately, a thing. 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Thorn Wilde

[Cia]

No, I absolutely wasn't offended either, hence saying there's nothing wrong with this topic and the but I'm with Thorn on the fact that there's a lot of divisiveness in the literary world--much like anywhere else. This book is better than that, my work is better than yours, only this qualifies as true... My take on the world of books will always be to read whatever gets you to read. Today, as I did a writing assignment with 2 third graders, I brought out my geek side at the end and had them look at a poster I made that I have on the wall by my desk that has a Neil Gaiman quote: "A book is a dream you hold in your hands." One is a very reluctant reader, and I pointed out you can escape into a book and it's the very best sort of dream/vacation/imagination adventure you can have--whatever you choose! And that he just has to keep looking for the book that will unlock that for him. There's always going to be one book or series that will resonate for someone, but people have to FIND it. Being closeminded about different types of literature or themes just makes that harder. 

 

That being said, I can't read comics. They take FOREVER to read, and it gives me a headache. I'm a speed reader, seeing pictures or a movie in my head from the words when I'm enjoying a book.  I can never do that with a comic because it's all pictures that I have to examine and look for all the details in before reading the words then moving on to the next cell. Those details and images just magically appear for me when I'm reading a typical novel-style book which is vastly easier. But we teach kids there are 3 ways to read: read the pictures, retell the story, and read the words. Comics have a place for a lot of people and a story is a story. 

[Thorn Wilde]

On 11/30/2018 at 2:40 AM, Cia said:

No, I absolutely wasn't offended either, hence saying there's nothing wrong with this topic and the but I'm with Thorn on the fact that there's a lot of divisiveness in the literary world--much like anywhere else. This book is better than that, my work is better than yours, only this qualifies as true... My take on the world of books will always be to read whatever gets you to read. Today, as I did a writing assignment with 2 third graders, I brought out my geek side at the end and had them look at a poster I made that I have on the wall by my desk that has a Neil Gaiman quote: "A book is a dream you hold in your hands." One is a very reluctant reader, and I pointed out you can escape into a book and it's the very best sort of dream/vacation/imagination adventure you can have--whatever you choose! And that he just has to keep looking for the book that will unlock that for him. There's always going to be one book or series that will resonate for someone, but people have to FIND it. Being closeminded about different types of literature or themes just makes that harder. 

 

That being said, I can't read comics. They take FOREVER to read, and it gives me a headache. I'm a speed reader, seeing pictures or a movie in my head from the words when I'm enjoying a book.  I can never do that with a comic because it's all pictures that I have to examine and look for all the details in before reading the words then moving on to the next cell. Those details and images just magically appear for me when I'm reading a typical novel-style book which is vastly easier. But we teach kids there are 3 ways to read: read the pictures, retell the story, and read the words. Comics have a place for a lot of people and a story is a story. 

 

I personally love comics, and I read them much faster than I read books. I love words and language. I take my time when reading to take all that in, so speed reading is not something I can do.

 

There's gatekeeping like that in every art form. Some people only accept classical art as art. Others think pop music isn't real music. It's strange how we as humans have such an urge to turn our opinions into gospel when it comes to the things we love...

[Thorn Wilde]

Case in point, regarding the genre vs literary snobbery thing:

 

Yesterday I was in a bookshop looking to buy my stepbrother a Christmas gift. He's not a huge fan of genre fiction, but I rarely read anything else, so I decided to compromise as I wanted to give him something I wanted him to read that I thought he might like. So I got him A short story collection by Ursula K. Le Guin called Where On Earth, the first part of The Unreal and the Real. These are literary stories, not genre fiction, but the book stood sorted in the sci-fi shelf. Because Le Guin is normally an SFF author. Meanwhile, in the literary section, I found Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, which is decidedly science fiction. The difference here is that David Mitchell has won mainstream awards for his work. Ursula K Le Guin has not. Similarly, I've found Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace sorted under sci-fi even though it's historical fiction. I think this illustrates the genre fiction vs 'proper literature' gatekeeping that we discussed earlier in this thread.

Edited December 20, 2018 by Thorn Wilde