Emilio Iasiello's Blog - Posts Tagged "fantasy"

There is on-again off-again discussion on the validity of literature. Specifically, there is a spirited rivalry between authors of the literary genre and those of genre fiction (e.g., crime, mystery, horror, romance, western, science fiction, fantasy) over which is the more respected form. In my personal opinion, all writing has substantial value, and to say one is more “respected” than the other is a ridiculous statement to make. There is enough audience for all genres, and where there is an audience, there is value. Sure, some authors sell more than others. Who wouldn’t want a readership of a Stephen King, a Dan Brown, or a Dean Koontz? And speaking for myself and hopefully a few other lovers of literary fiction, who isn’t immediately drawn to the gritty realism of a Richard Russo, a William Kennedy, or a Raymond Carver? There is no shame in liking different styles; the only shame is when specific genre advocates try to dismiss or belittle other styles on the grounds of not being interesting, unable to connect to the material, or their own inability to travel in a new a and different direction. Is there snobbery in the literary field? Absolutely. Some – not all – literary fiction practitioners do have this reputation, which is a shame given the wealth of great writing in other genres. However, practitioners of traditional genre fiction can be equally narrowed minded. Some of the criticisms I’ve heard regarding literary fiction:

· “The stories I’ve read don’t have an arc.” (An interesting comment given literary fiction is generally character driven and focusing on the “self.”)

· “Their lives of the characters don’t interest me.”

· “If I wanted to read real life, I’d read nonfiction.”


These are all fair and valid observations. But all that says is that literary work is not palatable to the genre consumer’s taste. It does not make the writing inferior.

So as a writer of literary fiction, and in an act of good faith, here are some of my favorite books in genres other than literary that I think are exceptional and deserve recognition:

1. Crime: Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep), Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon), Jim Thompson (The Killer Inside Me).


2. Science Fiction: Philip K. Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep), William Gibson (Neuromancer), Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451).



3. Fantasy: William Goldman (The Princess Bride), Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland), C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia).



4. Mystery: Agatha Christie (And Then There Were None), Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose), Thomas Harris (Red Dragon).



5. Horror: Stephen King (It), Ira Levin (Rosemary s Baby), Dean Koontz (Twilight Eyes)



6. Western: Cormac McCarthy (Cities on the Plain), Larry McMurtry (The Last Picture Show), Wallace Stegner (Angel of Repose)



Now, I will admit I don’t willfully read Romance novels as a break from my normal reading. However, many years ago I read my aunt’s romance novel and was genuinely surprised how good the writing was in between the “steamy scenes." So I give a shout out to my aunt:
7. Romance: Stephanie Stevens (Defiant Angel)


So my advice? Read everything. That’s what they tell writers to do anyway. It seems funny that we have to be reminded of doing that from time to time.