The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

by Gabrielle Zevin

“Like,” he repeats with distaste. “How about I tell you what I don’t like? I do not like postmodernism, postapocalyptic settings, postmortem narrators, or magic realism.

This is the beginning of A.J.'s long list of the kind of books he dislikes. The joke, as longtime readers of mine will know, is that I have written novels that feature "postmodernism, postapocalyptic settings, postmortem narrators, magic realism" and many of the other things on A.J.'s list of dislikes. postmodernism: Margarettown, A.J. Fikry, Young Jane Young, the Anya Balanchine books, and my forthcoming book, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (henceforth, Tomorrowx3) postapocalyptic settings: the Anya Balanchine books, briefly Tomorrowx3 postmortem narrators: Elsewhere, briefly Tomorrowx3 magic realism: Margarettown, Elsewhere, Young Jane Young, Tomorrowx3 It felt liberating to imagine this person who would despise so much of what I had written (and would continue to write!) My characters do not need to approve of or like me, or like the book that they find themselves in. I do not write novels to populate worlds with imaginary people who will validate me. Do you, like A.J., have lists of things you just won't read? I try not to make such lists, even in my mind, because the main thing I am interested in is great writing.