Chris asked Jeff VanderMeer:

Why do you think there is a chasm in the minds of reviewers, the media, and readers in general between "literary" fiction and "genre" fiction (specifically sci-fi/fantasy)? I often find the most accurate depictions of humanity, its foibles, minor triumphs and resonant truths coming from well-crafted, thoughtful genre fiction authors such as yourself.

Jeff VanderMeer I don't consider myself a genre writer. I consider myself a fiction writer. This isn't a new thing--it's how I've always identified. Once you wall yourself off from the rest of literature or associate with just one tribe in fiction, you close yourself off from all kinds of things. I read with omnivorous intent and I bring all of that and a varied life experience to my fiction. As for the chasm--it exists on both sides, and so I just ignore it or I speak the language of the people I'm talking to and am not interested in defending genre or anything like that. I just want to read good fiction and I want to tell people about good fiction. And mix "mainstream" and "genre" as much as possible. You can waste a lot of energy trying to convince people their view of fiction is limiting when in fact you can do a lot of good just by writing your books and making sure they get to the widest audience possible.

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