Awkwardly enough, despite having been a reader since I was capable of reading and having amassed a large library of books... I've never considered before now that there might be a difference. Most books use tropes, and most good books also make you think deeper. I'd never considered that belonging to a genre made a work automatically lesser, because I'd never considered that literary works weren't in a genre, themselves. I suppose there may be a dissonance in regards to definitions. To me, genres are a superficial yet extremely convenient categorization system - almost everything belongs to one, and some belong to several. As for literature - I'd simply assumed that all books were literature, and that those whose popularity and message withstood the test of time were "classics." Apparently, these are not the standard definitions, but as of yesterday, they were the only ones I knew.
After watching this I finally understand why I feel unsatisfied reading most of the fantasies on my shelf. What I'd been expected was something made me think but in fantasy form. For some reason I don't like reading real world settings but my taste is actually more towards literature fiction than genre fiction as they're today. Basically, I want more authentic and deeper discussions in fantasy... Guess that would be hard to get.
I guess I'm not as tuned into the literary world as I thought I was. I didn't even realize this was a debate. Personally, I feel a writer shouldn't be scared to embrace the fantastical just as much as they shouldn't be afraid to let the pace break way in exchange for more powerful characters and setting. There's tons more to say than this, of course, but they all adhere to similar themes of which I just exhibited. Neither side is without complexities the other would do well to learn from. It really sucks that this is even being debated in the first place, I would've thought it self-evident that all works hold naturally inherent value. Oh well, I won't let it get to me. This too shall pass. Oh, and another sensational video by the way. I've yet to find another TH-camr as well-versed in the writing side of things, or at least in divulging it to their viewers, as you are. It is well appreciated, and I eagerly await your next video to come.
Excellent video, thank you. One of my all-time favourite authors is Daphne du Maurier. She definitely blurred the lines between literary and popular fiction, and between different genres.
Thank you for finally answering my internal doubts about the genre of my book. I have written a literary novel. Back to the agents I go... Deciding on genre is a dark art!
absolutely obsessed with the way you go the whole video with a polite, calming voice, speaking in well thought out sentences and a reasonable tone, only to end the video with "there's not point shitting on other people's tastes." incredible 10/10
I feel like I'm torn down the middle when it comes to this debate. I like stories with more fantastical elements, but I love beautiful, lush prose and character-driven plot like nothing else. I guess that's why I tend to gravitate towards magical realism. I love the works of Angela Carter and Jeanette Winterson because they balance fantastical elements with beautiful prose and experimental style.
One often ignored thing about being into literary fiction is that you tend to acquire certain standards in regards to the quality of prose, density and originality of ideas, etc. that actually make a lot of genre fiction hard to read. I can still read Pratchett, for example, but someone like Karpyshin is off the table at this point.
If there is an argument for the "superiority" of literary fiction it is this. I can't read genre fiction for this reason. Though I listen to all music types and have friends who don't understand how I listen to classical music and crappy pop haha
I really think that large, sweeping plots allow more freedom for characterization, but popular expectations can pigeonhole writers away from novelty... In a novel.
Nothing beats the mixture. P.S.: my thoughts are that Douglas Adams and Neil Gaiman perfected the mixture between both ends of the spectrum whilst never reaching them face-first. Now, on the side we have pleasure in reading, on the other, we have challenge. I can escape into linguistic and philosophical questioning just as much as I can really dive into speculative worlds. It is _not_ about escapism vs growth or anything of the like. It is about how much a text wants to flow vs how much it demands me to stop and savor it. And that pertains to any and every text in existence, irrespective of to which category it fits. It is a property of (written) language as a whole. Besides, every text is contextual, it should go without saying.
A wonderful summation of the topic! Your conclusion echoes my own view about using elements from genre and literary fiction. After all, before these categories were developed, named and separated into different camps, the ancient Greeks (to stick to western writing) told stories that drew inspiration from mythical figures steeped in deep and weighty truths about ‘the human condition’. Yet such stories were full of murder and monsters, making them endlessly exciting and fascinating. I don’t see why our writing can’t draw from the same well.
When you said accessible genre writing my mind immediately went to Mistborn before you brought it up. Sanderson is so good at writing clear and concise prose. I’ve heard him description prose as the window you view the story through and literary is often a stained glassed window while his is just a plane of glass.
I definitely see the point of breaking the partition. Truthfully, I tend to gift genre fiction to people who read a bit less, and give literary fiction to my closest, 'frequent reader' friends.
In the end, writing is just words on a page; the rest is an illusion. If the magic works, we wonder how the rabbit came out of the hat, whether it is a street performer or a famous magician on a big stage. If the magic happens, the words, the style, even the man behind the curtain, doesn't matter. We close the book and can never go back to who we were before we picked it up. Was it literary or was it genre? Either way, it was only words. But now, it is part of us. Unfortunately, book marketing is about feeding people the fare they already enjoy. We who write to touch some unpopular truth must hide it within entertainment. The literary crowd will conjure up objections of a thousand technical flaws of writing that points to a truth they would rather not see, but overlook the same and many more deficiencies in books from a perspective with which they agree. These days, they place point of view above craft, making them most difficult to reach and most dangerous to approach. Unless, of course, you are cleverly asserting in a new way something with which they already agree. I can far more easily reach someone reading for thrills or laughs with an unexpected truth than I can reach someone reading for some nebulous concept of literary quality whose main concern is whether their current worldview is validated in an innovative way. To say the same thing in a new way is not why I write.
This was truly an insightful video, I always found myself to be torn between these two fiction types and now I know both of it in depth which will truly help me to make my choice. Also, you have a great voice which is soothing and captivating. Subscribing you right away.
Hi thank you for sharing your video on genre verses literally. I sometimes find myself lost when it come to finding reading materials that appeals to me. I recently started writing short stories of my own, experimenting with different characters. I write romantic short stories that keeps me up all night making sure that my characters find love and live happily ever after. I know that it’s probably boring for those looking for more depth or drama. There is plenty of it outside my door. The world that I’ve created is safe for me and for those looking for the same thing. I may not get an award for my writing style but I’m satisfied and happy with my work. Still under construction.
It seems to me like "literary fiction" and "genre fiction" are misnomers. 'Cause, well, isn't "literary fiction" a genre of fiction? But as long as there's some understanding what the different categories are, it doesn't matter too much. We give things names to help define them and to facilitate communication. Humans are all about wanting to define and categorize things. And in art, where do we draw lines? Where can we? Distinctions in that area get blurry, which is probably related to why this video exists. I totally agree with you that writers should just write what they want to, regardless of genres. Don't let them box you in--unless your aim is to make a very genre-y story. I feel like genres should be descriptive, not prescriptive. I've read of distinctions between high and epic fantasy, and that doesn't at all affect how I write anything. It's just a label I can slap on to describe what I'm doing to others. Mildly unrelated: I read The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway some years ago, and it changed me fundamentally. The minimalism of his writing was intoxicating. It sent me on a path pursuing elegance in my own writing: saying the most with the least. I made a huge stride in my efforts right before I fell out of touch with writing... The prologue for "War for the Sun" (which I am reconsidering the prologue status of) remains my greatest achievement. I wonder if I'll ever be able to write like that again.
A number of articles contend that literary fiction is indeed its own genre, especially from a marketing perspective. Humans do love to slap labels on things as a way of better understanding abstract concepts. That's a good point about a book's genre being defined after a story is written rather than before; many times, I think writers mislabel their own work, and it's editors or readers that provide the more accurate label. Maybe you should pick up more of Hemingway's work and see if that sparks the same inspirational feeling. :)
I've toyed with tracking down more of Hemingway's work for years, but it's never panned out. And now that the very thought of reading books induces crippling anxiety... Maybe one day.
Books are a commitment of time and energy that I just don't have in me currently/anymore. I feel like I'll either be trapped by them or fail yet again at trying to get through them. (I have over the last several years become totally unreliable with commitments and promises.) I've also developed this sick propensity to not really let myself like or enjoy things. Things tend to fall apart or somehow not work out, and then I'm just left disappointed and with all the energy I poured into whatever it was going to waste. If I don't care, I can't be disappointed.
Other people have described feelings similar to yours about reading, and I'm sorry to hear that you've had to go through that, too. I hope that someday your love for reading will be reinvigorated! Listening to audiobooks and reading aloud to others has really helped me finish what I start.
One of the great genre (entertainment) novels is also one of the great works of world literature: The Lord of the Rings Here's another one: one of the greatest novels in the horror genre of the last several decades... The Exorcist, which I consider literature.
I've totally had a literary fiction person tell me that Erikson's Deadhouse Gates was 'one of those books'. I tried to defend its premise before I gave up. He wasn't going to change his mind because of what I said.
Thank you for this in depth video. I am currently writing my first literary fiction short story and wanted to get a clearer understanding (as I typically do straight fantasy fiction involving anything from shapeshifters to sci-if dystopia and anthro realms lol) and this explained so much. For starters I didn’t even realize this was a debated issue. I figured people judged a story based on how well it was written and the execution of character, plot and thematic messaging. Definitely more too it than that!
Thank you for this video. You have the most wonderful way of explaining and the editing and your voice are both so clear and absorbing. I am trying to hard to fit my recently completed novel into a category and it is ridiculously confusing with so many genres and sub -genres never mind trying to decide if is it genre or literary. On the one hand I don't feel qualified to describe my writing as traditionally literary - it isn't completely full of highfalutin prose and high brow thinking. But, on the other hand, it seems more character driven than fast paced plot so not typically genre fiction either. Now I can see that there is a spectrum as you've said and although I'm still a little confused on how best to categorise my own particular story I do see that it can still be character driven but fit into genre fiction - thank you so much!
Amazing video and analysis. I would say also that movies like “Arrival” and “Annihilation” (as well as their novel counterparts) are a good exemple of a genre story with a great use of literary fiction devices, such as human condition and character development.
Annihilation is a great example of that. The film did an excellent job of capturing that quality, as well. Both of my parents watched it, my dad being a sci-fi fan, and missed the message. They labeled it "strange." I labeled it "brilliant."
I didn't really even think about what category my book would be in to be honest. It is a fantasy drama, with a lot of movement and plot, but at the same time I really like to write close to the characters, display their inner conflicts, their relationships with each other. I love emotion in fiction, and seeing a world through the characters eyes without missing out on the world collapsing around them. I never necessarily really thought of those things as separate ideals. So yeah both categories could hugely benefit from each other in my opinion
It seems, from what you've said, the content of my novel is literary, the style and pace genre fiction. I believe the plot is a good one, but the characters and their shifting relationships, their motivations and the personal psychology behind them are a big part of the story.
I learned a long time ago that what you produce and how it's viewed by others are two completely different things. I learned this with my painting, and it holds true for writing. Just remember, we all have a different perspective.
Excellent. Valid points. As a reader of both genre and literary fiction, I have found great value in both, and both have had a positive influence on my own writing.
I graduated with a Creative Writing Minor ~ 17 years ago, but I don't act like an elitist book reader or a pretentious author. Those of that ilk are SICKENING. I like being entertained and want my readers to be FLOORED, while being entertained by simply READING my work.
I am a staunch Genre reader and writer, I won't say it's better than Literary fiction, but I will say it's better for me and my taste. To each their own, always.
The more I think about the characteristics of the two categories you presented, the more I realize that the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe is literary fiction with SF tropes instead of SF.
I think the term "literary fiction" should be changed to "poetic fiction", with the emphasis being on the novel as a crafted object, self-conscious of form, and concerned more with theme than plot. Genre fiction can contain moments of poetic insight, and is obviously also conscious of form, but the theme of genre fiction is the particular genre itself. It is more like an aesthetic exercise, playing within certain conventions in order to facilitate an engaging read. I guess what is missing from the conversation is the fact that these different approaches to fiction mirror different approaches to life itself. Some people live introspective lives focused on the minutiae and the beauty of their world, searching for meaning. Some people take meaning for granted, and enjoy things like board games and sports. Most people are a bit of both....and we need stories that speak to both sides. In the end, there is only one valid distinction: is it good or not?
Why not have both? Is it too hard? Ive never got that. I read Sanderson, Abercrombie, and Rothfusd as much as I read Steinbeck, McCarthy, and Faulkner. There is a clear distinction between the two groups. What I crave is a blend of the two. It drives me nuts. Its like, I love bananas and I love ice cream. Why are banana splits so rare? They're out there sure, but not enough in my estimation. Maybe thats why I became a writer. I dont know.
I found out about this "dichotomy" just recently when I was compiling a TBR for a reading challenge of 1 book a week per theme. My initial reaction was, "Aren't all books literary?" Looks like the distinction is what would be considered literature as a work of art. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a snob. There's a book from my country which won 2 prestigious national literary awards but I dismissed it as genre fiction.
This is why I love Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus so much; at times, it seems to blend both genre and literary fiction together. It isn't the easiest thing to do, but when done right, it feels infinitely rewarding to read.
This was amazingly informative, I liked the ending so much, for diversity we should keep them separate so we can appreciate each of them but also be able to blend them (if that's possible) to make readers interested in plot and characters emphasis internal conflict and details etc but the main point is to never compare them by putting one above the other Because after all it's all up to the taste of the reader.. that is exactly what art is, it shouldn't be looked at in a competitive way of which is better than which, art/literature may appeal to one but not another and that's okay I think therefore art should never be put in a heirchichal ladder of which is better than the other. Love the ending quote "Because fictions are never real but feelings that they arise in us ..are" what a great quote.
By your definitions of Genre/Literary, my novel can be thought of as *Small-Scale Drama intertwined with Large Scale Drama, Internal Conflict intertwined with Large Scale External Conflict.* Yeah... um... my novel is screwed! LOL!!!
If you were to create catagories for different elements or aspects of writing, and then score each one, litterary fiction would almost always come out far bellow fantasy and scifi. Fantasy and Sci-fi contain all of the element lit does, but they also contain more, many catagories where lit would get zeros. In the case of sci fi, it is often dealing with cutting edge philosophy and ethics of a changing world across the whole of society, while lit fic is dealing often with social drama that these characters should have dealt with in jr high, but they someone became adults that still haven't dealt with it. Yes, they both have their place, and I love words and language for their own sake. But, take Gatsby for example, I love the book, but if someone thinks that a story of a bunch of people with questionably morality who treat eacher like crap is 'higher' than a sci-fi book which is dealing with the ethic of altering genetics, or using ai-based algos to accuse people of pre-crime, then that person is wrong. There is simply no objective way to claim that something like Gatsby is higher than Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, or even the Blade Runner script.
The prejudice against genre fiction may be disappearing. My MFA workshop classes accept genre fiction and we have specific classes on science fiction, romance, and magical realism.
Okay, so, first I thought, maybe my current project is dipping its toes into literary fiction because there's a philosophical topic that keeps coming up and strongly influencing the self-perception of one of my main characters. Now I think maybe it's 100% literary fiction because it doesn't actually have a plot outside of the emotional development that happens while my three characters interact with each other. I'm confused.
Thank you for this analysis. My ideas regarding literature are somewhat at odds with yours. For me, true literature focuses on the use of language. I care about HOW a writer expresses him/herself, the particular subject matter or storyline is almost irrelevant.
Based on many comments I have heard from many sources (RE: "Identify the genre selling location of your novel in the bookstore so as to better introduce your work to a potential Literary Agent") I suspect that "Genre" identification is a shortcut used to lubricate the gears of publication machinery. It's simply not good enough to say, "Here is my work - read and critique it." Few people have the time to read and evaluate. We must winnow out the chaff and permit the remaining seeds to contend for superiority. How does the unknown literary genius get her work before potential publishers? Few are geniuses, of course, but how many are being overlooked, I wonder? The "Genre vs Literary" discussion is certainly useful in some contexts, but I hope none of us miss wonderful writing because our expectations are unduly influencing our reading choices.
I think it's not just about saving agents and publishers time though. It's also about consumers. There are many readers who want these labels, because they want to pick a book in line with their tastes and desires. Go into any bookshop or library and watch people. They tend to gravitate towards certain areas and avoid others based on their perceived tastes. It's also for this reason that successful cover designs tend to communicate a genre and/or whether it's a literary novel. Artists may not want to put their work into a commercial category, but that's the reality of publishing. Readers have different tastes and they don't typically want to buy and read a load of books that they don't like before they get to something they do.
Thought-provoking! In fact, I've just now realized what the unpleasant itch I had at the back of my skull was about a kid's book I wrote is. It's genre fiction - but for some reason I gave it a much more literary fiction ending... Hmm. I'm going to have to rethink that. Not to say that it can't be done, but it's good to have the differences pointed out to me! I also feel that may be the problem I had with The Book of Strange New Things, by Michel Faber, which I finished recently. It seems to be science fiction to start with. Clearly a genre book. But the further on you go, the more you realise he'd prefer to write literary fiction. In the end, I felt he'd written many interesting words, but no story. I don't care for books that are trying to be all artistic - or at least, that's how they seem to defend their inability to close any of the "plot"-lines by the end of the book. That's not artistic, it's not poignant, it's just lazy writing (to me.) Okay, occasionally a book can leave a major thing open to wondering by the reader - like at the end of the movies Total Recall and Inception. Was it all an implanted dream? (In both cases.) In both cases there's been sufficient closure of the various plot lines that you (the reader or viewer,) feel that the story has gone somewhere, and left us in a new and satisfying place. And the still-open-unanswered-question is just a teaser to get you thinking as you leave the cinema (or book, as the case may be.) But there are no endings in The Book of Strange New Things. And I found that incredibly annoying. And unsatisfying. I guess I wasn't reading it (primarily) for interesting prose, but for an enjoyable story. I agree with you that it is possible to have both. I'm thinking of something like Golding's Lord of the Flies, and (maybe,) Conrad's Heart of Darkness (to an extent.) I should add that many people really loved The Book of Strange New Things. But not me.
I like genre fiction which is thought provocative, which introduce to new ideas like 'The Last question' by Isaac Schkimov or 1984. However my taste for typical formula/plot driven fiction has wore off. But I can't appreciate literary fiction either as sometimes I can't grasp it.
I'm shocked at how many literary agents outright state they aren't interested in genre fiction. I already have a number of things I gotta watch out for in my searches; "wokism" being chief among them. Literary fiction strikes me as so limiting. It's like saying, "Breeds of horses are not true horses, give me horses." Umm... huh??? The more I hear about "literary fiction," the more it comes across as the "slice-of-life" genre.
I would consider "The Giver" to be genre fiction, as it deals with a sci-fi world, and it's considered children's fiction in terms of audience. Literary fiction tends to be mainly written for an adult audience. However, "The Giver" is still a children's classic and a wonderful story! :)
I think I understand the dichotomy a bit better, and I do agree that certain genres rely too much on pre-fabricated recipes; romance, espionage, and judicial thrillers. As much as I like Le Carré; there is still nothing more than the following ingredients; the mole, Switzerland, the friend who does time for the crime another has committed, and the idea that the hero is becoming like the adversary. And from how many angles can John Grisham explore the intricacies of legal drama? The only books he hasn't written (yet) are "The Bailiff", "The Stenographer" and "The Paralegal". To me, genre is a way to say things that are not possible of saying in a certain context, for instance, sci-fi; in sci-fi, it is possible to have an inter-racial kiss, because all of the action is happening in the year 3000, so, if you're in 1968, nothing to worry about! Genre is about having an intangible concept as an actor of the plot; trust and mistrust in espionage, love and indifference in romance, right and wrong in legal dramas... Does the difference between the two simply means writing style? In this case, let me quote Hemingway; "...he thinks big words mean big emotions." Then there is no real difference between Wuthering Heights and an airport novel!
I say just look at Shakespeare. Sensational Elizabethan entertainment to get the groundlings going, while at the same time, the one most complex works into the human condition in history.
People debating over the difference between genre and literary fiction, meanwhile the rest of the world didn't know these labels existed and just saw them all as 'books'.
A lot of authors mix the two categories together in their work, like David Mitchell, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Margaret Atwood. The distinction between "genre" and "literary" isn't always cut and dried, so it's more of a way to think about literature than it is an official classification for fiction. Keep writing! :)
To be frank, given the age of this video, I'm not sure what my motivations are for commenting; yet, I shall do so. "Literary" fiction has only been around since the early nineties, the term having been coined by some 'bright young thing' to try to develop a new genre that spoke to a particular demographic. Until then, anything could be considered, what I shall call, high-art fiction. John le Carre wrote spy novels, but no one would argue with the highly developed craft of his novels. You, yourself, showed Garcia-Marquez, I would add Borges, Calvino, & Bulgakov to that list, whom all dealt, in one form or another, with fantasy. Even the Surrealists were trying only to get to the root of the humans' experience in the world, just in a way that that would shock the reader out of their normality. Umberto Eco, Professor of Medieval History & Semiotics, also wrote Baudolino, about a knight on a quest to find Prester John--surely a fantasy, considering all the strange characters, beings, & monsters his Protagonist met on his journey. It is certainly a work of the highest esteem. It was, perhaps, ironic, that at the same time as the literary genre was created, I decided to up my reading game. I simply wanted more than what I was getting out of fantasy/science fiction being published at the time. So I went back to the beginning & started reading Ancient Greek myths, tales, & dramas. I have slowly worked my way forward. As it turns out, I enjoy a challenge, &, perhaps even more, learned to enjoy a really well written sentence. (If you are a writer I would suggest Stanley Fish's book How to Write a Sentence). A well written sentence doesn't mean opening a thesaurus, but choosing the proper word for whatever it is you are trying to convey, given the setting, characters, & time of your writing. I would suggest anything written by Chester Himes to see how it is done; should you prefer something thicker, then take up Broch's The Death of Virgil (which is basically a five hundred page prose poem). I want to re-read a sentence or paragraph, not because I didn't understand it, but because it is so wonderfully crafted, that I don't want to let it go. Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser is still one of my favorites. There are now over a million words, either invented or imported, in the English language. Search for them, hunt them down, find them & use them. Grow to cherish them. If I am reading a fantasy that is based, to some degree or other, on the medieval times of Europe, I do not want to be assaulted by the contemporary vernacular. Find the great older books that were published before the Literary genre was encapsulated in the MFA churn-house. Read The Master & Margarita & you will find the craft of writing heightened & honed to the very finest degree.
You can also try reading grave the hidden truth by priyanka khetawat, if you want to go for fictional book with thriller, suspense and mystery Firstly, I was amazed by the attention to details in every chapter and I am sure you would notice it as well. One thing I enjoyed throughout the story is that each scene is happening in multiple locations and I loved the way the author painted the picture in front of me. It was almost like I was there, and I could vividly see what is going on. My favourite part is when all of them get stuck in a cave with another civilisation, who don't even speak the language. I can keep on going, but I am going to stop here as I don't want to spoil too much for the future the readers. Secondly, I was shocked when the author came up with a new script altogether for the ancient civilisation, and I completely enjoyed the riddles Firstly, I was amazed by the attention to details in every chapter and I am sure you would notice it as well. One thing I enjoyed throughout the story is that each scene is happening in multiple locations and I loved the way the author painted the picture in front of me. It was almost like I was there, and I could vividly see what is going on. My favourite part is when all of them get stuck in a cave with another civilisation, who don't even speak the language. I can keep on going, but I am going to stop here as I don't want to spoil too much for the future the readers. Secondly, I was shocked when the author came up with a new script altogether for the ancient civilisation, and I completely enjoyed the riddles sprinkled in the second half of the books led in the second half of the book
I like fantasy settings and complex characters and interactions between them even if they take precedent over the plot but I hate flowery prose. If I have to sit with a dictionary and then read a summary on the internet and think all throughout yhe night to understand a book, I'm not interested in such a book. For me, a novel in first a form of entertainment. Improvement and growth are secondary or irrelevant.
I dislike books that shoehorn themselves into a certain genre with all its tired tropes. I also dislike literary books because they feel too pretentious (and they're boring). A good book must be entertaining, compelling, and get you to look at life from a new angle.
IMO the binary distinction between literary and genre fiction has been harmful for both, most genre fictions tend to become formulaic and trope-y until someone artistic and creative breaks the mold, and literary fiction avoiding genre aesthetics have caused itself to die out from public conscience for the most part if that distinction didn't exist then literature in general would've been in a better place, genre fiction wouldn't be in it's own formulaic bubble, instead taking experimental and artistic structures, themes and stories much like literary fiction, while literary fiction would contribute to some of the greatest sci-fi, mystery, fantasy and romantic novels, the best novels are sometimes the ones that defy the genre vs literary duality
I've got zero problem with lit fic, I just can't stand the people who exclusively fetishize it. I've known a few. They are, without exception, Dunning Kruger types who don't get that they don't get it. Especially when it comes to SF -- mature SF often engages with legitimate questions of tech and the nature of being human. Side note: another genre that gets shit on a lot by lit fic exclusivists is espionage/techno thriller. Sure, there's a lot of action hero Tom Clancy type stuff, but there's a number of amazing political espionage thrillers that tackle mass surveillance, ethical questions, and the problems of ideology.
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Hi there, viewers! You can read an adapted text version of this video on Medium. medium.com/@quotidianwriter/literary-vs-genre-fiction-9173e11e77df
I personally think that both are equally amazing and that they both teach us about the human experience and the writing process.
I'm just reading and writing for fun, what's all this about?
Awkwardly enough, despite having been a reader since I was capable of reading and having amassed a large library of books... I've never considered before now that there might be a difference. Most books use tropes, and most good books also make you think deeper. I'd never considered that belonging to a genre made a work automatically lesser, because I'd never considered that literary works weren't in a genre, themselves.
I suppose there may be a dissonance in regards to definitions. To me, genres are a superficial yet extremely convenient categorization system - almost everything belongs to one, and some belong to several. As for literature - I'd simply assumed that all books were literature, and that those whose popularity and message withstood the test of time were "classics."
Apparently, these are not the standard definitions, but as of yesterday, they were the only ones I knew.
Girl, you keep out doing yourself with each subsequent video. Keep writing.
After watching this I finally understand why I feel unsatisfied reading most of the fantasies on my shelf. What I'd been expected was something made me think but in fantasy form. For some reason I don't like reading real world settings but my taste is actually more towards literature fiction than genre fiction as they're today. Basically, I want more authentic and deeper discussions in fantasy... Guess that would be hard to get.
I guess I'm not as tuned into the literary world as I thought I was. I didn't even realize this was a debate. Personally, I feel a writer shouldn't be scared to embrace the fantastical just as much as they shouldn't be afraid to let the pace break way in exchange for more powerful characters and setting. There's tons more to say than this, of course, but they all adhere to similar themes of which I just exhibited. Neither side is without complexities the other would do well to learn from. It really sucks that this is even being debated in the first place, I would've thought it self-evident that all works hold naturally inherent value. Oh well, I won't let it get to me. This too shall pass. Oh, and another sensational video by the way. I've yet to find another TH-camr as well-versed in the writing side of things, or at least in divulging it to their viewers, as you are. It is well appreciated, and I eagerly await your next video to come.
Excellent video, thank you. One of my all-time favourite authors is Daphne du Maurier. She definitely blurred the lines between literary and popular fiction, and between different genres.
Absolutely. DuMaurier’s great.
Thank you for finally answering my internal doubts about the genre of my book. I have written a literary novel. Back to the agents I go... Deciding on genre is a dark art!
absolutely obsessed with the way you go the whole video with a polite, calming voice, speaking in well thought out sentences and a reasonable tone, only to end the video with "there's not point shitting on other people's tastes." incredible 10/10
This really helped. I've been stuck on what the differences are for a while. And your voice is really pleasant to listen to
I feel like I'm torn down the middle when it comes to this debate. I like stories with more fantastical elements, but I love beautiful, lush prose and character-driven plot like nothing else. I guess that's why I tend to gravitate towards magical realism. I love the works of Angela Carter and Jeanette Winterson because they balance fantastical elements with beautiful prose and experimental style.
I'm just over here writing character driven fantasy stories...
One often ignored thing about being into literary fiction is that you tend to acquire certain standards in regards to the quality of prose, density and originality of ideas, etc. that actually make a lot of genre fiction hard to read. I can still read Pratchett, for example, but someone like Karpyshin is off the table at this point.
I'm familiar with that feeling, too.
If there is an argument for the "superiority" of literary fiction it is this. I can't read genre fiction for this reason. Though I listen to all music types and have friends who don't understand how I listen to classical music and crappy pop haha
I really think that large, sweeping plots allow more freedom for characterization, but popular expectations can pigeonhole writers away from novelty... In a novel.
Literary fiction is a genre
change my mind
No need for _me_ to change your mind because I absolutely agree, haha.
no, you're right
Nothing beats the mixture.
P.S.: my thoughts are that Douglas Adams and Neil Gaiman perfected the mixture between both ends of the spectrum whilst never reaching them face-first. Now, on the side we have pleasure in reading, on the other, we have challenge. I can escape into linguistic and philosophical questioning just as much as I can really dive into speculative worlds. It is _not_ about escapism vs growth or anything of the like. It is about how much a text wants to flow vs how much it demands me to stop and savor it. And that pertains to any and every text in existence, irrespective of to which category it fits. It is a property of (written) language as a whole. Besides, every text is contextual, it should go without saying.
A wonderful summation of the topic! Your conclusion echoes my own view about using elements from genre and literary fiction. After all, before these categories were developed, named and separated into different camps, the ancient Greeks (to stick to western writing) told stories that drew inspiration from mythical figures steeped in deep and weighty truths about ‘the human condition’. Yet such stories were full of murder and monsters, making them endlessly exciting and fascinating. I don’t see why our writing can’t draw from the same well.
Excellent point!
I love your graphics and explanations! So informative, yet calming. 😌
When you said accessible genre writing my mind immediately went to Mistborn before you brought it up. Sanderson is so good at writing clear and concise prose. I’ve heard him description prose as the window you view the story through and literary is often a stained glassed window while his is just a plane of glass.
Almost all of my work strives to have that lyrical weight under a B-movie aesthetic. So, this VS discussion is the crux of my discipline
I definitely see the point of breaking the partition. Truthfully, I tend to gift genre fiction to people who read a bit less, and give literary fiction to my closest, 'frequent reader' friends.
In the end, writing is just words on a page; the rest is an illusion. If the magic works, we wonder how the rabbit came out of the hat, whether it is a street performer or a famous magician on a big stage. If the magic happens, the words, the style, even the man behind the curtain, doesn't matter. We close the book and can never go back to who we were before we picked it up. Was it literary or was it genre? Either way, it was only words. But now, it is part of us.
Unfortunately, book marketing is about feeding people the fare they already enjoy. We who write to touch some unpopular truth must hide it within entertainment. The literary crowd will conjure up objections of a thousand technical flaws of writing that points to a truth they would rather not see, but overlook the same and many more deficiencies in books from a perspective with which they agree. These days, they place point of view above craft, making them most difficult to reach and most dangerous to approach. Unless, of course, you are cleverly asserting in a new way something with which they already agree.
I can far more easily reach someone reading for thrills or laughs with an unexpected truth than I can reach someone reading for some nebulous concept of literary quality whose main concern is whether their current worldview is validated in an innovative way. To say the same thing in a new way is not why I write.
Beautifully said!
This was truly an insightful video, I always found myself to be torn between these two fiction types and now I know both of it in depth which will truly help me to make my choice.
Also, you have a great voice which is soothing and captivating.
Subscribing you right away.
Hi thank you for sharing your video on genre verses literally. I sometimes find myself lost when it come to finding reading materials that appeals to me. I recently started writing short stories of my own, experimenting with different characters. I write romantic short stories that keeps me up all night making sure that my characters find love and live happily ever after. I know that it’s probably boring for those looking for more depth or drama. There is plenty of it outside my door. The world that I’ve created is safe for me and for those looking for the same thing. I may not get an award for my writing style but I’m satisfied and happy with my work. Still under construction.
It seems to me like "literary fiction" and "genre fiction" are misnomers. 'Cause, well, isn't "literary fiction" a genre of fiction? But as long as there's some understanding what the different categories are, it doesn't matter too much. We give things names to help define them and to facilitate communication. Humans are all about wanting to define and categorize things. And in art, where do we draw lines? Where can we? Distinctions in that area get blurry, which is probably related to why this video exists.
I totally agree with you that writers should just write what they want to, regardless of genres. Don't let them box you in--unless your aim is to make a very genre-y story. I feel like genres should be descriptive, not prescriptive. I've read of distinctions between high and epic fantasy, and that doesn't at all affect how I write anything. It's just a label I can slap on to describe what I'm doing to others.
Mildly unrelated: I read The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway some years ago, and it changed me fundamentally. The minimalism of his writing was intoxicating. It sent me on a path pursuing elegance in my own writing: saying the most with the least. I made a huge stride in my efforts right before I fell out of touch with writing... The prologue for "War for the Sun" (which I am reconsidering the prologue status of) remains my greatest achievement. I wonder if I'll ever be able to write like that again.
A number of articles contend that literary fiction is indeed its own genre, especially from a marketing perspective. Humans do love to slap labels on things as a way of better understanding abstract concepts. That's a good point about a book's genre being defined after a story is written rather than before; many times, I think writers mislabel their own work, and it's editors or readers that provide the more accurate label. Maybe you should pick up more of Hemingway's work and see if that sparks the same inspirational feeling. :)
I've toyed with tracking down more of Hemingway's work for years, but it's never panned out. And now that the very thought of reading books induces crippling anxiety... Maybe one day.
What makes you anxious about reading? Is it the pressure of having to finish a book?
Books are a commitment of time and energy that I just don't have in me currently/anymore. I feel like I'll either be trapped by them or fail yet again at trying to get through them. (I have over the last several years become totally unreliable with commitments and promises.) I've also developed this sick propensity to not really let myself like or enjoy things. Things tend to fall apart or somehow not work out, and then I'm just left disappointed and with all the energy I poured into whatever it was going to waste. If I don't care, I can't be disappointed.
Other people have described feelings similar to yours about reading, and I'm sorry to hear that you've had to go through that, too. I hope that someday your love for reading will be reinvigorated! Listening to audiobooks and reading aloud to others has really helped me finish what I start.
One of the great genre (entertainment) novels is also one of the great works of world literature: The Lord of the Rings
Here's another one: one of the greatest novels in the horror genre of the last several decades... The Exorcist, which I consider literature.
Well done! You've done the most concise comparison I really clearly understand better now
I've totally had a literary fiction person tell me that Erikson's Deadhouse Gates was 'one of those books'. I tried to defend its premise before I gave up. He wasn't going to change his mind because of what I said.
Thank you for this in depth video. I am currently writing my first literary fiction short story and wanted to get a clearer understanding (as I typically do straight fantasy fiction involving anything from shapeshifters to sci-if dystopia and anthro realms lol) and this explained so much.
For starters I didn’t even realize this was a debated issue. I figured people judged a story based on how well it was written and the execution of character, plot and thematic messaging. Definitely more too it than that!
What an awesome video. Well explained and easily understood. Subbed
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words! Keep writing. :)
Thank you for this video. You have the most wonderful way of explaining and the editing and your voice are both so clear and absorbing. I am trying to hard to fit my recently completed novel into a category and it is ridiculously confusing with so many genres and sub -genres never mind trying to decide if is it genre or literary. On the one hand I don't feel qualified to describe my writing as traditionally literary - it isn't completely full of highfalutin prose and high brow thinking. But, on the other hand, it seems more character driven than fast paced plot so not typically genre fiction either. Now I can see that there is a spectrum as you've said and although I'm still a little confused on how best to categorise my own particular story I do see that it can still be character driven but fit into genre fiction - thank you so much!
Amazing video and analysis. I would say also that movies like “Arrival” and “Annihilation” (as well as their novel counterparts) are a good exemple of a genre story with a great use of literary fiction devices, such as human condition and character development.
Annihilation is a great example of that. The film did an excellent job of capturing that quality, as well. Both of my parents watched it, my dad being a sci-fi fan, and missed the message. They labeled it "strange." I labeled it "brilliant."
I didn't really even think about what category my book would be in to be honest. It is a fantasy drama, with a lot of movement and plot, but at the same time I really like to write close to the characters, display their inner conflicts, their relationships with each other. I love emotion in fiction, and seeing a world through the characters eyes without missing out on the world collapsing around them. I never necessarily really thought of those things as separate ideals. So yeah both categories could hugely benefit from each other in my opinion
But honestly, I think it's all subjective.
It seems, from what you've said, the content of my novel is literary, the style and pace genre fiction. I believe the plot is a good one, but the characters and their shifting relationships, their motivations and the personal psychology behind them are a big part of the story.
Oh my goodness! 😱😱 I feel in love your voice 🥰😍 please do more videos. I was hooked by you!😃
I learned a long time ago that what you produce and how it's viewed by others are two completely different things. I learned this with my painting, and it holds true for writing. Just remember, we all have a different perspective.
Your approach to your videos IS great! Bookish love from the UK
Excellent. Valid points. As a reader of both genre and literary fiction, I have found great value in both, and both have had a positive influence on my own writing.
Well said. Thank you for this.
I graduated with a Creative Writing Minor ~ 17 years ago, but I don't act like an elitist book reader or a pretentious author. Those of that ilk are SICKENING.
I like being entertained and want my readers to be FLOORED, while being entertained by simply READING my work.
Strong ending. I consider Stanisław Lem's "Solaris" to be a fusion of lit and genre fiction.
First time viewer, loved your video :)
I am a staunch Genre reader and writer, I won't say it's better than Literary fiction, but I will say it's better for me and my taste. To each their own, always.
The more I think about the characteristics of the two categories you presented, the more I realize that the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe is literary fiction with SF tropes instead of SF.
I think the term "literary fiction" should be changed to "poetic fiction", with the emphasis being on the novel as a crafted object, self-conscious of form, and concerned more with theme than plot. Genre fiction can contain moments of poetic insight, and is obviously also conscious of form, but the theme of genre fiction is the particular genre itself. It is more like an aesthetic exercise, playing within certain conventions in order to facilitate an engaging read.
I guess what is missing from the conversation is the fact that these different approaches to fiction mirror different approaches to life itself. Some people live introspective lives focused on the minutiae and the beauty of their world, searching for meaning. Some people take meaning for granted, and enjoy things like board games and sports. Most people are a bit of both....and we need stories that speak to both sides. In the end, there is only one valid distinction: is it good or not?
Why not have both? Is it too hard? Ive never got that. I read Sanderson, Abercrombie, and Rothfusd as much as I read Steinbeck, McCarthy, and Faulkner. There is a clear distinction between the two groups. What I crave is a blend of the two. It drives me nuts. Its like, I love bananas and I love ice cream. Why are banana splits so rare? They're out there sure, but not enough in my estimation. Maybe thats why I became a writer. I dont know.
I found out about this "dichotomy" just recently when I was compiling a TBR for a reading challenge of 1 book a week per theme. My initial reaction was, "Aren't all books literary?" Looks like the distinction is what would be considered literature as a work of art.
Admittedly, I'm a bit of a snob. There's a book from my country which won 2 prestigious national literary awards but I dismissed it as genre fiction.
This is why I love Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus so much; at times, it seems to blend both genre and literary fiction together. It isn't the easiest thing to do, but when done right, it feels infinitely rewarding to read.
i love your channel so much. thank you for this
This was amazingly informative, I liked the ending so much, for diversity we should keep them separate so we can appreciate each of them but also be able to blend them (if that's possible) to make readers interested in plot and characters emphasis internal conflict and details etc but the main point is to never compare them by putting one above the other Because after all it's all up to the taste of the reader.. that is exactly what art is, it shouldn't be looked at in a competitive way of which is better than which, art/literature may appeal to one but not another and that's okay I think therefore art should never be put in a heirchichal ladder of which is better than the other. Love the ending quote "Because fictions are never real but feelings that they arise in us ..are" what a great quote.
By your definitions of Genre/Literary, my novel can be thought of as *Small-Scale Drama intertwined with Large Scale Drama, Internal Conflict intertwined with Large Scale External Conflict.* Yeah... um... my novel is screwed! LOL!!!
If you were to create catagories for different elements or aspects of writing, and then score each one, litterary fiction would almost always come out far bellow fantasy and scifi. Fantasy and Sci-fi contain all of the element lit does, but they also contain more, many catagories where lit would get zeros. In the case of sci fi, it is often dealing with cutting edge philosophy and ethics of a changing world across the whole of society, while lit fic is dealing often with social drama that these characters should have dealt with in jr high, but they someone became adults that still haven't dealt with it. Yes, they both have their place, and I love words and language for their own sake. But, take Gatsby for example, I love the book, but if someone thinks that a story of a bunch of people with questionably morality who treat eacher like crap is 'higher' than a sci-fi book which is dealing with the ethic of altering genetics, or using ai-based algos to accuse people of pre-crime, then that person is wrong. There is simply no objective way to claim that something like Gatsby is higher than Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, or even the Blade Runner script.
Oh, and thanks for another amazing, thought provoking video =)
EXCELLENT!
The prejudice against genre fiction may be disappearing. My MFA workshop classes accept genre fiction and we have specific classes on science fiction, romance, and magical realism.
Kool, you hit on something here that opens my 3rd Eye wide, helps me see where I could maybe plant my feet-ThankYou 💥
Okay, so, first I thought, maybe my current project is dipping its toes into literary fiction because there's a philosophical topic that keeps coming up and strongly influencing the self-perception of one of my main characters. Now I think maybe it's 100% literary fiction because it doesn't actually have a plot outside of the emotional development that happens while my three characters interact with each other. I'm confused.
Amazing video.. Thank you so much 😍
Fabulous and informative video thanks.
Thank you for this analysis.
My ideas regarding literature are somewhat at odds with yours. For me, true literature focuses on the use of language. I care about HOW a writer expresses him/herself, the particular subject matter or storyline is almost irrelevant.
Based on many comments I have heard from many sources (RE: "Identify the genre selling location of your novel in the bookstore so as to better introduce your work to a potential Literary Agent") I suspect that "Genre" identification is a shortcut used to lubricate the gears of publication machinery. It's simply not good enough to say, "Here is my work - read and critique it." Few people have the time to read and evaluate. We must winnow out the chaff and permit the remaining seeds to contend for superiority. How does the unknown literary genius get her work before potential publishers? Few are geniuses, of course, but how many are being overlooked, I wonder? The "Genre vs Literary" discussion is certainly useful in some contexts, but I hope none of us miss wonderful writing because our expectations are unduly influencing our reading choices.
I think it's not just about saving agents and publishers time though. It's also about consumers. There are many readers who want these labels, because they want to pick a book in line with their tastes and desires. Go into any bookshop or library and watch people. They tend to gravitate towards certain areas and avoid others based on their perceived tastes. It's also for this reason that successful cover designs tend to communicate a genre and/or whether it's a literary novel.
Artists may not want to put their work into a commercial category, but that's the reality of publishing. Readers have different tastes and they don't typically want to buy and read a load of books that they don't like before they get to something they do.
Great video
Thought-provoking! In fact, I've just now realized what the unpleasant itch I had at the back of my skull was about a kid's book I wrote is. It's genre fiction - but for some reason I gave it a much more literary fiction ending... Hmm. I'm going to have to rethink that. Not to say that it can't be done, but it's good to have the differences pointed out to me!
I also feel that may be the problem I had with The Book of Strange New Things, by Michel Faber, which I finished recently. It seems to be science fiction to start with. Clearly a genre book. But the further on you go, the more you realise he'd prefer to write literary fiction. In the end, I felt he'd written many interesting words, but no story. I don't care for books that are trying to be all artistic - or at least, that's how they seem to defend their inability to close any of the "plot"-lines by the end of the book. That's not artistic, it's not poignant, it's just lazy writing (to me.) Okay, occasionally a book can leave a major thing open to wondering by the reader - like at the end of the movies Total Recall and Inception. Was it all an implanted dream? (In both cases.) In both cases there's been sufficient closure of the various plot lines that you (the reader or viewer,) feel that the story has gone somewhere, and left us in a new and satisfying place. And the still-open-unanswered-question is just a teaser to get you thinking as you leave the cinema (or book, as the case may be.) But there are no endings in The Book of Strange New Things. And I found that incredibly annoying. And unsatisfying. I guess I wasn't reading it (primarily) for interesting prose, but for an enjoyable story. I agree with you that it is possible to have both. I'm thinking of something like Golding's Lord of the Flies, and (maybe,) Conrad's Heart of Darkness (to an extent.) I should add that many people really loved The Book of Strange New Things. But not me.
I like genre fiction which is thought provocative, which introduce to new ideas like 'The Last question' by Isaac Schkimov or 1984. However my taste for typical formula/plot driven fiction has wore off. But I can't appreciate literary fiction either as sometimes I can't grasp it.
This was very well put.
Excellent, excellent video.
This is such a underrated channel
You tickle my brain with your brilliance
Thank you, very helpful
I'm shocked at how many literary agents outright state they aren't interested in genre fiction. I already have a number of things I gotta watch out for in my searches; "wokism" being chief among them.
Literary fiction strikes me as so limiting. It's like saying, "Breeds of horses are not true horses, give me horses." Umm... huh??? The more I hear about "literary fiction," the more it comes across as the "slice-of-life" genre.
Can anyone tell is The Giver by Lois Lowry genre or literary fiction?
I would consider "The Giver" to be genre fiction, as it deals with a sci-fi world, and it's considered children's fiction in terms of audience. Literary fiction tends to be mainly written for an adult audience. However, "The Giver" is still a children's classic and a wonderful story! :)
Wow, nice and insightful video
Thank you for another amazing video.
I think I understand the dichotomy a bit better, and I do agree that certain genres rely too much on pre-fabricated recipes; romance, espionage, and judicial thrillers. As much as I like Le Carré; there is still nothing more than the following ingredients; the mole, Switzerland, the friend who does time for the crime another has committed, and the idea that the hero is becoming like the adversary. And from how many angles can John Grisham explore the intricacies of legal drama? The only books he hasn't written (yet) are "The Bailiff", "The Stenographer" and "The Paralegal". To me, genre is a way to say things that are not possible of saying in a certain context, for instance, sci-fi; in sci-fi, it is possible to have an inter-racial kiss, because all of the action is happening in the year 3000, so, if you're in 1968, nothing to worry about! Genre is about having an intangible concept as an actor of the plot; trust and mistrust in espionage, love and indifference in romance, right and wrong in legal dramas... Does the difference between the two simply means writing style? In this case, let me quote Hemingway; "...he thinks big words mean big emotions." Then there is no real difference between Wuthering Heights and an airport novel!
Yeah, but how do you do anything? How do you achieve both? How do you write?
Clear picture drawn!
I say just look at Shakespeare. Sensational Elizabethan entertainment to get the groundlings going, while at the same time, the one most complex works into the human condition in history.
Thank you
Was not expecting Ron Swanson in this video
I wish to use both for my works.
People debating over the difference between genre and literary fiction, meanwhile the rest of the world didn't know these labels existed and just saw them all as 'books'.
Great video and definitely eye-opening but now I have no idea what kind of book I’m writing 🤷♀️ Oops!
“There’s no point in shiting on other peoples taste. Write what you want to write…”
Could I mix both genres together? It sounds like it could be interesting
A lot of authors mix the two categories together in their work, like David Mitchell, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Margaret Atwood. The distinction between "genre" and "literary" isn't always cut and dried, so it's more of a way to think about literature than it is an official classification for fiction. Keep writing! :)
To be frank, given the age of this video, I'm not sure what my motivations are for commenting; yet, I shall do so. "Literary" fiction has only been around since the early nineties, the term having been coined by some 'bright young thing' to try to develop a new genre that spoke to a particular demographic. Until then, anything could be considered, what I shall call, high-art fiction. John le Carre wrote spy novels, but no one would argue with the highly developed craft of his novels. You, yourself, showed Garcia-Marquez, I would add Borges, Calvino, & Bulgakov to that list, whom all dealt, in one form or another, with fantasy. Even the Surrealists were trying only to get to the root of the humans' experience in the world, just in a way that that would shock the reader out of their normality. Umberto Eco, Professor of Medieval History & Semiotics, also wrote Baudolino, about a knight on a quest to find Prester John--surely a fantasy, considering all the strange characters, beings, & monsters his Protagonist met on his journey. It is certainly a work of the highest esteem.
It was, perhaps, ironic, that at the same time as the literary genre was created, I decided to up my reading game. I simply wanted more than what I was getting out of fantasy/science fiction being published at the time. So I went back to the beginning & started reading Ancient Greek myths, tales, & dramas. I have slowly worked my way forward. As it turns out, I enjoy a challenge, &, perhaps even more, learned to enjoy a really well written sentence. (If you are a writer I would suggest Stanley Fish's book How to Write a Sentence). A well written sentence doesn't mean opening a thesaurus, but choosing the proper word for whatever it is you are trying to convey, given the setting, characters, & time of your writing. I would suggest anything written by Chester Himes to see how it is done; should you prefer something thicker, then take up Broch's The Death of Virgil (which is basically a five hundred page prose poem). I want to re-read a sentence or paragraph, not because I didn't understand it, but because it is so wonderfully crafted, that I don't want to let it go. Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser is still one of my favorites.
There are now over a million words, either invented or imported, in the English language. Search for them, hunt them down, find them & use them. Grow to cherish them. If I am reading a fantasy that is based, to some degree or other, on the medieval times of Europe, I do not want to be assaulted by the contemporary vernacular. Find the great older books that were published before the Literary genre was encapsulated in the MFA churn-house. Read The Master & Margarita & you will find the craft of writing heightened & honed to the very finest degree.
I would say literary fiction is pretty underrated
Reading literary fiction is more a “guilty pleasure” in my opinion
You can also try reading grave the hidden truth by priyanka khetawat, if you want to go for fictional book with thriller, suspense and mystery
Firstly, I was amazed by the attention to details in every chapter and I am sure you would notice it as well. One thing I enjoyed throughout the story is that each scene is happening in multiple locations and I loved the way the author painted the picture in front of me. It was almost like I was there, and I could vividly see what is going on. My favourite part is when all of them get stuck in a cave with another civilisation, who don't even speak the language. I can keep on going, but I am going to stop here as I don't want to spoil too much for the future the readers.
Secondly, I was shocked when the author came up with a new script altogether for the ancient civilisation, and I completely enjoyed the riddles Firstly, I was amazed by the attention to details in every chapter and I am sure you would notice it as well. One thing I enjoyed throughout the story is that each scene is happening in multiple locations and I loved the way the author painted the picture in front of me. It was almost like I was there, and I could vividly see what is going on. My favourite part is when all of them get stuck in a cave with another civilisation, who don't even speak the language. I can keep on going, but I am going to stop here as I don't want to spoil too much for the future the readers.
Secondly, I was shocked when the author came up with a new script altogether for the ancient civilisation, and I completely enjoyed the riddles sprinkled in the second half of the books led in the second half of the book
I like fantasy settings and complex characters and interactions between them even if they take precedent over the plot but I hate flowery prose. If I have to sit with a dictionary and then read a summary on the internet and think all throughout yhe night to understand a book, I'm not interested in such a book. For me, a novel in first a form of entertainment. Improvement and growth are secondary or irrelevant.
I dislike books that shoehorn themselves into a certain genre with all its tired tropes. I also dislike literary books because they feel too pretentious (and they're boring). A good book must be entertaining, compelling, and get you to look at life from a new angle.
IMO the binary distinction between literary and genre fiction has been harmful for both, most genre fictions tend to become formulaic and trope-y until someone artistic and creative breaks the mold, and literary fiction avoiding genre aesthetics have caused itself to die out from public conscience for the most part
if that distinction didn't exist then literature in general would've been in a better place, genre fiction wouldn't be in it's own formulaic bubble, instead taking experimental and artistic structures, themes and stories much like literary fiction, while literary fiction would contribute to some of the greatest sci-fi, mystery, fantasy and romantic novels, the best novels are sometimes the ones that defy the genre vs literary duality
And here I am, reading genre fiction because I like dragons
The moment you are worried about what kind of book you are "caught" reading, you have lost the plot.
Forget them. Comics is the way to go.
That why i love neon genesis evangelion, is like a perfect blent between literaty and genre fiction
MCU Movies Vs Martin Scorsese Films
I don't aspire to 'lit-a-cher' but like the genre-crossers the best.
I didn’t know there were two types of story fiction
15:43 what are you saying here?
To paraphrase Tolkien, who is far from being beyond criticism, only a jailer rejects escapism.
Genre = Less Commercial
Literary = More Commercial
So you mean like Blockbuster movies and Award-winning movies?
That's definitely an apt comparison!
I've got zero problem with lit fic, I just can't stand the people who exclusively fetishize it. I've known a few. They are, without exception, Dunning Kruger types who don't get that they don't get it. Especially when it comes to SF -- mature SF often engages with legitimate questions of tech and the nature of being human.
Side note: another genre that gets shit on a lot by lit fic exclusivists is espionage/techno thriller. Sure, there's a lot of action hero Tom Clancy type stuff, but there's a number of amazing political espionage thrillers that tackle mass surveillance, ethical questions, and the problems of ideology.