Literary Gatekeepers – Write on the World

Dear Mandy,

Can genre fiction be literary?

Genre fiction isn’t trying to tiptoe past the literary gatekeepers—it’s already storming the pedestal. Depth, fun, dragons, and dystopias: all at once. Who says you can’t have it all?”

Answer: IDK, Patty, do you think works by Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley are literary? If so, do you think they aren’t also genre fiction? What about Wuthering Heights (gothic/mystery), Brave New World (dystopian), or The Lord of the Rings (epic fantasy)?

Exactly.

This question comes up a lot, and it’s usually asked with the unspoken assumption that genre fiction sits a rung or two below “real” literature. As if, once you introduce a murder, a monster, a dragon, or a dystopian government, depth immediately evacuates the premises. So, let’s slow down and actually unpack what we’re talking about.

Continue reading →