A few things have come to my attention while reading The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. The most obvious is that he is amazing and pretty much on my 'just buy it' list assuming this book is indicative of the rest of his work. (Sometimes I feel he is trying a bit too hard, especially when it comes to humor, but all-in-all, it's really good stuff.) The second issue that comes to mind is the genre of the book it self. I'll be the first to say, genre doesn't matter to me. I've said many a time before that good writing is good writing is good writing and genre doesn't play into it. But I do find it interesting how marketing departments put their spin on a book that is deemed to have mass market appeal even if the book in question is in an 'unsuitable' genre.
Alternate history, contemporary fantasy, or any other term that will be used in the future is all just a cover. It's misleading to readers. I don't see how it could be an offense to author: call a spade a spade and put the book on the fantasy self.
There is a good deal of modern fiction that contains strong fantasy elements. Sometimes I feel if publishers want the work to be successful or perhaps respectable in the eyes of the literary elite (NYT reviewers, book award committees and such) that there is a need to obscure a books true roots if it comes from a speculative genre. Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Chabon and others are almost never billed as speculative fiction, or derivative, and almost always their books are branded, "A Novel" on the cover. As if such a designation is a cover all gesture that establishes legitimacy by way of disowning ugly origins.
"A Novel, by Author X," read: something greater than mere fantasy...
What I'd really like to consider is whether or not the industry is correct in their efforts with these particular books. Perhaps it does lead to increased sales, wider cross-over appeal, and higher recognition for a writer that is greater than the genre in question. But if all of this is the case, then I wonder why isn't all speculative fiction presented in the same light as the afore mentioned writers.
This is not to say all speculative fiction writers are as good as Chabon, but lesser writers have sold more, and better writers have won awards and respect while gaining virtually no sales. What is good for the goose aught to be good for the gaggle, right?
Showing posts with label Genre Categorization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Genre Categorization. Show all posts
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Women's Fiction
In these sometimes tense times of gender equality I feel I can be pretty direct. What is women's fiction; is it solely for women? Is the name strictly a ‘buyers beware’ to any man’s hand that may have strayed so far as to pick up the book and turn it over? I still stand on my feeling that good writing is good writing and a change of genre or perceived audience will not affect the quality of the words on the page. However, the previous statement being true, why would anyone trying to sell books limit the potential readership with such an explicit genre appellation?
This issue of women's fiction has been bothering me for quite some time. It is the only fiction genre designation that I know of that is not only branded by the publisher but done so in general accordance with the author. Many a non general ‘fiction’ author would love their books to be sold with the mass market epithet “A Novel” coming after the title as opposed to being put on the fantasy or mystery shelf. I know a few authors (none of whom I”ll call out) who recently lead a panel discussion at a writers club meeting that covered many things. When the topic of women's fiction came about I found myself growing irritable with the pregnancy of woeful ignorance; either in myself or the panel.
Is there such a thing as men’s fiction? I’ll wage a legitimate answer that there is, and I can’t over stress the seriousness of my attempt. After you’ve read it with with earnest consideration (and a more open-minded than it’s worth) then, tell me how absurd it is.
* * * * *
Men’s literature (or Men! Books! Read! as the marketing branch of the publishing world would have us call it) is always an energetic story with excess testosterone and alpha males doing terribly interesting things in most Michael-Bay-type of manner. Female leads are absurd given the genre and any female characters are bound to be helpless idiots and at all times displaying generous amounts of cleavage. Rarely amusing or light hearted these stories resemble the steaks me like to eat: bloody, gritty with little seasoning and no time for side items like vegetables. Men’s fiction is about men’s issues for a male readership; women would have a very hard time identifying with the subject matter of family, relationships and blowing stuff up. While the subject matter often crosses genres it always has commercial appeal and the characters are often attempting to overcome both a personal and external adversity.
Although men’s fiction often incorporates grave situations such as poverty, divorce, abuse, and host of other social struggles, it can also explore positive aspects within a mans life: such as guns, swords, sports, sex, gluttony and video games. Sanguine soaked fantasy and sci-fi are an integral part of Men’s fiction although the content is mature enough and well-developed that it sets itself apart from other genre classifications. Generally speaking, Men’s fiction often delves into deeper, more serious conflicts and utilizes a more poetic literary writing style than standard fiction that would be deemed appropriate of both genders.
Chad Hull the prolific author of numerous bestsellers of Men’s fiction including: The Man Book, Why Elves and Fairies are Gay, Go F*** yourself, and Tit Hooker is the ideal author of Men’s Fiction. His forthcoming novel detailing the heartbreak of a car--lovingly restored for five tender years before being totaled in a horrific accident involving no insurance and a culprit that couldn’t speak English--Steel Dump is due out this winter.
* * * * *
So… seriously. What is women’s fiction? Are those the books Nicolas Sparks writes? Is Anna Karenina the archetype of the genre? Is there such a thing as Men’s fiction? If so, what is it? If not, why?
This issue of women's fiction has been bothering me for quite some time. It is the only fiction genre designation that I know of that is not only branded by the publisher but done so in general accordance with the author. Many a non general ‘fiction’ author would love their books to be sold with the mass market epithet “A Novel” coming after the title as opposed to being put on the fantasy or mystery shelf. I know a few authors (none of whom I”ll call out) who recently lead a panel discussion at a writers club meeting that covered many things. When the topic of women's fiction came about I found myself growing irritable with the pregnancy of woeful ignorance; either in myself or the panel.
Is there such a thing as men’s fiction? I’ll wage a legitimate answer that there is, and I can’t over stress the seriousness of my attempt. After you’ve read it with with earnest consideration (and a more open-minded than it’s worth) then, tell me how absurd it is.
* * * * *
Men’s literature (or Men! Books! Read! as the marketing branch of the publishing world would have us call it) is always an energetic story with excess testosterone and alpha males doing terribly interesting things in most Michael-Bay-type of manner. Female leads are absurd given the genre and any female characters are bound to be helpless idiots and at all times displaying generous amounts of cleavage. Rarely amusing or light hearted these stories resemble the steaks me like to eat: bloody, gritty with little seasoning and no time for side items like vegetables. Men’s fiction is about men’s issues for a male readership; women would have a very hard time identifying with the subject matter of family, relationships and blowing stuff up. While the subject matter often crosses genres it always has commercial appeal and the characters are often attempting to overcome both a personal and external adversity.
Although men’s fiction often incorporates grave situations such as poverty, divorce, abuse, and host of other social struggles, it can also explore positive aspects within a mans life: such as guns, swords, sports, sex, gluttony and video games. Sanguine soaked fantasy and sci-fi are an integral part of Men’s fiction although the content is mature enough and well-developed that it sets itself apart from other genre classifications. Generally speaking, Men’s fiction often delves into deeper, more serious conflicts and utilizes a more poetic literary writing style than standard fiction that would be deemed appropriate of both genders.
Chad Hull the prolific author of numerous bestsellers of Men’s fiction including: The Man Book, Why Elves and Fairies are Gay, Go F*** yourself, and Tit Hooker is the ideal author of Men’s Fiction. His forthcoming novel detailing the heartbreak of a car--lovingly restored for five tender years before being totaled in a horrific accident involving no insurance and a culprit that couldn’t speak English--Steel Dump is due out this winter.
* * * * *
So… seriously. What is women’s fiction? Are those the books Nicolas Sparks writes? Is Anna Karenina the archetype of the genre? Is there such a thing as Men’s fiction? If so, what is it? If not, why?
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Did you misplace your fiction?
As I’m in the midst of my short story stint, some questions as to how certain works or even authors get placed in certain genres have arisen. Though I read many a high brow and pretentious work of ‘literary fiction’ (which is the most redundant nomenclature ever conceived) and my affinity for 19th century Russian literature isn’t normal, my main interest lie in upper echelon of quality scientific fiction and fantasy. As such, in my current perusal of short stories I have come across a few authors whose work really makes me question the standard conventions we use when organizing today’s bookshelves.
I just finished Jonathan Strahan’s The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume Two (God only knows what year) and within are many quality short stories. Of particular interest to me were Peter S. Beagle’s The last and Only or How Mr Moskowitz Becomes French, Ted Chiang’s The Merchant and the Alchemist Gate, Dead Horse Point by Daryl Gregory, The Cambist and Lord Iron: A Fairy tale of Economics by Daniel Abraham, Last Contact by Stephen Baxter, and Jesus Christ Reanimator by Ken MacLeod--a satire.
At what point in time does a work cease to be fiction and become a sub-genre: fantasy, science fiction, horror and so forth? What degree of suspension of disbelief is needed? We can buy into all the political mechanizations of The Godfather, and the court room suspense within any John Grisham novel but the moment but when someone comes back from the dead as a plot device as in MacLeod’s story or morphs nationality as in Beagle’s we need to conceive a new genre as to not mislead our readers? And to mislead the readers into thinking what precisely? I’m not the first to say, ‘all fiction is fantasy,’ though I’d love to know was the first to say it.
Some of the stories in this particular collection had such slight elements of the fantastic that upon finishing them I was genuinely surprised that they were included in the volume. Good fiction is good fiction and that has nothing to do with a genre appellation. Through no fault of their own, I feel a good deal of readers are missing out on great works that they may find highly enjoyable simply because the books maybe placed somewhere they wouldn't think to look. If you are talking about spell casting dragons or planet destroying lasers--both of which are extremely cool--then the designation is correctly laid upon those authors but what if you have a character that has a lengthy conversation with the devil as in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov? Should that perhaps be placed in the fantasy section of your local book seller?
MacLeod’s story is very serious, equally funny and always mocking of something; that is what makes satire so difficult. But is the idea of the second coming and creating a story around it really enough to ‘pigeon hole’ the work as fantasy? (Or would that be science fiction?) I feel bad for the multitude of readers that are missing out on countless phenomenal works simply because it didn’t fall in the boundaries of their preferred reading material. Furthermore I would point out that for the average reader those boundaries are spelled out by the publishing world and retail outlets.
Retrospectively, I wonder if past best sellers like The Historian or Jurassic Park were located in the fantasy section of book stores. Why aren’t certain works of Franz Kafka, Stephen King, or Gabriel Garcia-Marquez on the fantasy shelf?
Be sure to consider all your options next time you're looking for something new and interesting to read. You might find a great book in a place that surprises you. Then you may do as I have and wonder why it was there in the first place.
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