# genre fiction a literary blemish?

*The Urth list — 1 messages, 1 voices, 28 Apr 1999*

<https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/urth/1590>

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### Marc Coleman
*28 Apr 1999, 07:48*

> Last week, New City asked the musical question "Is genre fiction a literary
> blemish or good clean fun?" For the piece, they interviewed some local
> "genre"
> authors, including Gene Wolfe, who they introduced by saying, "In the
> realms of
> sci-fi, Wolfe is the shit."
> Thus spake El Wolfo:
> "Frankly, I like being discriminated against...I don't think we need a second
> literary fiction category, we have that. It's addressed, frankly, to quite a
> small audience. The audience for literary fiction wants validation for the
> lives
> they are leading right now. The audience for genre fiction wants assurance
> that
> lives other than the lives they are leading are possible. My objection is
> escapism as a pejorative term. What's wrong with saying, 'You can get out'?
> Nothing, if you ask me."

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