genre fiction a literary blemish?

Marc Coleman · 28 Apr 1999, 07:48 · from urth-v0026.mbox · original

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From: Marc Coleman <marc.coleman at mwcia.org>
Subject: (urth) Fwd: genre fiction a literary blemish?
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 07:48:17
Message-ID: <urth-v0026-0047 at digest.urth.net>
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>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 sec=
ond
>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."
>=20

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/

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