[Lunatique]

I've been thinking about this for some time now, and I want to get some opinions on this.

I've been wondering why for the past 3 years or so, my interest dwindled in genre fiction, especially in reading them. I used to love reading fantasy novels, but ever since I had a taste of more "serious" literature, I found it hard to go back to genre fiction.

In the past, since my first days of reading around age 6, I've read a wide range of books from fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, young adult, romance, drama..etc. Throughout all the years, my love for fantasy always stayed with me. But after I read Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg 3 years ago, I was struck by how much more a non-genre fiction book is capable of expressing.

Now, you can say Smilla's Sense of Snow is a mystery/thriller/sci-fi, but if you've read the book, you know what I mean by how it is much more than that. The way Peter Hoeg wrote about Smilla's memories of her mother, her past in Iceland, her feelings about her father, her relationship with Isaiah..etc just blew me away. For me, it was as the critics say, "a literary tour de force."

Now, this is not saying genre fiction lacks depth, as there are some extremely talented writers in genre fiction. I think what's missing is the intimacy. With the more "serious" fiction writers, you can feel how much of themselves they are risking on the page. I mean, writers that win the Booker Prize or the Pulitzer Prize are just on a whole different level with their writing.

Now, why aren't more genre fiction writers being more intimate and risking more of their soul on the page? Nobody said genre fiction has to be entertaining only, but it appears most of the genre authors seems to feel that way. A book like Smilla's Sense of Snow is regarded both as a work of genre fiction AND serious literature, and I wish more genre fiction could be like that.

For the past 3 years, I havn't been able to read more than a chapter of any fantasy novel. I just lose interest, and end up picking up a classic or general fiction.
I made myself read LOTR recently, just so I have a point of reference when I watch the movie. Now that I've seen the movie, I feel it's no longer important for me to go on reading the rest of the 2 books. I just started The Two Towers, and I've decided to not bother anymore, as I just didn't see the point. Fact is, I've read better fantasy than LOTR, and at this point, I feel like I'd rather read Tolstoy than Tolkien.

I'm pretty much rambling at this point, and I can't remember why I even wrote this. Oh well, guess I just felt like talking about how I feel.

[Minefield]

what about scifi?

[Loki]

Hey - ever read Stevenson's Cryptonomicon? Now that one was grrreat! It's more 5-mins in the future SF - but awesome.

[Steven Stahlberg]

Yes, scifi to me has always had more of what I think you're looking for than fantasy, being a bigger and more varied genre.

Samuel Delaney put a lot of himself into his fiction I think, though I haven't read everything he wrote.

[travis travis]

well, genre fiction is just a good old-fashioned escape valve.

fine literature on the other hand, delves deep into human expression and exploring existance.

both types of material are good to have around, and we usually find ourselves drawn more to one then the other at different times in our lives. I've often wondered also why genre writers so rarely try to expand their boundries, particularly when a whole genre starts to slump from lack of any fresh air. but I think the reality is that art (as opposed to entertainment)is F'n hard. It requires a personal psychological commitment that very few people in a society ever make. you've got to be willing to not only undertake the scary task of finding your own opinion on things, but then standing up alone and saying it.

[Rat]

I think it might be an age/maturity thing. As you get older/more mature, you prefer reading more classical stuff, rather than the swords 'n' sorcery stuff you used to read. Or maybe it's just me.

As for me, I'll read just about anything you put in front of me. Except maybe romance, western or crime/mystery novels. Bleargh.

[elam]

I've always hated fantasy, except for LOTR, which I read in high school.

Lately, I've been reading a lot of history books, not a whole lot of fiction.

I checked out a couple of Bruce Sterling books the other day. Schizamatrix, which is an awesome book, and one I haven't read before called Holy Fire.
Bruce Sterling rules. Dan Simmons is pretty good as well. Anybody read the Hyperion series?

[iByrn]

Lunatique- have you ever read "The Moorchild"? Not many people have; it's one of my favorite books. It sort of falls into the "non-genre" fiction that you're talking about.

Lately I've been finding it harder and harder to be satisfied with mediocrity, whether it be in literature, film, music, or anything else. I'm becoming extremely picky as to what I will and won't tolerate. Especially in music. I just can't find any music that I like anymore. It seems like I've reached the bottom of the well for industrial and similar genres, which is my favorite type of music. (anyone want to tip me off to some good underground industrial bands? )
Anime, too. Ever since seeing "End of Evangelion" (the Neon Genesis Evangelion movie), I hold everything else to that standard of storyline and animation, and they all fall short. And live-action movies. The last good movie I saw in theatres was "The Royal Tenenbaums". Why can't there be more movies like that? Sure hope Episode II turns out to be good.

[ April 25, 2002: Message edited by: iByrn ]

[zaar]

iByrn: Evangelion rocks!!!

I think I know what you mean lunatique, I get the feeling sometimes that fantasy writers just don't push them selves enough. Just making the setting and characters different doesn't make a good book. There has to be something more to it! Altough I really haven't read that much fantasy to be able to say something about the genre as a whole.

Currently reading: On the road, by Jack Kerouac. (not sure I get what all the fuzz is about, might have to read it again sometime)

[edraket]

Hmm.. I kind of had the same thing happen to me. At one point fantasy just seemed to stop being interesting. It always the same crap it seems.
Little kitchen boy becomes powerfull wizard and does impossible (and usually improbable) things to save the world from everlasting evil.

Pretty much the only fantasy I have read in the past four years is all the Robin Hobb books. Somehow she is still able to capture me and suck me into her books, make the world disappear and makes me stagger around being depressed for days after I'm finished.

It has been pretty hard for me to read in general since I started working. There is just always too many things that keep my mind busy.

Anyways..you might want to look for books by Tim Krabbe. He is a dutch writer but I know there is some english translations out there. His stuff is pretty cool. It's fiction with a very good plot, but it has that deeper layer that you are looking for as well.
Then there is Ian McEwan who wrote some beautifull books. Especially Enduring Love and Child in Time as well as Amsterdam which was just insane.
And, of course, there is Robin Hobb my all time favorite fantasy writer. I think she might be able to offer you something as well.

[[666]Flat]

NEVER SHALL TERRY PRATCHETT BE FORGOTTEN.

[Basse_Ex]

I've never read much fantasy, finding the most it to be completely laughable. Robin Hobb was not that laughable. Just a little. Actually her writing is surprisingly good sometimes, but some of the weird shit that happens... well... it's weird...

Anyhow, even though I've never read any fantasy I actually like except for Tolkien, and perhaps Hobb, I've always considered it my second favourite genre, after horror.

I think that horror and fantasy work, or aim to work, through our "childish" emotions.
Fantasy and Horror is about safety, or lack of it.
Being torn away from your safety, and finding out that you can manage on your own(or with friends) is the almost constant theme of fantasy, which is in a way aims to invoke the feelings from the "first" times you were out of your house on your own as a child. A sense of thrill, and wonder.
Horror deals with the invasion of your safe zone. Your never safe anywhere, that's the message. It's closely related to childhood nightmares.

But, does this mean that I mean these are childish genres?
Well, no... I think they are potentially extremely powerful genres, because they deal with these emotions. They lure themselves into our safe zone, and can therefore deliver extremely powerful messages\ experiences.
But.... I must admit that neither genre seems to do so very often.

Why? I dunno.... maybe I'm wrong about these genres and they're really not that potentially good?

Anyhow... Last serious book I read was "Glamorama" by Brett Easton Ellis.
Absolutely fucking unbelievable.

Awesome.

[Lunatique]

Hmmm, I don't read much sci-fi, since I prefer watching sci-fi films instead. The made-up terminologies in sci-fi novels kinda bug me. Sometimes 70% or more of a sentence would be littered with made-up words, and that is just annoying.

The book I'm reading right now is A Pale View of Hills, by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's about a Japanese woman living in London, and one of her daughter's recent suicide brought back memories of her past in Nagasaki. The writing style feels a bit green, since it's his early work. But, I haven't read his famous works yet(only seen Remains of the Day as a film).

[Duckman2]

Now I'm reading alot of historical stuff. I just finished a book on Lawrence of Arabia this week, talk about a crazy SOB. Also I just finished a book on a scientist's trek into the congo, relly well written. Also try to check out the book Arabian Sands, its about an englishman's trek across the dead quarter of the Saudi Araibian Penninsula, he covered alot of the same ground that T.E.Lawrence did. I don't know what draws me to these books, but usually they are very well written and the people in the stories are much more interesting than any charachter made up in fiction.

[Steven Stahlberg]

Jack Vance wins hands down the all-time award for best made-up terminologies. He also wins the awards for best made-up clothing, food, societies, games, religions, species, crimes, professions, personalities, worlds, plots etc etc... he's both a fantasy and sci fi writer. I think I love him.

If you haven't read Orson Scott Card, put him on the list, as well as C. J. Cherryh (especially 'Cyteen') - she's actually quite good at drawing too, check out her website.

I also worship Larry Niven, that guy must have an IQ through the roof, but I also just dig his style and thinking. "On the gripping hand..."

And don't forget the incredible Alfred Bester, a literary genius in sci-fi if there ever was one.