Is Literary Fiction a Genre?

Earlier this week I was at a publisher’s website and they said they published the best literary fiction available today.  I looked through some of their titles and a few did seem intriguing.  I then went to their submissions page to see what hoops an author had to jump through and I saw the line “we do not accept genre fiction.”  This got me to thinking about classifications and writing styles, subject matter and scope.  Surely we who read a great deal know exactly what they mean by genre, but how many genres are there?  These pigeon holes can range from the standard romance to science fiction, westerns to fantasy, detective to historical fiction.  But if we are using these terms as a classification device, then would not literary fiction also be a genre?

Genre fiction itself has a peculiar reputation; in many circles, amongst the literati and certain publishers, it is looked down upon, yet many novels published under this umbrella term are the most popular and best selling books published.  Romance tops the heap as far as fiction is concerned; even considering the Twilight books, they are neither really fantasy nor horror but romance with fangs.  Simply substitute that story line, minus the supernatural aspects of certain characters, and you are left with a paradigm that could easily fit amongst romance novels set in either old European families or those who started to populate the Old West:  the young woman arriving in a new environment populated by warring clans or new families struggling to establish dominance and power.  All that is needed for the transformation to be complete would be the removal of fangs or claws and the addition of a ripped bodice on the cover.

In the development of the western tradition of literature through the centuries, it is interesting to note that what was called the Romance from medieval times onward has taken a split into two different areas, the standard Harlequin style romance and fantasy.  From Arthurian legends to Charlemagne to El Cid, all the stories have dealt with courtly (and sometimes not so courtly) love and the struggle against the supernatural whether in the form of humans or beasts.  The start of the literary tradition has evolved into offspring which the literary gatekeepers would sooner not have to acknowledge.

To get around to the basic question about genres and literary fiction, first perhaps I should try to describe what literary fiction is.  I can’t say that this is a completely satisfying answer but it generally tends to be fiction that pays attention to the style and art of writing, it is a fiction of ideas and larger themes, it occasionally deals with the more internal aspects of its characters than with their actions.  Plot is a dicey proposition for there are plenty of literary offerings that run heavily on plot.  Some would say that it is based in our “actual” world and reality, but then magical realism must be considered and who would exclude Borges from the pantheon of greats and Eco’s works span the gamut on time and issues of reality.  As fast as you can add layers to what is literary they are as likely to be peeled away.  So let us stick to the definition of literary as a function of ideas expressed with a great focus put upon the language used to relay those ideas through the actions and thoughts of its characters.

I think if you were to look long and hard enough, you could find examples of literary fiction in almost any genre that you could think of (I would like to hear your suggestions in the comments section).  There are a few reasons why genre fiction has such a hard time in literary circles.

1-It is written to embody a roller-coaster ride for the reader.  Whether they are detective or crime thrillers, fantasy or space adventures, or simply racy, these books are simply looking to give the reader a good time, to impart a sense of vicarious thrill by providing a wish-fulfillment  aspect of something the reader never could experience.

2-Genre fiction is not a launching platform to something more artistic or engaging for the reader.  Students are not taught the enjoyment of reading at school, no matter what grade they are in, by starting with simply fun books to read and then working their way into more thoughtful and literary works.  They are thrown in the pool and regard is neither given nor even considered about establishing in the student the habit of reading because it is fun or enjoyable, thought provoking or engaging.  The students are expected to learn from the literature what the teacher wants them to all depending on the teacher’s own frame of mind or which literary theories might be embraced.  (I will address the idea of literature as a road to critical thought in a later post.)

3-Mostly because of the previous reason, those writers who wish to write literary fiction are dissuaded from using any but the most mundane of platforms (i.e. contemporary time and present reality).  If a writer publishes something in the science fiction or fantasy genres, then more than likely that is all they ever will publish.  This is partly due to publishers wanting to sell what they know will sell and not wanting to take risks with anything outside of their marketing plan.  In addition, if they do want to be taken as ‘serious’ writers, they have to produce books that critics will pay attention to.  Any but the most successful literary writer will have a tough time gaining critical acclaim for a fantasy or detective novel.

Because of the above situations, genre fiction has become somewhat stagnant, even considering those who are its best writers.  It is stuck in the language of realism/naturalism that reigned during the nineteenth century.  Writers think that they can only develop a sense of reality by describing every physical aspect whether about a character or environment, very rarely addressing other aspects such as the psychology of a character, or using the language itself rather than specific words, to set the tone.

Fictionalism seeks to shake up the genre paradigm.  If we admit that novels are valid epistemological realities, then where better to explore certain issues in areas such as fantasy, science fiction, or detective novels.  If the best authors start filling these genres with literary efforts, then it will benefit not only them but the readers as well as other writers.