A number of compelling arguments have been made recently about literary fiction, genre fiction, and how the two relate -- such as in Arthur Krystal's article in The New Yorker, and in Lev Grossman's sort-of-reply in Time Magazine.
And yet any attempt to describe, let alone define, genre fiction or literary fiction, or to distinguish one from the other, invites so many exceptions that the effort tends to fall apart. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart grappled with a similar problem in 1964, when, presiding over Jacobellis v. Ohio, he abandoned trying to define the genre of pornography and famously concluded, "I know it when I see it."
Any distinction between genre and literary fiction matters less than it once did. For this, I'm glad. My first book, a collection of short stories, is generally considered literary fiction. My second book, the novel The Three-Day Affair, is being called a thriller.
Thankfully, the tired generalizations about genre fiction being the province of stock characters and formulaic plots have eased up, as have the equally tired generalizations about literary fiction, both pro and con. (Pro: only literary fiction has graceful prose; literary fiction alone gets to the root of the "human condition." Con: literary fiction is plot-less. Literary fiction is needlessly complicated). It takes about two seconds at my bookshelf to dispel these generalizations.
Yet as human beings, we need categories; otherwise, our lives would be impossible to navigate. We categorize and sub-categorize the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, and just about everything else in our lives. It would be surprising if we didn't categorize our novels, too. The trouble is finding a way to do it.
With this in mind, I offer a simple graph, meant to illustrate just how literary or how genre a work is. I call it The Literary/Genre Continuum, because "continuum" sounds cooler than "graph."
The idea is to plot a novel on the graph based on where it falls on the "stuff/no stuff" continuum and the "easy/difficult" continuum. The closer to the top-left corner, the more genre-ness the work has; the closer to the bottom-right, the more literary-ness.
By "stuff," I mean things that are out of our ordinary experience, especially things that don't actually exist (as far as we know): interplanetary space travel, elves, vampires; and, to a lesser degree, things that do exist but that are larger-than-life: serial killers; shark infestations. "Difficult" encompasses dense paragraphs, complex sentences, ambiguity, intellectual complexity, and passages that require re-reading not because they're unclear but because they're, well, difficult.
"Stuff" and "difficult" are, of course, subjective -- but not completely so. Even if you happen to speed through a Faulkner novel, you still know it's difficult. "Stuff" is a bit more objective: Vampires are stuff. A detective tracking down a murderer is more "stuff" than one investigating a robbery, but less than one hunting a serial killer -- especially if the serial killer used to be CIA.
Okay. Here are a few well-known novels with my plotting:
Notably, the Literary/Genre Continuum isn't prioritizing "literary" above "genre" or vice versa, nor is it quantifying how good a particular work is or isn't. Rather, it's a way to illustrate how much literary-ness and genre-ness are in a particular work.
In graphing some novels I've enjoyed recently, I've discovered that I seem to be drawn to works that sit close to the middle of the continuum.
I know I'm not alone. There's something exciting about works that try to have it all: enough "stuff" to intrigue us without dominating the story, and enough difficulty to demand something of the reader without deterring our escape into the fictional world.
I'm not exactly sure what's next on my reading list -- but I'll know it when I see it.
Michael Kardos is the author of The Three-Day Affair.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.