Why Are Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Romance Books More Popular Than Literary Fiction?
January 14, 2009 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Parenting
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, who wrote This is the Place, a novel loosely based on her life of growing up with a Mormon father and non-Mormon mother, wonders why literary fiction has taken a back seat to Sci-Fi, Fantsy and Romance these days. Although Carolyn writes mainly for adults, her ideas could apply to books for younger people, too.
Perhaps you’d like to take a look at her guest post at Potpourri of Writing and see what you think.
As a Romance writer I’m not a bit surprised literary fiction doesn’t have the same draw. Frankly, it never did.
Thank you, Mary Emma, for including this piece on OneBookTwoBook. I think I should have mentioned that parents probably need to be actively involved with their children’s education and what they read. It’s difficult these days with many holding down two (or more!) jobs.
And for Alice (see above), I couldn’t agree more. There will always be more people attracted to the middle ground. That is not to say that genre books can’t be literary and that literary books can’t be genre. I think it just behooves us as writers, as parents, and as a culture to reach a bit higher, to reach for the the premises and themes that help us grow emotionally and intellectually–at least some of the time. There is, of course, nothing wrong with pure entertainment. I just think we should, on occasion, want more for our children and ourselves.
Best,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com
http://www.carolynhoward-johnson.com
Blogging at Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites, http://www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com