This week (episode 3 of season 13) we return to our tradition of almost entirely unstructured rambling. Jonathan and Gary consider such questions as to whether a novel can be good SF, but not much good in literary terms, or a good literary novel not much good as SF.
While we recognize that many popular subgenres, from military SF to heroic fantasy, have plenty of readers loyal to the old traditions, we muse about whether many of today’s writers feel some pressure to meet both traditional literary and SF standards, and Jonathan namechecks R.F. Kuang. Some writers we mention, such as Arkady Martine, seem to effortlessly do both. On the other hand, why were several genre mystery readers of the 1930s and 1940s, like Hammett and Chandler, were later recognized as major literary figures, the same didn’t seem to have to SF writers of the same period.
Toward the end, we touch upon Paul Kincaid's provocative new essay, "A Taxonomy of Reviewing" and his book on Brian W. Aldiss, amongst other things.
As always, we hope you enjoy the episode.
Episode 337: Rich Larson and the Future of Science Fiction (sort of)
Episode 336: 2018 Novels to Read...
REISSUE - Episode 335: Karen Joy Fowler, James Patrick Kelly, and the Workshop Experience
Episode 335: Karen Joy Fowler, James Patrick Kelly, and the Workshop Experience
Episode 334: After San Jose
Episode 333: Jo Walton Goes to the Hugos
Episode 332: Frankly, this one's a grab bag
Episode 331: On missing Gardner Dozois
Episode 330: Books, reading and wolves...
Episode 329: Sam Miller and the Art of Living in the World
Episode 328: Re-reading, reprinting and the classics
Episode 327: Awards, climate fiction and more
Episode 326: After ICFA
Episode 325: World Fantasy Awards, Kate Wilhelm and more
Episode 324: Carmen Maria Machado
Episode 323: Awards season begins...Hugo time!
Episode 322: Theodora Goss, John Kessel and Monstrous Stories
REPOST: Episode 71: Live with Gary K. Wolfe and Ursula K. Le Guin!
Episode 321: Fairy tales, peaches, and so on...
Episode 320: Jane Yolen and a Life in Story
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