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 569: A Thank You for Supporting Us for So Long
Episode 568: A Very Coode Street Gift Guide Roundtable
Episode 567: Sheree Renée Thomas and science fiction
Episode 566: On life achievement, awards, and more
Episode 565: On work published after the author‘s death
Episode 564: Oghenechovwe Ekpeki and African Speculative Fiction
Episode 563: A Ramble in the Wilderness
Episode 562: Reading, reviewing, and an old question answered
Episode 561: Science fiction, influence, and more
Episode 560: Arkady Martine and Memories of Empire
Episode 559: Partway through the pandemic, a ramble
Episode 558: M. Rickert and The Shipbuilder of Bellfaerie
Episode 557: All This and Dystopia Too
Episode 556: Lavie Tidhar and a World of Science Fiction
Episode 555: Catherynne M. Valente and Telling Tales
Episode 554: Zen Cho and Finding Black Water Sister
Episode 553: Daryl Gregory and The Album of Doctor Moreau
Episode 552: Nghi Vo and The Chosen and the Beautiful
Episode 551: Sarah Pinsker and We Are Satellites
Episode 550: P. Djèlí Clark and A Master of Djinn
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