It’s been noted many times over that genre fiction is typically excluded from that highly sought after ‘literary fiction’ label, but the question that I would love to know the answer to is – why? In a time when Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead are amongst the top rated television shows currently airing, why are these genres still being passed over as if they somehow hold less merit? What precisely is it that defines true literature?

According to Wikipedia’s definition of literary fiction, it is work that heavily involves social commentary, political criticism, or is work that closely focuses on the human condition. Given that a good percentage of science fiction and fantasy books are allegorical or satirical in some way shape or form, it seems odd that they should be excluded based on this distinction alone.

It seems that the phrase ‘literary fiction’ has slipped quite far away from it’s literal definition and into more of synonym for ‘serious fiction’. This plays quite heavily on the opinion that genre fiction, by nature, cannot be serious. In that case, are books such as George Orwell’s 1984 to be classed as genre or literary fiction? It is very much a political book and definitely would come under the umbrella of ‘serious’. Still, it is at it’s heart a science fiction novel. Does this in some way discount it from the running?

In my opinion, no.

So what is it then that cuts that dividing line? Is there a specific point at which genre fiction can become literary fiction and vice-versa? If so, where is it? Could we class the aspects of social critisism in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as literary fiction elements? It’s certainly studied in classes enough to be considered a classic. Then again, it is one of the first science fiction books on record, so it most definitely can be considered genre fiction.

Curiouser and curiouser…