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When I read in my spare time I almost always gravitate toward genre fiction. Science-fiction and fantasy mostly, with the odd thriller, spy book, mystery, or horror novel thrown in for good measure. That these are my main influences should come as no surprise to anyone with even a miniscule amount of familiarity with my work. Hell, I publish weird short stories on here all the time and each and every one of them genre pieces. No one reads them, but I still do it baby. I can’t be stopped! Jk. Some people read them. Back to the newsletter.
There are three main reasons for why I stick to these genres. One, I read a lot of historical monographs and articles for my work/research so it’s nice to take a break from nonfiction. Two, it’s what I grew up on. My dad is also a big science-fiction/fantasy guy and though our tastes within those genres often differ, he had a very big influence on my cultural sensibility growing up. Third, and finally, science-fiction and fantasy rule! Good as hell. Don’t need a reason other than that honestly.
There’s an essay in here about the role that genre story-telling plays in our lives, and its import, not only in showing us how things could be, but how things ought to be. Expanding our minds in ways that allows us to think outside our current circumstances. It would be a good essay. But I am not the person to write it. I’ll save that for some up-and-coming Columbia English PhD student who is trying to get published. Just shout me out in the footnotes.
I’m also not the person to write that article because, while I believe it to be true, it’s not why I read these types of books. I read stuff like A Song of Fire and Ice, Cryptonomicon, A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and Dune, and a myriad of other genre books, because I like it when there are big explosions, cool dragons, arcane gods, names with unnecessary apostrophes, and like laser swords or whatever. I think that stuff just plain rocks.
There’s a lot to be said for just liking something because you think it rocks. While the books I just mentioned above certainly do have deeper themes and do explore various aspects of human existence, they are not solely concerned with such things. Human life shouldn’t be and isn’t just about exploring how various fictional characters deal with loss in their everyday lives or tracing the impact of cultural changes through four generations of the same family. That’s basically what all literary fiction is about. But human life is varied enough that it can cover that and spaceships blowing each other up in various unexplored nebulae and galaxii.
I know not everyone agrees with me on this. I’m in two book clubs and I’m sure that when it’s my turn to pick the book and I recommend another piece of genre work there are plenty of rolled eyes. Which is fine, not everyone thinks ancient wizard wars are cool. Though I like to think that through introducing texts like A Canticle for Leibowitz, or The Dispossessed to people who might not have read them I am doing a little good in the world.
One no-so-quick note on book clubs. I’ve never been in one, let alone two, book clubs before, but I’ve really grown to love them. They both came about during the heights of the pandemic as a way to keep in touch, and we’ve kept them going since. They’ve also forced me to branch out of my usual reading paths. While I don’t always like every book, it is good to at times read outside of your usuals. I’ve read books about Shackleton, sociological studies of Chicago, looks at how the modern music industry works, and more. Some of them were good, some were bad, and most of them in between. Even more than that though I’ve appreciated the chance to talk about a book with other people. Outside of school it’s not something that I’ve done that much, especially when it comes to genre stuff. But those conversations have been a great pleasure over the last few months.
Reading is often seen as a solitary activity. You pick up a book, read it to yourself, and then when you’re done you put it down and start a different book. At least that’s how I did it. Still do mostly. Maybe I’d think about it a little, start the sequel, or read some reviews or something. But book clubs, and the conversations that come out of them, force me to think more about what I’m reading. Sometimes those thoughts are just “damn, this book was good,” or “damn, this book sucked.” Getting the thoughts out there is really the key point. Bouncing them off other people, honing your ways of thinking, and helping others find new ideas as well. Reading shouldn’t be a solitary thing but a group activity.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on genre fiction and book clubs. Here are some good ones I’ve read recently:
A Canticle For Leibowitz – A classic of science fiction. Written in the ‘50s it takes place in a post-nuclear war Earth, following a group of monks who are tasked with preserving the few texts that remain from before the apocalypse. Walter Miller, Jr. creates an incredible world, mixing religion, history, and science in an intriguing package. It is also a book ripe for starting conversations with if that’s what you’re looking for. And it’s short. Which is also great.
Blood Meridian – Cormac McCarthy is the great American novelist and Blood Meridian is his masterpiece. Do you hear that? That’s the sound of one thousand English professors blowing a gasket. Well screw them I’m right. This novel follows The Kid as he makes his way across the American Southwest in the company of The Judge. A bloody, impressive, and incredible book, this verges upon horror. Everything is surrounded in a tinge of creeping horror, all imparted in McCarthy’s impeccable use of the English language. A thrilling and disturbing tale. Something that is not to be missed by anyone. Also, similar to Leibowitz, it’s pretty short.
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