/lit/ - Literature

literally fiction

literary fiction may contain elements of genre fiction, but it always offers more. where genre fiction is a highly developed, almost formulaic product that authors bring to market. lit fic is a pretty nebulous term. the most obvious qualifier as to what is considered literary fiction will be whether or not it considers itself literary fiction. if you wanted to be crass, you could call the genre to be characterized by fiction which tries to be literature rather than just a book. it often incorporates authorial elements which would turn the "average" reader off, like the pursuit of beautiful language, and sometimes also eschewing things like plot, setting, and characters, often at least one, but sometimes more.

>>15889366
>but it always offers more
sorry, it always ATTEMPTS to offer more. "lit fic" speaks more to what it tries to be rather than what it actually is. there are genre fiction novels which are just written better than some literary fiction.

>>15889325
Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Steinbeck

Basically anything that isn’t genre fiction
Not sure if experimental, post modern stuff should be included

>>15889366
No, the best written horror novel in the world is still a horror novel. To call that or fantasy or whatever Literary Fiction is using it incorrectly

>>15889425
got damn it I should I have mentioned I was looking for more modern stuff, I've read all the popular Steinbecks except East of Eden

>>15889451
Not sure if you mean modern as in the style or modern as in newer works

My favorite, i guess you would say “modern realist”, is Richard Yates who has a couple of good novels (Revolutionary Road is the best) and some excellent short stories.

Andre Dubus and Salinger also have some great short fiction in that mode.

Lie Down in Darkness- William Styron is a really good work of very rich prose

The Last Picture Show by Larry Mcmurtry is a good novel written like that

The Lost Weekend - Charles Jackson is probably my favorite book and fits that “modern realist” description

I can vouch for all of these at least and they would all be characterized as “Literary Fiction” in a broad sense. None of them are genre or speculative.

>>15889325
>DFW
Infinite Jest is sci-fi.

>>15889675
I always thought it was urban fantasy