Receptive and Non-Receptive Communities

On the nature of self-limitations.

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The most important information community in my life thus-far has been a subset of the literary community, colloquially referred to as “genre writers.” Genre is a complex term, but at its most functional level it can be considered a byproduct of market publication and bookstores, which attempt to categorize different works of literature in order to sell to specific groups more effectively. In this context, “genre” fiction generally refers to those works of fiction that feature certain repeated themes and conventions, such as “mystery,” “horror,” science fiction,” “fantasy,” and “romance.”

Ultimately, I think of this type of categorizing as limiting and concerning, as it increases the likelihood of someone saying “I don’t like reading ‘X’ genre” when, in fact, they’re merely repeating some internal uninspected bias against whatever they narrowly perceive of as fitting that genre. In other words, it allows people to self limit, and reduces their capacity for imaginative growth.

And yet, with that caveat aside, I still consider myself a genre writer.

This in some part is because the opposed field to “genre” work is often that dry and soulless hall of mirrors known as “Literary Fiction,” which can too frequently take on the aspect of distinguished formality in people’s minds. In reality, most of the best writing I’ve encountered has been within the so-called “genre” field, while some of the most trite and self-congratulatory claptrap ever has emerged from the so-called “literary” folds.

Obviously, good writing can appear anywhere, just as bad writing can appear anywhere. The same is true for thinking, in general, beyond the literary field. Yet, the perception, enhanced by the categorizing terms themselves (“genre” vs “literary”) is incredibly difficult to overcome.

However, it is my experience that genre communities also function differently than those dedicated to more literary or purely poetic pursuits, and this is where I discover a core nugget of something fascinating. While almost all genre writers I’ve met are more than willing to read poetry and literary fiction, the case is not the same in reverse. It is a commonplace occurrence when connecting at literary conferences to…