(urth) grumble at wolfe comment made attached to guardian article

[Lane Haygood]

Literary fiction is entitled to its pretensions. That is, after all, what distinguishes one made up story from another sufficient to call it "literary."

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 6, 2011, at 5:53 PM, Marc Aramini <marcaramini at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Just writing to grumble that the comments are closed on this article on SF at the cusp of breaking into consideration for the Booker Prize.  Someone mentions Wolfe in the comments in pretty simplistic terms and my blood boiled when I couldn't comment.  just thought I would share, since I can't post there to respond.
> 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/feb/02/science-fiction-literary-canon
> 
> This twaddle here made my stomach churn:
> "resurgence 27 says
> 4 February 2011 1:36AM
> quote from somebody else here:
> "If a SF author wrote as well as Kelman or Banville they would win the Booker. It's as simple as that."
> 
> Exactly! Are there terrific works of sci-fi and fantasy out there? Yes. But even the best of them cannot stand toe to toe with the best of literary fiction. The writers of the former tend to be so drunk on ideas, concepts and general razzle-dazzle that love of, and attention to, language for its own sake is lost. I love Gene Wolfe and James Blish, for instance -- love, love, love -- but are either of them half the writer that Peter Carey or Marilynne Robinson is? No."
> 
> 
> Half the writer Peter Carey or Marilynne Robinson is??!!!!!! ARGHGHGHGHGGH
> what insufferable asinine nonsense.  Wanted to respond, read Latro in the Mist twice, read Herodotus, see the sublime use of language, the interesting use of subject material, the reason for Latro's depression and the manumission scene, read Wolfe's beautiful characterization, his intelligent reassignation of tropes, who else can do that?  Ever?  If Wolfe were liberal he would probably be more popular but to say he isn't half the writer Peter Carey or MARILYNNE ROBINSON is made my blood pressure go up.  More like ten times the writer either are.
> 
> I see a name on these lists of awarded authors sometimes, and I think back to his attempted defense of Wolfe in that cretinous cancer boy incident a few years ago, were I felt like he was outgunned and couldn't even express why Wolfe was great.  Must get my tylenol and pepto.
> 
> Of all the asinine tripe.
> 
> 
> 
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