Sam Sykes, author of Tome of the Undergates (Canada, USA, Europe) and Black Halo (Canada, USA, Europe), wrote an interesting piece on the genre. Following in the wake of Leo Grin's article, I found myself agreeing with basically everything Sykes wrote. Which, in an of itself, is a bit scary! :PHere's a teaser:
No. I don’t think “genre” is a dirty word.
Rather, I think it’s getting slightly too revered. It’s becoming my least favorite phrase in the sense that we can’t seem to have a conversation about a book without involving “the genre.” Is steampunk good or is it not part of “the genre”? Is “the genre” being destroyed by the nihilism of today? What is the work of today doing for “the genre”? Is my author more “the genre” than your author? How can I best feed “the genre”?
I write genre fiction. Specifically, I write fantasy fiction. I write fantasy fiction because I like to write fantasy fiction. I like exploring new worlds, meeting new peoples, finding out how things work on a world not my own. I wrote a book in which a dragonman beat the tar out of a wizard and fought the urge to urinate him. I wrote a character that uses the phrase “round-ear.” I don’t say I’m writing objectivist morality. I don’t scoff at the notion that I write fantasy. I don’t mind being called a nerd. Some of my favorite authors write fantasy. Some don’t. I am a fantasy writer.
And I don’t really care about “the genre.”
[...]
Rejection is a part of art. It’s not part of the creation, as creation based on rejection tends to be (but isn’t always) flimsy and unfounded. But rejection is important in that it sets us apart and makes our work unique. Most of that comes after the book is published, of course, but it can factor in prior and during the creation, as well. And that’s where “fuck” comes in.
Fuck the influences, fuck the traditions, fuck the hallmarks. Fuck the way things are done. Fuck the things that tell you what to write. Fuck the definition of what is and isn’t genre, true genre or the genre. Fuck the cries for more of the same. Fuck the laments that there isn’t another Established Author Name Here. Fuck not reading something because it’s outside your comfort zone. Fuck not writing something because it’s never been done. Fuck everything.
[...]
Don’t be afraid of the influences, don’t be afraid of the traditions, don’t be afraid of the hallmarks; they aren’t yours. Don’t be afraid of protocol; you don’t have to follow it. Don’t be afraid of things that tell you what to write; they aren’t writing it. Don’t be afraid of the definition of the genre; your work will occupy its own space. Don’t be afraid of people crying for the same thing they’ve always read; you aren’t writing for them. Don’t be afraid of reading and writing outside of your comfort zone; you’re never at a loss for having experimented. Don’t be afraid of anything.
Follow this link to read the full piece.
