I feel like 1. Everyone is forgetting Twilight and 2. The duality of man, there are two wolves, etc. 3. I would bet that the same “types” of people who are reading Sarah J. Maas in Gen Z are the same as millennials and Gen-Xers and whoever who have always read fantasy/romance/genre fic. I can’t believe that literary fiction (which no one seems to really know how to define) has up until now been the preferred reading for the masses (of which I am one), at least in the 21st century. Has Zadie Smith ever been mainstream?
In a decade on neo-Tumblr, a wave of guys will be making fan edits of these male characters to adjust for proper realism against the oppressive female gaze.
I too am fascinated by romantasy…I read exclusively YA as a teen and now read the typically "literary" novels—and I feel like I'm always running into Gen Z readers on the internet who are desperate to find the Really Good, Challenging Fiction!—so I tend to think that people don't want to be spoonfed easy fiction, and will inevitably seek out writing that is more emotionally complex and rewarding
I really wish I was handed Nabokov or Kafka to read at 15. It seems like most people in the lit/pub world went to small lib arts colleges and began reading "Good Literature," The New Yorker, etc in their teens, and so the barometers of developing literary taste for them appear to be cemented much earlier on. Yes, def read Bear. It's doable in a day, if you wanted to. And I want to go to a space master show in BK so bad...
ugh I sadly relate to this immensely…I have this eternal insecurity complex about not having discovered the “good books” until later in life—25 isn’t that late, but it FEELS late compared to the people who I admire for being well-read!
the literary vs "genre" dichotomy is like one of stated vs revealed preferences. not to noble savage-ify people who read smut, but it feels like they enjoy it on a more "pure" level but literary readers, specifically on social, come across as a lot more image-conscious and more effectively market books as lifestyle accessories. it especially helps if the title or cover art is cool, like "Milkfed" or "literally show me a happy person." https://theoutline.com/post/8254/how-did-kendall-jenner-get-a-copy-of-my-book-literally-show-me-a-healthy-person The Kids prob arent reading DFW because of "the implication" but they are devouring that which offers more practical forms of cultural capital
I have no issue with Romantasy, but I have to think "everyone is rushing to launch a Romantasy line" sounds less like "the future of books" and more like "the trend is about to begin its decline." I doubt it will go away (there continue to be small publishers/imprints dedicated to murder mysteries, horror, or, you know, romance) but this idea that it represents the future, just because it's popular on TikTok right now, is kind of silly.
As someone who got into ~literary genre~ at 21/22, I think the "problem" with romantasy is mostly the outsized attention it's given. Like CoHo got big, and now it's the gold rush of people that *could be* the next CoHo but lbr will not be. Who knows what will happen to TikTok in the US but it's hard to see that BookTok bubble remain for much longer.
I feel like 1. Everyone is forgetting Twilight and 2. The duality of man, there are two wolves, etc. 3. I would bet that the same “types” of people who are reading Sarah J. Maas in Gen Z are the same as millennials and Gen-Xers and whoever who have always read fantasy/romance/genre fic. I can’t believe that literary fiction (which no one seems to really know how to define) has up until now been the preferred reading for the masses (of which I am one), at least in the 21st century. Has Zadie Smith ever been mainstream?
Everyone is forgetting Twilight and Fifty Shades, but yes, agree. Zadie Smith is mainstream among people who went to liberal arts colleges...
In a decade on neo-Tumblr, a wave of guys will be making fan edits of these male characters to adjust for proper realism against the oppressive female gaze.
let's just do it now... time to reclaim...
I too am fascinated by romantasy…I read exclusively YA as a teen and now read the typically "literary" novels—and I feel like I'm always running into Gen Z readers on the internet who are desperate to find the Really Good, Challenging Fiction!—so I tend to think that people don't want to be spoonfed easy fiction, and will inevitably seek out writing that is more emotionally complex and rewarding
this is also making me want to read Bear—have seen a number of very positive reviews of it lately, incl this one https://briffinglue.substack.com/p/so-i-read-the-canadian-bear-sex-novel
also just wanted to say that I was so delighted to see a shoutout to space master!!!! a friend and a DJ I really love
I really wish I was handed Nabokov or Kafka to read at 15. It seems like most people in the lit/pub world went to small lib arts colleges and began reading "Good Literature," The New Yorker, etc in their teens, and so the barometers of developing literary taste for them appear to be cemented much earlier on. Yes, def read Bear. It's doable in a day, if you wanted to. And I want to go to a space master show in BK so bad...
ugh I sadly relate to this immensely…I have this eternal insecurity complex about not having discovered the “good books” until later in life—25 isn’t that late, but it FEELS late compared to the people who I admire for being well-read!
the literary vs "genre" dichotomy is like one of stated vs revealed preferences. not to noble savage-ify people who read smut, but it feels like they enjoy it on a more "pure" level but literary readers, specifically on social, come across as a lot more image-conscious and more effectively market books as lifestyle accessories. it especially helps if the title or cover art is cool, like "Milkfed" or "literally show me a happy person." https://theoutline.com/post/8254/how-did-kendall-jenner-get-a-copy-of-my-book-literally-show-me-a-healthy-person The Kids prob arent reading DFW because of "the implication" but they are devouring that which offers more practical forms of cultural capital
I have no issue with Romantasy, but I have to think "everyone is rushing to launch a Romantasy line" sounds less like "the future of books" and more like "the trend is about to begin its decline." I doubt it will go away (there continue to be small publishers/imprints dedicated to murder mysteries, horror, or, you know, romance) but this idea that it represents the future, just because it's popular on TikTok right now, is kind of silly.
Heard from someone who's pretty senior at an indie imprint that they're trying to launch a romantasy line... which is silly because it's indie...
As someone who got into ~literary genre~ at 21/22, I think the "problem" with romantasy is mostly the outsized attention it's given. Like CoHo got big, and now it's the gold rush of people that *could be* the next CoHo but lbr will not be. Who knows what will happen to TikTok in the US but it's hard to see that BookTok bubble remain for much longer.
Agree, publishers are very much creating their own bubble based on the accelerated sales we've seen on BookTok
Please, what does RAFTM mean? :( Sorry for the boring comment..
Reader and Friend to Me!