literary fiction for genre readers

[@readandcoffee]

As an avid reader of both literary fiction and fantsay genre, i feel purists and snobs of both these genres are missing out a lot by not exploring the other genre. There is greater overlap and amalgamation in these two genres then we understand. Please try both genres with an open mind and heart and an ocean of new experiences is waiting for you..

[@safayasssin]

Omg I love the idea this video !! also, I'm on the hunt of finding engaging and interesting lit fic books as someone with ADHD and Severance sounds so interesting I might read it.

[@aireh2535]

This was a super interesting video for me. I think personally what drives me away from reading literary fiction is that most of the lit fic books I’ve tried are a huge bummer. I would be very interested in a video of lit fic books that don’t include misery.

[@00trbl]

babes you’re doing gods work x

[@readerrecords]

this is such a great video! and especially topical now, bc so many books are being published at the intersection of genre fiction + lit fic

[@JeaSong]

Your vid appeared on my homepage! I got curious because of the title and omgggg!!!! These books are interesting! Will add them all to my tbr. Thank you so much!!!! New subbie here! ❤

[@EmmaShute]

I am not typically a fantasy reader but The Realm of Elderlings by Robin Hobb has me hooked! Currently on the 8th book

[@JanetheBlobfish]

I recommend The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro as a literary fantasy novel. It has elements fantasy readers would be familiar with - mythical monsters, knights in armour, sword fights - but it doesn’t follow a predictable fantasy arc and deals with the more introspective themes of grief and memory. One of the finest books I’ve read!

[@nathimaus]

As a big fan of magical realism, but not into standard fantasy, I have some recs! Definitely have a look at Mona by Pola Olaixarac, The hearing trumpet by Leonora Carrington, A hundred years of solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The master and margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, Fountains of Neptune by Rikki Ducornet, A shark heart by Emily Habek. Also short stories by Borges and Cortazar are filled with it and are sensational.

[@giuliatrantonelli]

cameron. the only crime here is that you still haven't done a bookshelf tour

[@nyigma]

Yes! Nightcrawling is one of my favorite books! I would also have recommended Our wives Under the Sea. I think Piranesi could be enjoyed by both literary as well as fantasy readers. My other recommendations for both literary and genre fiction lovers are: Notes on an Execution (literary/mystery/thriller, one of my favorites!) The Mercies (historical, but feels like literary, also a favorite!) We Spread (literary/horror) The Haunting of Velkwood (horror, but can be enjoyed by literary readers) We Used to Live Here (horror/thriller, but can be enjoyed by literary readers)

[@JulEnglefaris]

We Spread yessssss

[@CristinaAllegra]

Great video and nice recommendations! I read Fantasy, Sci-Fi and literaty fiction and I was looking forward to the fantasy section too 😂 But you're right, everything that has a fantasy element becomes automatically fantasy, so it was probably an impossible task. However, I think most of the best fantasy (for my taste) is precisely that which leans more on lit fic, that is, on characters, introspection and such. Also on style. Fifth season could be an example (I have heard others call it lit fantasy as well). Also Piranesi feels like lit fantasy as well. Both would very strongly recommend. Also glad to see more examples in the comments🙈

[@lululofi000]

Last day of the week, really want to take a nap and your here ! Thanks for this.

[@RoseArnoldd]

I’m a BIG literary horror fan! Tender is the Flesh and Our Wives are ✨chiefs kiss✨ Another one of my faves is Monstrillio 💛

[@RoseArnoldd]

ALSO I think fantasy lit fic would be books like Circe and Piranesi

[@SlaggyBookClub]

i've heard sooo many good things about monstrillio!

[@SlaggyBookClub]

ah thank you! i haven't read either of these

[@RoseArnoldd]

@@SlaggyBookClubit’s soooo devastating and beautiful. I also second the person who said Chlorine and Natural Beauty 😁

[@cindyo6298]

​@@RoseArnoldddefinitely Piranesi

[@JulEnglefaris]

For fantasy-literary: When Women Were Dragons? I havent read it yet but I'm pretty sure the fantasy elements are heavily metaphorical. At any rate, it's usually in the fiction sections of bookstores and not fantasy sections

[@xqueseraserax]

Re: Paul takes the Form of a Mortal Girl - I’d put this more in the magical realism and lit fantasy category than sci fi. I’m going with How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu for my lit sci fi pic As far as lit fantasy - The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez is my pick.

[@Alice-sf9ro]

As an enjoyer of both fantasy and literary fiction, I think that there is a lot of crossover (although sadly it can be unappreciated by purists of both genres!). Here are a few of my favourites: - The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell - 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (also Jonathan Strange and Dr. Norrell by the same author) - The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende

[@thewatchfemme4051]

My favorite literary fiction author is David Mitchell, who of course is a genre fiction writer in disguise. ✌🏻

[@chriscze6153]

regarding literary fantasy, I never even really considered it, but most of my favorite fantasy books lean smaller scale/more literary in tone. The Night Ship by Jess Kidd is a historical fantasy based on real events of the sinking of the Dutch ship the Batavia, but the fantasy part is SO small, and the 1989 timeline is in Australia where the ship sank! I also think Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee leans more literary, there are some creatures but it's very contained and a novella.

[@undefined-maxwell]

Hidden Manifestation by Oliver Mercer (thank me later)

[@SlaggyBookClub]

✍️✍️✍️

[@jenniferschmitt6505]

I think this is a scam.... I see this same comment pop up lately but Amazon nor Google nor Goodreads have this book. I think the website wants you to click on a shady link.

[@alexandrasolari1647]

To anyone interested in crime fiction, notes on an execution by Danya Kukafta was incredible. I have recommend it to a few people and everyone rated it 5 stars!!

[@mekiiiiiiiiii]

Really enjoyed that book!!

[@MorganWitteTaylor]

I wonder if you could take an approach to recommendations for fantasy readers that focuses more on dissociating from reality, exploring ideas that seem impossible, etc.

[@cosyreadingtimes8857]

I would argue that Poor Thins is in fact so much science fiction that it isn't literary fiction. It's a sci-fi classic from the 90s that only gets called literary fiction now because it got an artsy film

[@Milliemarilyn]

A literary fiction novel with dragons could be When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill, which is more of a female-rage historical fiction novel than a fantasy… but still dragons 🐉 x

[@SlaggyBookClub]

ok wait this sounds so good

[@Jlv223]

This sounds amazing. I loved The Crane Husband by her

[@chriscze6153]

Literary horror is wonderful! I've read 2 of the 3 you suggested, just missing Nightbitch. For you, I think you could enjoy It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by Anne de Marcken, that's a beautiful existential book set in the apocalypse from the POV of a zombie who has forgotten who she was and questions her existence. Chlorine by Jade Song and Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang are also fantastic feminist stories

[@SlaggyBookClub]

Taking note ✍️

[@bethanamyh]

I read Chlorine last month and 100% agree!

[@nathimaus]

YESSSS. Anne de Marcken's book marked me forever.

[@mekiiiiiiiiii]

LOVE night crawling & tender is the flesh!!

[@lolaevergreen9077]

Great video, wonderful recommendations! Just had to point out that your description of Severance has major spoilers and were mainly about things that happen towards the end of the book, so maybe you should have explained the plot in a different way. Not the pandemic part, but the rest of it. The group (that consists of both men and women) think they are going to a "facility", likely with other survivors etc, but it ends up just being an empty mall that the boss guy of the group used to hang out at when he was young. This is also where the main character is taken advantage of for being pregnant. I can't remember when in the story we learn that she is pregnant, but I'm pretty sure it's not at the very beginning? I read it recently but not sure about that part. Either way, I just think you gave too much away, while not mentioning other parts of the plot that are not a spoiler, and would better describe the vibe of the book.

[@punktzbiegu]

i promised myself i won't buy any new book this year, i will read the ones i own or go to a library, and well here i am, discovering that 3 of your recommendations were translated into polish and they are on my to-read list, well i guess i will read instead of eat

[@ianp9086]

You obviously like lifting lids off cans of worms but this was fun! I love Our Wives under the sea and a couple of your other mentions so here’s a few extra you might like: crime- His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnett, sci fi - The Employees by Olga Ravn, and for fantasy read Beowulf perhaps or one of Marlon James recent books Black Leopard, Red Wolf or Moon Witch, Spider King.

[@jessthomas7210]

Im currently reading Shark Heart and I think it could possibly be a literary option for Fantasy readers

[@laurenbug972]

Came to say this! Loved shark heart!!

[@mina22200]

What is it about? :)

[@mekiiiiiiiiii]

@@mina22200haven’t read it but I think it’s about a couple were one of them is slowly turning into a shark ☺️

[@JulEnglefaris]

Shark Heart is amazing and I would deff say it's literary fantasy

[@lustphreak]

I offer two Lit Fiction books that I consider to be fantasy: Lincoln in the Bardo & Circe. Thoughts?

[@StrangerToEarth]

"There's more invention and more intricate fictional craft in most newly released Fantasy and Romance novels than there is any of the pseudo-profound, solipsistic nonsense that hovers around as 'literary fiction'." Can't reply to this comment for some reason but what a ridiculous comment. Someone cracked out their basic thesaurus for this one! I've never understood criticisms of literary or more serious, profound fiction as 'pseudo-intellectual' or pseudo anything, but I do know its a criticism beloved by salty YA and fantasy readers who haven't grown up in their tastes and don't want to admit it. No, i'm not saying all YA and fantasy is adolescent drivel, but come on, genre fiction is usually designed to be satisfying and wish-fulfilling entertainment - it's designed to follow tropes and give you comfy feels that don't challenge you or contain too much depth or realism. It's called escapism for a reason - it's comfort reading, and that's fine, but it can be REALLY basic and cheesy, and also derivative and badly written. a lot of writers are also blatantly cashing in on how lucrative these genres can be. But yeah, I love that you prefer literary fiction to genre, that you're confident in saying that, it's really hard to find youtubers who do, and the pleasures to be found in that are to me, more rewarding in the long run

[@magdalenetibbitt8513]

Your criticism of the comment makes you sound just like them. You’re both being closed-minded about the merits of each genre. Sincerely, a fan of both literary fiction and fantasy

[@siennanicholson9621]

please do a bookshelf tour

[@nathimaus]

Oh and I forgot The pisces by Melissa Broder. pretty much sapphic fantasy

[@isha3563]

Elena Knows by Claudia Pineiro is an excellent lit fic crime novel and We Spread by Iain Reid is my favourite lit fic horror. Wouldn't Mona Awad's All's Well fall into literary magical realism?

[@SlaggyBookClub]

Oooh great recs, v good point about All’s Well

[@amiraaaazhar]

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro for fantasy?

[@JulEnglefaris]

I love literary books, but I LOVE crime/detective books

[@JulEnglefaris]

A mixture of the 2 above I would say is Tana French 👌

[@stormyignorance]

black leopard, red wolf by marlon james for literary fantasy?

[@SlaggyBookClub]

I’ve had my eye on this since it was released, i find it so intimidating! 😂

[@JulEnglefaris]

I feel like this book tried so damn hard to be edgy but it was just grotesque and clunky. I read like 20% and I swear it mentioned sh*t, p*ss, c*m, r*pe, and p*do themes soooo much I felt like I was tied to a chair being forced to watch a snuff film.

[@jenntruong6023]

I am so disappointed- where is your Sonny Angel?

[@SlaggyBookClub]

Had to flex the new mic! Back to regular programming next vid i promise ❤️❤️

[@sunshinegirlonbeach1993]

Love your recommendations but maybe tone down the condescension??

[@SlaggyBookClub]

Definitely didn’t mean to be condescending! I’m not sure which part you’re referring to but would love the opportunity to clarify any misunderstanding

[@Megan.eco-Instinct]

@@SlaggyBookClub I respect that everyone has their own perspective, but I did just want to counter by saying that I didn't find your tone condescending at all.

[@lolaevergreen9077]

I also don't perceive any condescension at all, so confused where people are getting that from

[@belieber663]

@@SlaggyBookClub I love your videos and the way you explain your recommendations! I don’t find anything about your tone in any videos condescending!

[@sarahb.4967]

Genre fiction is so RARELY well written

[@josefineslot7937]

That’s absolutely not true☺️

[@courtenaywrites]

I have to agree with Joe Spivey here in that this video is ignorant, condescending, and ludicrously poorly researched. If you are going to make such sweeping statements about genre fiction, I would hope you have the chops to back it up, but there is no evidence of such. What could have been a springboard for an interesting discussion is a pitiful attempt at contrarianism.

[@oliviatheresa]

Who do you think you are coming on someone else's channel trying to put them down? You and Joe are extremely childish!!!! You don't like what she said just click off the video. It's not that hard🙄

[@courtenaywrites]

@@oliviatheresa Frankly, this is unnecessarily rude. I saw the comments, and even as someone who doesn’t particularly read genre fiction, I found the tone to be condescending. I would prefer ignorance be corrected rather than let it slide.

[@oliviatheresa]

@courtenaywrites I said what I said. Grow up and learn you don't always need to speak what is on your mind. It's her channel and if you don't agree don't watch. You are acting like she said something horribly offensive and it was your duty as a good human to respond lol! The ignorance here is totally on you. Have a good day😊

[@courtenaywrites]

@@oliviatheresa That’s woefully incorrect, and what she said here speaks to a wider issue regarding snobbery. I am perfectly entitled to respond, and I included Joe as I believe he was jumped on for no valid reason. Perhaps you should take your own advice if you cannot handle a difference of opinion. :)

[@oliviatheresa]

@courtenaywrites I see you clearly have no understanding of anything I said. You and Joe are childish and rude.....period 💯🤌🏼

[@JoeSpivey02]

Calling all genre fiction predictable, and therefore robotic on the writers' behalf, is obviously ridiculous. There's more invention and more intricate fictional craft in most newly released Fantasy and Romance novels than there is any of the pseudo-profound, solipsistic nonsense that hovers around as 'literary fiction'. Secondly, if you ONLY read literary fiction, how can you be considered a worthy authority on any other genre?

[@SlaggyBookClub]

Joe I literally didn’t say that at all

[@maismais1]

did you watch a different video and comment here by mistake?

[@kurt.hert12]

As far as genre fiction goes, saying you know what you're getting yourself into isn't stating that it's predictable. Perhaps there are people who haven't been exposed to "intricate fictional craft in newly released fantasy and romance novels", but you know what, that is completely okay. What is ridiculous, is the use of words such as "pseudo-profound" or "nonsense" for some of the themes of an entire genre to defend your misinterpretations. Lastly, one doesn't have to consider themselves a "worthy authority" to talk about their favourite genre and the art that comes with it on their OWN channel.

[@JoeSpivey02]

@@SlaggyBookClub You said that genre fiction "follows a certain formula" when in fact there is an infinite variety of complications and nuances involved in the writing and reading of it, so bagging them all up as 'formulaic' is horridly insulting. All of which is irrelevant because, as you said earlier in the video, you don't read ANYTHING other than literary fiction. So you're as much of an authority on genre fiction as I am on astrophysics or blanket knitting! How do you know it's formulaic if you've never jumped into a single example of it?🤣

[@JoeSpivey02]

@@kurt.hert12 I think stating that you know what you're getting into is very similar to predictability. Secondly, you do have to consider yourself familiar with a genre if you're going to discuss its differences with another one.