How to Write Literary Fiction in 3 Easy Steps!

How does one write a work of literary fiction? What is literary fiction? Literary fiction is much like regular fiction except for one key distinction, it’s better, much better, and important. If it were a drink it would be a fine Vermouth with sweet, nutty undertones. Thankfully there is a formula; a strict procedure anyone can follow to elevate their work to literary status!

Step One: It is essential that you don’t start writing too early. Firstly there are forms to fill out, lots of forms. Earnest Hemingway was famous for his adoration of paperwork. Once notarized, color-coded, burned, trasmutated, re-notarized, digitized and emailed you are ready to move on to Step Two.

It is essential in Step Two that you continue to resist the urge to write; it is still too early in the process! The first step in Step Two is a virginal (gluten free) sacrifice to the current editor of The New Yorker. Once The Formidable One has been satiated it is time to adopt the proper attire: a faded tweed jacket, carefully splotched with ink and coffee for charming effect. Next there are the affectations befitting of a literary writer; adopt a smoking habit, shaky slender hands, a twinge of alcoholism, haunted smoky blue eyes, and most crucially an insatiable yearning for parental approval. At this point you should look the part, smell the part and feel the part (so empty…). You are now ready for Step Three; Step Three is the final step in the process where you put everything together!

Step Three: write an acclaimed work of literature.   

The distinction between genre and literary fiction is really a question of degrees. Genre fiction in the modern sense is a loose collection of concepts and tropes that we have come to accept as defining elements of a genre. The various designations of literary or genre fiction effect my experience of a work in so far as it colors my expectations of it before reading. However I often find that these expectations melt away as I actually experience the work. Genre fiction is a category that is created by our expectations; in a sci-fi novel for example you would expect prominent science fiction elements and maybe even plot points, based solely on the genre. Conversely literary fiction is defined by either its lack of expected elements, or the reconfiguration of those elements. Commonly when genre elements are appropriated within literary fiction, they take on a more ambiguous role. Little Big by John Crowley is an excellent example of a more subdued approach to genre mixing. Little Big has all the elements of a fairytale subtly layered in amongst a sprawling narrative framework that takes on a variety of other subjects. The fantasy is so subtle at times in the story it could be completely overlooked.

Ultimately the designation of a work as literary is an artifice of categorization, a box designed posthumously for writing that does not fit cleanly into other pre-existing categories. Perhaps in times past the Genre Fiction box was seen as too confining for some writers that sought to create more substantive works. However in recent times the already blurry distinctions between genre fiction and fiction in general have become even harder to discern. As all the little boxes fade away, ideally we will be left with one big box for the only category that really matters, great stories.  

Aquatic Uncle in Class Response

Water versus land symbolizes the divide that separates generations. The physiological attributes that differentiate the land creatures from their primordial relatives represent their respective outlooks and attitudes toward change in the worlds they live in. The Uncle character’s scaly, sharp exterior mirrors his disposition and his antiquated attitudes towards the lifestyle choices of his younger relatives. While his wariness of land confines him there is an undeniable wisdom that underlies his point of view. He is a fully formed creature perfectly adapted to his old world. This confidence is what draws the protagonist’s would-be fiancé.

I immediately identified with the dynamics of the family gathering as they were presented in the story. Both parties could communicate, however there were subtle but essential differences in their use of language. The Uncle spoke in rambling, often confusing idioms and said things that might strike a land dweller as offensive. It is clear that while they share many familial similarities their respective reference points are completely different. As a result the Uncle feels unsettled by the change and the young ones feel disconnected. The Uncle's initial bitterness and general gruffness towards his family a reflection of this feeling.

The nature of the characters and setting would be well suited to animation. The fantastical designs of the land and sea creatures and contrast between their worlds would be great design fodder. If it were adapted, more exposition would be necessary and the protagonist character’s relationships and personality would have to be expanded upon. Much of the short story is spent getting the readers oriented in the world. If it were adapted a more conventional plot would have to be constructed around the existing elements of the story. Many of the conflicts are already present however they need to be expanded into full-fledged arcs.

Wrestling with the Apocalypse, Exploring Octavia Butler's Alternative Perspective

We tacitly accept many ideas in sci-fi as permanent trappings of the genre: Starry-eyed futurism, techno-fetishism that serves as both the main source of conflict and mankind’s salvation. When you consider the elements of classical science fiction these ideas come with the territory, they are the Coke and fries that come with the meal of mainstream science fiction. Even the grittiest science fiction ventures to the existence of humankind in a far future. Based on our species’ nuclear and environmental track record I posit any story set more than five years in the future is a bit over presumptuous. It is in this frame of mind that I approached Lilith’s Brood by Octavia Butler.

Butler’s perspective as a woman science fiction writer [gasp] of African decent [double gasp] decimates the dull assumptions of an entire genre. She creates a world that is completely unique, bizarre and believable in equal measure. The sharp and resilient protagonist Lilith embodies her fresh contribution to sci-fi characterization. Lilith’s womanhood plays an important part in her struggles with an ambiguous alien sexuality. She is forced to reassess the meaning of her genetic heritage and her intrinsic concepts of motherhood.

 In Lilith’s Brood if not for some fortuitous (and weirdly erotic) alien intervention, our species would have vanished completely from the universe without so much as a whimper. Much has been made of Octavia Butler’s self-proclaimed pessimism, but this is just the shell of a complex and nuanced point of view. Butler seems to be operating from the assumption that humanity’s self-destruction is a foregone conclusion. And not just in the Cormack McCarthy sense, where after the apocalypse some grizzled men scurry around and engage in stern melodrama. Butler’s vision is complete annihilation; gone, dead, the humans are no more. Though she certainly does not posses the same glowing regard for mankind’s ability to triumph over all odds as many of her contemporaries, her apocalypse is not without the occasional hopeful glimmers.

By starting the story after humanity’s alien-assisted resurrection Butler attempts to shed some light on humankind’s Promethean tendencies. She seems to share the point of view her Oankali alien race. The Oankali essentially view the Human race as a room full of violent, highly intelligent toddlers who should not be left alone under any circumstances. But is there anything our species can do to avoid certain annihilation? Conventional science fiction would purpose the standard raft of ideas: Spaceships, war, wormholes, bigger spaceships, mind-expanding drugs, Robots! Butler takes a differing standpoint. It is clear she does not believe that Humanity can transcend its genetic dead man’s switch unassisted. In Lilith’s Brood the answer to Humanity’s salvation is though a process of dispassionate genetic manipulation. The Oankali can take even the worst aspects of our species’ biology and by combining it with their own genetic material, transform into strengths. Butler is probably not advocating for genetic manipulation as a solution to all mankind’s ills, rather she is purposing that the problems our species faces are much deeper than we would like to think. Perhaps too deep for us to escape from. Is the divisive, hierarchical nature of mankind encoded on a cellular level? An impossible question to be sure, but maybe the key to our salvation lies in a different direction.

The prospect of any one individual in our species bringing about the destruction of our entire race seems ridiculous, even the most dangerous among us subject to human limitations. However when we think stop thinking of individuals and start thinking about groups the scenario becomes frighteningly plausible. Though details are scarce in Butler’s vision it is implied that a nuclear attack by an extremist group is what finally renders the world uninhabitable. Perhaps then the message should be to keep a more critical eye to those who vie for ultimate power over others. While we wait for our grotesque-yet-sexy alien overlords to breed away our malignant natures, some gentle, massive restructuring of civilization wouldn’t hurt. We might consider allowing for more diverse perspectives like Butler's to permeate our societies. A more diverse sampling of viewpoints would shift the balance of power in the favor of a species made up of individuals, over divisionary factions made of ideas.      

Snow Crash and Assorted Ramblings on Virtual Reality

Slip a calculator into one of your jumpsuit pockets and grab a plank it’s time for Snow Crash! Neal Stevenson’s 1992 novel is one part earnest, philosophical techno thriller and two parts schlocky nineties action movie and comedic satire.

In the world of Snow Crash the Federal Government has been thoroughly decentralized. It now delegates the vast majority of its former duties and territories to corporations and their spiritual brethren in various criminal organizations. But this grungy, anarchic world is really only the embellishment to the real reality of the story. The Metaverse (or what modern folk today might know as “The Internet”) is the more functional of the two realties. It is a virtual cyberspace where for an elite group of hackers anything is possible. Many of the characters we meet in Snow Crash prefer to live here, including the main character, who goes by the cringe inducing pseudonym Hiro Protagonist. Hiro is a master hacker and an original architect of the Metaverse back in the primordial times of about a decade prior. Because of his elevated status Hiro has the power to bend this reality to his will.

Aspects of Stevenson’s cyber-reality reflect the current state of the Internet; he anticipated the importance of the Internet in day-to-day social interactions, and he seemed to be aware of the potential implications of interconnected surveillance technology, interestingly, he also describes software very similar to Google Earth. Even at its most hokey (virtual reality public transport system?) the Metaverse idea is nothing less than entertaining. With some hindsight the main problem with the Metaverse is Stevenson’s complete adherence to virtual reality as the future user experience of the Internet.

The problem with this form of interaction and the Metaverse writ large is obviously one of practicality. Why go through all that trouble with a 3d avatar when a few clicks or swipes will suffice in so-called flatland? Stevenson’s term for the kind of 2d interfaces that are currently the norm (and perhaps a clever nod to Edwin A. Abbott's novel), that remain essentially unchanged in premise since the nineties. With hindsight it’s clear that Stevenson underestimated the power of a clean and powerful GUI. So far immersive virtual reality is largely the stuff of videogame power fantasies and insubstantial tech demos. The Internet landscape as it has emerged is far more scattered and far more subtly tinged with sinister corporate and government influence than Stevenson could have imagined in 1992.

The innate complications involved in simulating a compelling all-encompassing reality are what doomed projects with Metaverse-esc aspirations like Second Life and PlayStation Home. It could be argued that the closest analog we currently have to the reality of the Metaverse is Facebook. Whether/how Facebook’s core functionality would work in an immersive virtual reality is debatable but the company’s recent acquisition of Oculus VR is an interesting wrinkle. For the immediate future there is still plenty of virtual reality to be had, albeit operating in a more limited capacity.

The Metaverse closely resembles the modern MMO videogame format. These games can be staggeringly intricate but their limited scope and utility allows them to empower the player within a more limited construct of the virtual world. Eve Online is a fascinating example of  an extraordinarily sophisticated reality on a colossal scale. So colossal in fact that, it’s economy is worth more in real currency than some many modestly-sized nations. With the emergence of new virtual reality technology and real-time rendering techniques that are quickly approaching what Stevenson describes in Snow Crash it is not out of the question that we could some day experience a reality as believable as the Metaverse. The last hurdle is whether the general public is willing to strap something like a headset on their face for multiple hours a day. Considering how fast smartphones and tablets have caught on it's certainly not out of the question, nor is it that large of a jump functionally speaking.

The final question then emerges if virtual reality does catch on who will be using it? Snow Crash does a great job in answering this question on many levels. The world of Snow Crash is a clearly delineated technocracy. The lower classes jack into the Metaverse through public terminals and are given glitchy low-resolution avatars. While middle-class males like Hiro and corporate entities comprise the upper strata of the Metaverse. What emerges is a system that leads to systematic discrimination against the techno-illiterate, ostensibly the poor and the elderly. The entire purpose of creating an immersive cyber-reality is to create a place for complete ideological and creative sovereignty. It should be a place where the individual is free from the constraints of society and the natural universe. Cyber-reality becomes dangerous when it begins to parallel real reality too closely and in doing so replicates the systemic limitations. Perhaps a cyber-reality that is completely uninhibited is impossible until we solve the problems in our immediate reality. 

*Edit: In a strange coincidence I just stumbled upon this Verge article today by Adi Robertson that touches on a lot of the same points as my post; she gives a great general overview of where VR tech is at now and where it could potentially end up. Here is a excerpt on the potential future of VR:

"...some of the most exciting possibilities involve blending the physical world with VR. Sharing experiences will become more intense, and online research takes on a whole new meaning. And then there's the entire field of augmented reality, where virtual and physical elements combine. If we figure out how to actually get there, the possibilities are endless."