espite all of this, these authors still
advanced to be recognized beyond their

nf
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r c
ad
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c ql asters. In other words, their work became

ih
lemic fiction.”
begs the question: If popular literature can

7 popular fiction roots and categorized as

e into academic fiction, what changes to make

has to be more than just time, since there

ty of other novels and stories that fell by the
im sy é,

the reason anyone studies literature is

ar Beir) ideas, concepts, feeling, and

S in different ways. Radical or avant-

ories or perceptions are suddenly given

m for us, the reader, to puzzle over and

nd. ‘It allows us to experience lives and

view that we would normally never witness,

inh abit. Sometimes this is done consciously

hor and other times it is a product of

unique perception. ‘The author’s view or

z of morality, their spiritual values, their

le Current economic situation—all

ring:
tht their individual biases. It then becomes
f the reader to unpack and recognize these

Can seep into their creative work to

d perceptions and biases.
sof popular fiction, both past and
makes it popular is often its relatability

are
a7
ve

to portray the author’s intended message
t the general population can recognize

ppt. As much as I love high fiction (literature
re difficult to comprehend), it often fails in

4 , .
itself to the public at large.
Ase. 5 .
is difference in ease of comprehension does

ng e the fact that all creative works function
oe,

ay— A a convoluted reflection of their creator's
‘es
sw. To put a modern spin on it, The Hunger

a

sb ‘Suzanne Collins is a massively successful
HH owever, it is not just a book about a girl

12 a game or fighting in a revolution. It is a
ique of society’s fascination with reality television
violence. It challenges how we give power to the
ediz ia and our governing bodies by prioritizing our
mfort over educating ourselves regarding the

( 1c’ current social situations.

Le sarning to find these hidden messages in
ct ion is the whole point of studying English

i re. However, you do not need a degree to be
recognize correlations, patterns, and themes

aa

— The Myth of Academic Fiction —

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By, >. a ~—— ‘ ~~,

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within the genres of fiction you enjoy. Most of
the time it comes down to historical context. ‘The
average reader will better be able to recognize these
things in a modern book because the social context
that the book was written in is the same context that
the reader exists in, thereby making the parallels
more apparent. ‘This differs from a book or play
written 50 years ago, where the context of the book
is different than our contemporary situation. We

then need to have knowledge of its historical context
before we can fully recognize the parallels.

This precursory knowledge is what separates
modern fiction from classical. Both Olwer Twist by
Charles Dickens and The Absolutely True Diary of
a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie are social
critiques—they’re just set and written at different
times. However, because there is that need for
historical context when it comes to outdated popular
fiction, or “classical fiction” as most people call it,
some people automatically think that these creative
works are somehow better or more valuable. Age
ist a signifier of wisdom; it is simply a number
associated with time passing. Subsequently, eloquence
or the use of more intermediate vocabulary aren’t
signifiers of value either. Language is a tricky thing,
Something can be written in mind-numbing legalese
or it can be told to us using slang—just because you
understand the legalese, does not mean you receive a
different message.

Allin all, “
It is simply a means of identifying material that

academic fiction” is not truly a genre.

most people have a harder time comprehending. It
is also no better or worse than popular literature. It
is simply more respected because of a false sense of
superiority. I think that superiority complex is what
annoys me the most about individuals who tote their
love of academic fiction. It reeks of exclusionary
elitism, which annoys most people in general—this is
why no one likes hipsters.

The notion that academic fiction is a
distinguished genre, that it is appropriate content for
the educated or more mature mind, is a myth. It is
yet another social tool meant to scare us away from
reading because of the off chance someone may look
at the title of our book and judge us—when in truth,
they’re too busy looking at their phones anyway.
Read what you want, and if anyone tells you they
love academic fiction, quietly laugh and know that
they’re probably trying to impress you.

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