neodoering
Minstrel
I'm not interested in parroting what the industry people think when it comes to a discussion of which speculative fiction writers are geniuses, and why. Instead I am going to tell you what I think. I will keep this brief.
I have been reading a book called Literary Genius, which presents 25 essays on various British and American literary geniuses over the past few centuries. The editor of the collection defines literary genius as style, in the sense of the presentation of a world view that is more than just expanded or artistically restricted vocabulary, more than just linguistic tricks; it is a world view that presents an innovative vision of literary possibilities so powerfully communicated that the reader comes away from it seeing the world for the first time. I cannot embellish on this definition; it is applied to literary fiction writers and poets, but I am applying it to the following authors and the works indicated.
Ursula LeGuin - Left Hand of Darkness A mind-blowing novel of gender politics and gender roles. I read this as a young man and was not familiar with feminism except in a perfunctory way. This book was not merely an entertaining story; it made me think about who determines our gender roles. I am still thinking about this, thirty years later.
Anne Rice- The Vampire Chronicles. Emotionally deep and psychologically insightful, this set of books presented a vision of vampires which redefined an old monster and made me see them anew. Every few years I go back and re-read the original trilogy, just to marvel at the power of Anne's storytelling.
Alan Moore- Watchmen. Dave Gibbons did the artwork for this graphic novel, but Alan Moore did the writing. They go hand in hand, but I'm concentrating here on literary genius, and so I will say that of the works and authors I have so far discussed, Alan's genius is the most powerful. This was a radical vision of super heroes, an old favorite genre in speculative fiction, and the story was intense, deep, and very hard-hitting. I was not merely reading the story, I was rooting for the heroes and was firmly on their side.
I want to make a note about Neil Gaiman and Sandman graphic novels. I think this set of stories was brilliant, but it doesn't strike me as genius. It deepened my appreciation for graphic novels, but it didn't redefine style. This will undoubtedly annoy Neil's fans, but you can make your case in replies to my email.
Now I have said my piece, and I want to hear from you. Who are your geniuses? What are their works that blew you away and redefined your sense of what is possible in speculative fiction?
I have been reading a book called Literary Genius, which presents 25 essays on various British and American literary geniuses over the past few centuries. The editor of the collection defines literary genius as style, in the sense of the presentation of a world view that is more than just expanded or artistically restricted vocabulary, more than just linguistic tricks; it is a world view that presents an innovative vision of literary possibilities so powerfully communicated that the reader comes away from it seeing the world for the first time. I cannot embellish on this definition; it is applied to literary fiction writers and poets, but I am applying it to the following authors and the works indicated.
Ursula LeGuin - Left Hand of Darkness A mind-blowing novel of gender politics and gender roles. I read this as a young man and was not familiar with feminism except in a perfunctory way. This book was not merely an entertaining story; it made me think about who determines our gender roles. I am still thinking about this, thirty years later.
Anne Rice- The Vampire Chronicles. Emotionally deep and psychologically insightful, this set of books presented a vision of vampires which redefined an old monster and made me see them anew. Every few years I go back and re-read the original trilogy, just to marvel at the power of Anne's storytelling.
Alan Moore- Watchmen. Dave Gibbons did the artwork for this graphic novel, but Alan Moore did the writing. They go hand in hand, but I'm concentrating here on literary genius, and so I will say that of the works and authors I have so far discussed, Alan's genius is the most powerful. This was a radical vision of super heroes, an old favorite genre in speculative fiction, and the story was intense, deep, and very hard-hitting. I was not merely reading the story, I was rooting for the heroes and was firmly on their side.
I want to make a note about Neil Gaiman and Sandman graphic novels. I think this set of stories was brilliant, but it doesn't strike me as genius. It deepened my appreciation for graphic novels, but it didn't redefine style. This will undoubtedly annoy Neil's fans, but you can make your case in replies to my email.
Now I have said my piece, and I want to hear from you. Who are your geniuses? What are their works that blew you away and redefined your sense of what is possible in speculative fiction?
Last edited: