This is a really interesting post. I wonder how much of an overlap there is between audiences who enjoy "focusing on bigotry is the only way to write" or "aspirational escapism only please". I've noticed in these kinds of discussions it's easy to present them as completely mutually contradictory, and in my experience...I don't know if I'd consider that true or false. I know most of the stories that stick in my head forever are the ones that deal with prejudice without making the entire story defined on it, but I don't think I'd enjoy them nearly as much without the background of fluffy aspirational stories where no one has to deal with that crap. For me personally, I don't think the potential reality has anything to do with me enjoying bigotry-free stories so much as giving me enough of a break from current reality to have the energy and desire to engage in a story that handles issues well. Happy fluff gives me energy, and I appreciate that.
On the other hand, I personally despise stories that have no redeeming aspects to anyone whatsoever and which are entirely depressing (or even mostly depressing). I know that there are people who love them, and I wonder how many of them are the people who despise escapist lit.
M/M fiction, in my experience, seems oddly weak on stories in the middle. With most other issues - racism, sexism, etc. - I can think of stories that touch on the existence of bigotry without making it the whole focus of the story. Some can even maintain the escapism anyway. With m/m, off the top of my head I'm coming up blank. I can think of fluffy up the wazoo, and the occasional really depressing story, but not really much in between.
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Date: 25 Oct 2010 06:16 pm (UTC)On the other hand, I personally despise stories that have no redeeming aspects to anyone whatsoever and which are entirely depressing (or even mostly depressing). I know that there are people who love them, and I wonder how many of them are the people who despise escapist lit.
M/M fiction, in my experience, seems oddly weak on stories in the middle. With most other issues - racism, sexism, etc. - I can think of stories that touch on the existence of bigotry without making it the whole focus of the story. Some can even maintain the escapism anyway. With m/m, off the top of my head I'm coming up blank. I can think of fluffy up the wazoo, and the occasional really depressing story, but not really much in between.
I'm not really sure where I was going with this.