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From: Caro.PA@PARC-MAXC.ARPA@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Merit Survey Results
Message-ID: <11908@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Sep-83 13:47:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.11908
Posted: Wed Sep 21 13:47:59 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 26-Sep-83 07:57:33 EDT
Lines: 177

The response to my "SF & F Novels of Literary Merit Survey" was
UNDERwhelming.  At first, I thought this was the result of (SF-LOVERS)
reader apathy.  But the comments included with several of the ballots
that I received point to another reason.  Many people were uncomfortable
with, if not dead-set against, comparing SF & F to such works as MOBY
DICK, THE TALE OF TWO CITIES, etc.  The impression I got was that
readers don't consider SF & F to be in the same "league."

The only conclusion that I can draw from this is that Science Fiction
and Fantasy writers, for the most part, are incapable of writing novels
of lasting literary merit.  Science Fiction and Fantasy will forever be
neighboring tenements in the ghetto of literature.

What I want to know is WHY IS THIS SO??!!

Anyway, here are the few exceptions to the conclusion drawn above.
There were some surprises.  I would contest not a few of the entries. I
was hard put to resist the temptation to do a little self-centered
editing.  Other entries caused me to slap my forehead and cry, "Now how
could I have forgotten THAT ONE!?"  There were some predictable entries,
and some glaring omissions (which I corrected when submitting my own
ballot.)

I decided against ranking the list.  There weren't enough votes to do a
good job of that anyway.  The list is presented alphabetically by
author's last name.  Further comments follow.


The Results:

Douglas Adams:
  The Hitchhiker's Guide, et. al.
R. Adams:
  WATERSHIP DOWN
Isaac Asimov:
  Foundation Trilogy
Peter Beagle:
  A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE
  THE LAST UNICORN
G. Benford:
  TIMESCAPE
Alfred Bester:
  THE DEMOLISHED MAN
  THE STARS MY DESTINATION
James Blish:
  CITIES IN FLIGHT
Ray Bradbury:
  FAHRENHEIT 451
  The Martian Chronicles
  SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES
John Brunner:
  STAND ON ZANZIBAR
  THE SHOCKWAVE RIDER
David Bunch:
  MODERAN
Anthony Burgess:
  A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
C. J. Cherryh:
  PORT ETERNITY
  Faded Sun Triology
Michael Chrichton:
  ANDROMEDA STRAIN
Arthur C. Clarke:
  CHILDHOOD'S END
  THE CITY AND THE STARS/AGAINST THE FALL OF NIGHT
  THE SANDS OF MARS
John Crowley:
  LITTLE, BIG
Samuel Delaney:
  DHALGREN
  THE EINSTEIN INTERSECTION
  NOVA
P. K. Dick:
  THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE
P. J. Farmer:
  THE DARK DESIGN
W. A. Harbinson:
  GENESIS
R. A. Heinlein:
  THE DOOR INTO SUMMER
  TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE
Frank Herbert:
  DUNE
Herman Hesse:
  DAS GLASPERLENSPIEL
Aldous Huxley:
  BRAVE NEW WORLD
U. K. LeGuin:
  THE DISPOSSESSED
  The Earthsea Trilogy
  THE LATHE OF HEAVEN
  THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS
Stanislaw Lem:
  THE FUTUROLOGICAL CONGRESS
  THE INVESTIGATION
  SOLARIS
C.S. Lewis:
  The Space Trilogy
Walter M. Miller Jr.:
  A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ
Mervyn Peake:
  Titus Groan Trilogy (TITUS GROAN, GORMENGHAST only)
Niven & Pournelle:
  THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE
George Orwell:
  1984
Christopher Priest:
  FUGUE FOR A DARKENING ISLAND
Ayn Rand:
  ATLAS SHRUGGED
Mary Shelley:
  FRANKENSTEIN
Robert Silverberg:
  BOOK OF SKULLS
  DYING INSIDE
J. R. R. Tolkien
  THE LORD OF THE RINGS
Kurt Vonnegut:
  SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE
H. G. Wells:
  THE TIME MACHINE
Gene Wolfe:
  Book of the New Sun (SHADOW OF THE TORTURER, etc.)
Roger Zelazny
  LORD OF LIGHT

???:
  FAIL-SAFE

--------
More Observations:

THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS, and "Lord of the Rings" garnered the most
votes, though that isn't saying much considering the small number of
respondents.

Some random comments ...

''When I think of literary excellence, I have to think in SF terms, not
in mainstream terms.''

''One problem with comparing SF to "mainstream" fiction is that SF
lovers
can read mainstream, but only a person familiar with SF and technology
in
general is going to make any headway with "Stand on Zanzibar."''

''LotR is probably one of the greatest works of the 20th century, all
around. ....  Tolkien is merely a work of art.''

''These are some candidates for literary merit in SF&F.  I do NOT
consider them to be in the same class as, for example, "Moby Dick".  I
just don't believe there are any works at that level.  Sorry.  Does this
disqualify my ballot?''

***

Finally, though unsolicitated, I received a rather humorous
Anti-Recommendation.  In light of the fact that Gene Wolfe's "Book of
the New Sun" got more votes than most, I think this comment is quite
provocative ...

''Works of Utterly Negligible Literary Merit, that are also Rotten
Science Fiction.

The entire Opus (Can-Opus?) that Doris Lessing seems Hell-bent upon
inflicting upon an undeserving world.

The First, Second, ..AlephNullth Chronicles of TC ...

The Saga of the Pliocene Exile, The Finger of the Fornicator, Sai-Dan,
Blech the Barbarian, and everything else fabricated by hacks who propose
to sell heroic fantasy by the yard.''

****

Perry