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From: tomj@chinet.UUCP (Tom)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Criticism
Message-ID: <175@chinet.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Sep-85 20:02:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: chinet.175
Posted: Fri Sep  6 20:02:33 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Sep-85 13:42:54 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: chinet, Public Access UN*X, Chicago, IL
Lines: 36
Keywords: Art, Anti-art, snobbery, taste

From _ABC of Reading_ by Ezra Pound:
 
	1.  "Literature is news that STAYS news."
	2.  The critic who doesn't make a personal statement, but merely
		repeats other men's results is an unreliable critic.  
		_krino_:  to pick out for oneself, to choose.
 
	I will make a personal statement in this article.  I do not believe
that even one in one thousand science fiction/fantasy works are works of
literature.  If pushed to name one which is a work of literature, I would
answer _Winter's Tale_, by Mark Helprin, a mainstream novel with millenial
themes, and a serious dose of fantasy.  I can read and re-read this novel,
and still find new things; Mr. Helprin "writes like an angel", which doesn't
hurt either.
 
	Other points:  from Mr. Ellison's review of _Dhalgren_, I would have
to believe that it isn't a work of literature:  it'd be difficult to find
something new in a work so turgid you cannot even finish!
	I enjoy detective novels, and sf/f works, and they aren't literature.
It is difficult for me to re-read these works though.  Examples of typical
sf/f novels I cannot re-read:  _Dayworld_, anything by Heinlein, Chalker, or
Anthony.  Examples of ones I can re-read:  works by Glen Cook (in particular,
the second book of the Black Company series:  _Shadows Linger_), certain
works by Zelazny, though I will never be able to fully appreciate that terrible
pun about epilepsy again, and Tolkein's works.
	This phenomenon isn't confined to sf/f:  consider re-reading a Le Carre
spy novel!
 
	As to art, and anti-art, to put it in a mainstream context, I consider
JRjr's work in the uncanny x-men anti-art, and Arthur Adams work in the
special Blue (err, New) Mutants special edition ART, especially panel 3, page 5
panel 6 page 15, and panel 4 page 57.  Read it!!!!  (yes, I know that the
x-puppies are mainstream; that doesn't mean the mag cannot be good!)
 
	Tom Johnston
	ihnp4!chinet!tomj