Even with the success of Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Game of Thrones and so many other genre books over the last years the genre wars are apparently still raging. The latest salvo has come from Kazuo Ishiguro. With the release of his book The Buried Giant (one of my favorite books last year), the criticism the book received for its fantasy elements came up in a recent interview.
Unfortunately, it seems this interview is behind a subscription firewall so I can only go by what the articles, mainly The Independent, report about the interview.
It seems what is getting folks up in arms is Ishiguro’s comments that educational systems have been for a long time focused on conformity and turning people into productive citizens to grow the economy:
Education’s task was to get pupils to abandon the fantasy that comes naturally to children and prepare them for the demands of the workforce.
Ishiguro suggests there is a reason why geeks, who as a group tend to read science fiction and fantasy, are in demand by big companies. The big companies are looking for creative thinkers and the geeks, not beholden to mimesis, are sought after people.
And perhaps that is true but I don’t think it is the whole story. I am inclined to agree with Charlie Ander’s thinking that Ishiguro has oversimplified just a bit because there is also the matter of math and coding skills to consider. I read SFF and have no problem thinking up all sorts of imaginative worlds and creatures, but Google is not going to hire me based on that and my mediocre html skills.
Still, the author of the Independent article gets a bit grouchy by declaring that while fantasy may be good to read, “life is more like bullshitty literary fiction” and he’ll put his trust in people who “think inside the box” to make decisions about how we live our lives.
Sigh.
Ishiguro doesn’t just talk about fantasy but all genre fiction and how it is not taken seriously, how it is just as valid a means of exploring human lives, feelings and relationships as “literary fiction” is. With that I am completely on board. That we even still argue over genre seems ridiculous to me. Good literature is good literature whether it is realist or fantastic, involves a murder mystery or a romance. It is convenient to use genre as a means to discuss books that partake of certain tropes and plot elements, but as a way to categorize readers or assess literary value? We really need to get over it.
Filed under:
Books,
Mystery/Crime,
SciFi/Fantasy Tagged:
genre wars,
Kazuo Ishiguro
I'm wrapping up my "bug book" week with Alphabet of Insects by Barbie Heit Schwaeber, illustrated by Katy Bratun, Thomas Buchs, Allen Davis, John Paul Genzo, Kristin Kest, Katie Lee, Larry Mikec, and Daniel J. Stegos
- Reading level: Ages 4-8
- Hardcover: 40 pages
- Publisher: Soundprints (October 10, 2007)
Part of Soundprints the Smithsonian Institution's Alphabet Books series,
Alphabet of Insects features a different insect for every letter of the alphabet. We are introduced to familiar and not so familiar insects alike: grasshoppers, butterflies, weevils, zebra caterpillars, and olive fruit flies to name a few.
Along with beautifully detailed and lifelike illustrations is a rhyming stanza describing the featured insect on the page. The rhythm and interesting facts will keep children entertained and engaged.
For example:
"
H is for Harlequin Cabbage BugThis insect is a stinkbug
And here's how you can tell:
If you get too close you'll know
it has an awful smell. "
This is particularly effective for beginning readers and read alouds.
What makes this book even more unique and engaging are the mixed media illustrations by a variety of artists. The details and true-to-life colors will make children squirm in delight.
In the back of the book is a glossary with even more information, and you also get a full-size poster and a sing-along CD.
This would make a great book for children who are learning the alphabet and/or interested in learning more about insects.
Other books in the Smithsonian Alphabet Series:
Baby Lamb Finds a Friend by Laura Gates Galvin
- Board book: 16 pages
- Publisher: Soundprints (October 30, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1592497462
- ISBN-13: 978-1592497461
There are not many kids I know who don’t love baby animals…puppies, kittens, tigers, elephants. In fact, whenever there’s a new baby animal at the zoo near us, families come in droves to visit the newest addition, so I think your child will be enchanted with Soundprints’ and the Smithsonian Institute’s lovable Baby Animals Series.
Suitable for preschoolers, this series of board books by Laura Gates Galvin features four stories about different baby animals, including a baby dolphin, a baby koala, a baby duck, and a baby lamb.
Baby Lamb Finds a Friendtells the story of a little lamb who finds a playmate and has a day full of fun. The text is short and simple enough for a preschooler to understand, and the full-color photos of the adorable baby lambs will keep them engaged. The shots are perfectly chosen and make it seem like the little lambs are interacting with you. For example, there is one spread where Baby Lamb’s friend wants to play a game and hides behind the tree. The photo on that page shows a tiny little lamb peeking around a giant tree, looking right at the camera. Other photos feature little lambs playing and sleeping, and the final page features Baby Lamb’s cute little baby lamb behind as he goes home after a long day of fun.
Baby Lamb Finds a Friend would make a perfect addition to your child’s collection, but once you see how much your child love its, you’re going to want the other three books in the Baby Animal series, and at $6.95 a book, you won’t break your budget if you add a new book every now and then.
Other books in Baby Animal series:
Baby Koala and MommyBaby Duck Gets LostBaby Dolphin’s Busy Day (this title is currently unavailable on amazon. Visit
Soundprints for ordering information)