Rounding out the week’s posts on Lethem’s Chronic City is long-time friend-of-the-blog Sunny Stalter, an assistant professor in the English Department at Auburn University. Her research examines technology in American literature and culture. She’s currently writing a book about NYC subway literature. Follow her on Twitter: @slstalter.
In a 2004 review, Lev Grossman celebrates the current crop of novelists for whom
Thanks for expanding the scope to include Egan and Shteyngart. I’ve wanted to read both those novels but haven’t had a chance. (I’m still only part-way through Absurdistan …)
The genre fiction question is interesting. Makes me think of the final third of Cunningham’s _Specimen Days_, too.
There’s a timely discussion of literary fiction writers’ turn to genre going on over at The Millions right now. In comments someone made reference to Lethem’s 1998 Voice piece about the “squandered promise” of sci fi, excerpted here.
More to say about this when I get a chance but I love your idea that there’s something abt post-9/11 NYC that’s either feeding into or benefiting from the generic turn. I know Cyrus has thought abt this question too. Maybe we can get his input from the other side of the world …
Here’s something that continues the conversation too, though I think Max Page might quibble with their idea that the need to destroy New York comes after 9/11. http://io9.com/5837443/how-911-changed-science-fiction