The Guardian came out with a list of 100 top novels recently. Any such lists are very subjective and there will always be difference of opinion in terms of top novel, top 10 etc. However, it was a big surprise that not even one fantasy fiction of science fiction novel made the entire list.

Here’s a snapshot of the Guardian top ten:

• 10 Madame Bovary
• 9 Pride and Prejudice
• 8 Jane Eyre
• 7 War and Peace
• 6 Anna Karenina
• 5 In Search of Lost Time
• 4 To the Lighthouse
• 3 Ulysses
• 2 Beloved
• 1 Middlemarch

So, why is this the case? Is fantasy and sci-fi not actually that good? Does it not compete with the giants of traditional literary novels, the Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights?

Readers Revolt

As a fantasy fiction author, I would obviously take issue with such a judgement. And I’m not alone! The Guardian’s readers were asked for their own list, and guess what – Lord of the Rings, a book that didn’t make the top 100 of the experts, authors and academics list, came in at number 1!

From the Guardian’s own reporting “

“It has profound meaning about the importance of life, sacrifice, the natural world, corruption of power, the evils of war, generosity of spirit – and a lot more. I don’t know of any novel that is reread so often by so many as this one. It connects with all sorts of people on a very fundamental level.””

Why is there such a disconnect between readers and experts? Well, the Guardian itself tries to answer a bit “many will have entered Middle-earth during their formative years as readers, when the immense length and gripping complexity felt like a secret to be treasured, a reward for literary ambition.” – I certainly agree with this. Fantasy is how I fell in love with reading and reading fantasy books made me want to become an author; and a fantasy author specifically. It’s why I chose to study English literature.

Academics vs Fantasy

However, when I got to university, I noticed there was a conspicious absence of fantasy novels. I studied Shakespeare (as any literary student of English has to), poetry, 19th Century Literature, Dickens, contemporary fiction, Modernism, even the Bible as literature. Those were just the options I had to study, there were more courses available. Yet no fantasy or sci-fi.

I’m not saying for a moment that I reflect negatively on my studies, they were hugely important in improving my ability to write and widening my reading horizons. Actually, in a way, not having the option to study fantasy or sci-fi made sure I explored other types of work that I wouldn’t have picked. However, that still doesn’t explain why fantasy wasn’t represented. Perhaps it was just my experience at university a long time ago, but I suspect I’m far from the only one who noticed such an absence. The original Guardian article basically confirms that this isn’t the exception.

Why do sci-fi and fantasy seem to be in a fight for legitimacy? They are both extremely popular genres (fantasy particularly so, as Tolkien won the readers vote), and both genres have sprouted sub-genres and have huge and loyal followings.

I can think of three reasons:

• Firstly, that fantasy and sci-fi are too escapist far removed from reality to be considered great in the way classic literary books are not. Many of the books that made it into the top 100 are literary fiction – fiction but set in the real world. However, I think such an argument could easily be dispelled, because whilst fantasy and sci-fi are set in different worlds with different races, they are still fundamentally human stories, told with human emotions, human flaws that make any book and genre good reading. The hobbits in Lord of the Rings aren’t humans, but we can all identify with their adventures. A Song of Ice and Fire shows us some of the darker elements of humanity and human society that are inspired from real history.
• Secondly, the literature isn’t “innovative” enough. I see my old foe Modernism well represented in the top 10, Ulysses came in at number 3. I remember reading Ulysses at university, and it is certainly complex reading. However, in my humble opinion, it was also an awful read , it didn’t make sense and I couldn’t bear to finish it. It may be an unpopular opinion, but I do not rate James Joyce as a writer or Ulysses as a good book, let alone occupying a place in the top 100 books of all time! Tolkien was an English professor and so I don’t think he could be accused of writing in simple English, but just because Lord of the Rings isn’t an overly complex book to read doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of literary praise. In fact, I think there is something to be said for writing in a simple way, using a strong vocabulary, but not overdoing it. I personally feel that readers are ultimately captivated by great stories, and whilst good prose is vital to that, it doesn’t have to be overly complicated to compliment the great story.
• Finally, I think there is just some rigidity, snobbery even amongst some intellectuals, critics and academics as what constitutes classic writing, and it is one of the most difficult biases to shift. Fantasy didn’t make the list because it didn’t fulfil traditional values of great literature in the minds of some, and no amount of popularity of cultural impact will change that. The classics are unmovable and nothing will ever live up to them. That can’t really be answered. However, I would say that in any such measurement, surely the impact of these books has to be taken into account? As an English graduate, I recognised and have read several books on the original top 100 list, but I certainly haven’t read all of them, not even half. Several I have never heard of. How many casual readers have read them? Or heard of many of them? How many have the general public heard of? How much of an impact have they made? Books like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings have made more of a cultural impact than many of the books on that list, whether that’s seen as positive or not.

It was most refreshing to see readers contest the list and put their alternatives forward. Fantasy and Sci-fi should be taken more seriously by traditionalists. Just because it is escapism, it doesn’t mean its any less a captivating and human story than any other type of fiction. I hope to see more lists with fantasy and sci-fi better represented in the future.