Women and "cult fiction"

A few days ago I finished Scarlett Thomas's THE END OF MR. Y, a novel that expanded my brain not unlike Richard Powers' THE ECHO MAKER (and not just because both books deal with consciousness, albeit in very very different ways.) But it wasn't that long ago that Thomas was writing crime novels, and in this essay she reprints on her website, she explains her evolution and the publishing industry's biggest faults.

Read the whole thing and then ponder the question she asks: where are the female cult fiction writers of now? Where are the women who wrestle with the same questions that Powers, David Foster Wallace, William Vollmann, David Mitchell (to name a few) deal with? Are they being manufactured into categories, rightfully or wrongfully? Do they suffer under the weight of Hot Young Author Chick Syndrome or another marketing-based ploy? Do they exist within genre fiction, like Thomas once did, and only require freedom and time to explore ideas that don't fit within these confines? Are they even writing books for adults, or for the younger set? This, I suppose, relates to the "women reading Pynchon" question I posed on GalleyCat earlier this week, and more tangentially, John Rickards' bittersweet realization that his new book is "just another Rourke novel."

I can think of several women writers who fit the bill, and more often than not they seem to be refugees (or reluctant dwellers) of crime and noir fiction, but I'd rather open the floor to discussion.

(And unrelated, Thomas's MySpace page is pretty damn funny.)

Comments

[Keith]

The Scarlett Thomas link doesn't seem to go to an essay.

[Sarah]

Does now!

[Ingrid (I.J.Parker)]

I managed to reach the essay by Thomas. My reaction was mild astonishment. Since I have never ever found myself in the enviable position of being wined and dined by editors or of experiencing photo shoots, my obligations to my publishers are less constrictive. Since they care little, I mostly do what I want to do. There! I knew I could find something to be thankful for in the situation. :)

[LeJeune]

my agent had been trying to sell my book and the reasons for the rejections are just about the ones that you mention....too culty, explores the questions that Vollman, Powers, etc. explore, but, fuck, I'm a woman writer.

[tod goldberg]

I think Margaret Atwood fits the bill, at least in terms of some of her books. Writers like Amy Hempel come to mind, perhaps even Aimee Bender, though with both Amy and Aimee were dealing with short stories, same with Kelly Link. (And I think describing Vollman, Foster Wallace and Mitchell as cult writers is somewhat incorrect -- all three sell quite well. All a cult writer is, really, is someone selling below the midlist that people really respect, or who has fans who dress in black, like Steve Erickson, for example. Or, at one time, Chuck Palaniuk. I don't know how many books a year Steve sells, but I'd guess Palahniuk just sold that many yesterday in backlist of Fight Club alone.)

[Mark Haskell Smith]

I don't think you can intentionally go out and become a cult writer - unless you're writing some kind of ersatz sci-fi based on a home-brewed religion that appeals to celebrities. Cult status is a kind of literary street cred. I would second Tod's list (Kelly Link!) and add authors like Lisa Moore (ALLIGATOR) and M.J. Hyland (HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN) to the mix.