Tapping into the Appeal of Cult Fiction

Abstract

Readers' advisors are well aware of the growing trend in publishing toward cross-genre writing. Whether it is a mystery with a vampire detective, a futuristic romance, or inspirational thriller, readers are enjoying books that defy standard genre classification. As Kelly Fann discusses in her article, fiction is a genre bender, though one that is frequently overlooked by readers' advisors. Here, Fann explores what makes a title a favorite, how readers respond to these titles, and what librarians can do to better serve the reading interests of this part of their reading community. Kelly Fann is director of the Tonganoxie (Kans.) Public Library and adjunct faculty for Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. She is a regular RA presenter across Kansas and Missouri and reviews books for MonsterLibrarian.com.--Editor The tattered paperback book sat crammed between two now-forgotten titles on my grandmother's bookshelf for several years before I picked it up in a fit of boredom. It probably hadn't been looked at or even fingered in five times as many years as I passed it over. The pages were yellowed and they smelled something terrible, but I read it anyway, and I read it in one sitting. I can tell you how old I was, the season, what the weather outside was like, what time I started the book, when I finished it, how often I got yelled at and told to get out of that chair and do something constructive, and how I would not shut up about it for many weeks thereafter. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was my first foray into fiction and it will forever be emblazoned as my life changing text of choice. This is what fiction books do to their faithful followers: they inspire, amuse, and amaze their readers, they stir the emotions and mesmerize, they evoke passion, and they etch themselves into their reader's memory. It is for these reasons and many more that fiction titles are a powerful resource for librarians to tap into when helping their patrons find their next greatest read. CULT FICTION AND ITS APPEAL Before we begin, it is important not to confuse fiction with the horror genre's occult, or with fiction written about the idea of a from a religious or sociological definition. Cult fiction more closely aligns with the concept of cult classic in that it has achieved rogue literary phenomenon status; however, defining what constitutes fiction can be a daunting task, as there are many determining factors. For an added bit of complexity, not all of these parameters must be met to achieve fiction status. Cult fiction tends to be groundbreaking literature, either through its prose style or through the subject matter the author has chosen to discuss. Subjects often cover lurid topics such as sex and drugs, or will include criticism of the establishment through exploration of the human condition or creation of dystopian societies. Many fiction titles incorporate spur-of-the-moment adventurous travel, as it is the path traversed that aids in scrutiny of the subject matter. At the time of their publication, titles destined to join the fiction canon burst onto the scene, are quickly deemed as being filled with explicit or controversial content, and thus garner greater attention. The icons of the fiction canon, Brave New World, Catcher in the Rye, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? along with others, often were banned or contested quickly after publication, intensifying their seduction. Once a title finds its way to the banned bookshelf, reader intrigue skyrockets as readers seek to discover and experience the book's mystique for themselves. In my opinion, Jane Sullivan posits the most concise definition of fiction: whatever it is, fiction makes the heart beat faster ... it speaks to you in a way nothing else does, and you're convinced you're the only person who gets it. (1) As more and more readers react to a book in this same manner, feeling as though they are the only people who understand what the author really means, the status of the title begins to develop. …