Are Men Done with Fiction?

James has been looking for fiction that reflects his own experience in modern North America—his years as a single dad, his struggles to establish a career while looking after his family and trying to have a life. He’d love to read stories that explore this territory, but…there’s a problem. Not much is being published in that area, it seems. His experience is nothing like the lives reflected in earlier works of fiction about men (Cheever, Updike, etc.), nor is it anything like the experience related in the novels touted as “must reads” by men’s magazines (Cormac McCarthy’s nihilistic bloodbaths, for example). In this segment, the gifted underachievers discuss whether nuanced and fairly accurate portrayals of the “male” experience can be found—and where. Our conclusion may surprise you!Questions for Listeners:(Hop on over to the segment web page to leave us your answers.)* Can you recommend any recent fiction titles that reflect the “male” experience?* Or is Cormac McCarthy the way to go?* If you’re a traditional publisher or agent, do you publish the kind of work James is looking for? If so, let us know!Segment Links:[1 min] A young woman’s recommended reads for men, in which she (maybe inadvertently) dumbs men down: https://youtube.com/shorts/Qe9R6pKKrdQ?feature=shared[20 mins] This presentation on slim pickings for male readers seems to idealize lad stories and overgeneralize about women as readers / publishers / editors, but otherwise has some interesting points and a very funny schtick about WWII chick lit book covers and tropes at about the 8-minute mark:Thanks for listening to Gifted Underachievers! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you aren’t already a subscriber, we’d love to have you in the GU Clubhouse! No spam, unsubscribe any time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit giftedunderachievers.substack.com