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I disagree with your disagreement. ;) "The best" fiction from all genres is what I would call "great fiction". (I wouldn't put Wells in that bracket by any means, or McCarthy for that matter, but...

Probably Skinny Legs and All is his most accessible book. I'm not a huge fan of his, but I did really like that novel. It's very funny.

It isn't that "improvement" can't be readily defined, it's that it isn't defined in the way you seem to think it is. "Improvement" in evolutionary terms merely amounts to a greater ability to survive...

I'd disagree with that, but only because we probably have different definitions of "writing ability". My favourite prose stylist is Raymond Carver, who I suppose is firmly in the literary fiction...

No option for black? For shame!

That's all very true.

I will add that the issue has more complexity than at first glance. "Literary fiction" itself is a genre, after all, with tropes and cliches like any other. But because it is...

A History of Violence - Brilliant performances, great directing, great script. It's always good to see Ed Harris in a film. And I really fancy Maria Bello. 9/10.

Yes. :ladysman:

For the record I was just quoting Dr. Strangelove. I think this whole debate is utterly crazy.

And you're still not really answering the point. Selective breeding, however you might choose to define its scope, is at the core of eugenics, is it not? (See your 'second rule' in your initial...

That depends how much store you set in intellectual profundity. Generally speaking if I want intellectual profundity I'll read scholarly works. If I want emotional profundity I'll read a novel. And...

I think everyone does that from time to time. Whether they admit to it or not is another matter. ;)

Would you eat an insect?

Well, one of us is reading the other's posts incorrectly, but it isn't me! I made the point that eugenics is by definition about specialisation, which is a major reason why it is flawed. You haven't...

One of the characters in the film is a US Air Force General who goes insane and starts ranting about denying women his essence and the importance of preserving bodily fluids. One of the all time...

I think the question should really be Why isn't genre fiction taken seriously?

It isn't just science fiction that the literary establishment sneers at. It's also fantasy, crime, historical...

Yeah, a friend in need is a friend indeed, etc. etc.

Would you rather have the power of invisibility or flight?

You're assuming specialisation is a good thing. It isn't, generally speaking. The more specialised members of a given species are, the more vulnerable they are if conditions change. You see this all...

Method Man - Wu-Tang Clan
1% of One - Stephen Malkmus & The Jinks
Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age - Holst: The Planets (Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic)
High Life - Counting Crows
Xylophone Track -...

The King of New York - Fun Lovin' Criminals

Like most men, I put lots of thought and consideration into that. :D

I loved it. A genuine mindstretch. I think the core idea of the book is spot on, although I don't necessarily agree with all of its conclusions.

No; we have centuries of proof in breeding animals to show that is possible to breed more specialised individuals of a given species. That is a different thing to creating "a healthier species".
...

I first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love...Yes, a profound sense of fatigue, a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I was able to interpret these feelings correctly....

Something has to be said for Death in the Afternoon. The epilogue is just about the most beautiful thing ever written in the English language, in my opinion.

I think it's difficult to dispute that Ayn Rand wasn't so much interested in writing novels as she was in making a political/philosophical point. That usually makes for poor fiction.

However, she...

I'm not a Christian, but the Bible and its contents are a cornerstone of Western civilisation. It's probably the most important single book ever written (or collated). Disagree with it if you like,...