Shayna Cohen Literature Blog

I have to admit that I'm actually a big fan of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I read an old beat-up copy from that dates back to my mother's time in high school to pass the time on slow dull days hosting at TGI Fridays. That TGI Fridays no longer exists and for that reason the story holds some nostalgia for me. I just loved that sense of very British and somewhat existential humor. My Dad passed on a love for satirical comedies like Airplane and History of the World Part I and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fits right in that type of comedy. I previously had no idea it started as an radio show and was happen to give it a listen. I was surprised by how much it stayed the same from radio to the book, but I still enjoyed hearing it again. What I especially love about the series is that it laughs at the big heavy questions or ideas that we stress over so much. Absolutely nothing is sacred in this story, except maybe a cup of tea that no longer quite exists. The story

This week we are attempting to distinguish between writing in genre and writing that may use elements of genre but that is essentially literary. Discuss this question in relation to the work(s) you read for this week. Do you think this is an important or necessary distinction, or not? The Distance to the Moon and Back is a story that isn't very mindful of genre, or at the very least doesn't really pay attention to typical genre archetypes. The story is technically sci-fi due to the fact that the idea stems from a scientific theory but in no way does Calvino try to make any attempt at making the logic of the story seem scientifically plausible. Obviously, if the moon was close enough to the earth that it seemed as if people could easily jump back and forth, life on earth would be in ruin due to the affects of the earth's gravity on the oceans, plant life, and so on. However, the idea is romantic and fun so it makes a compelling story. If anything, the story reads more like