Science fiction is, at least for me, an
interesting case. On the one hand, I am personally much in
favor of it; on the other hand, due to the fact that it
isn't critically accepted, I find it hard to argue in
favor of including it in "literature" distributions.
Perhaps some day critics will grow to accept science
fiction; as this has not happened to any significant
extent, I advocate placing it in the "trash" distribution
of academic packets, and personally make it a point
to write questions about it.
Victoria: Who
are David Foster Wallace and Amy Bloom? Aside from
that, I'd say the difference between the authors you
mention and the, um, other authors you mention (the
latter, older ones) is that the older ones have managed
to hang around for 80 years or whatnot. When these
others accumulate either greater or more enduring
respect, maybe they too can be question topics. And even
so, I would advise that question-writers be sparing
in the number of questions they afford to such
"quasi-legitimate" topics as the older writers you mention... not
that I would set myself up as some sort of Arbiter of
Taste or anything, but merely as one person expressing
an opinion.