<P> Literary fiction is defined as fictional works that are deemed to be of literary merit, as distinguished from most commercial, or "genre" fiction . The distinction can be controversial among critics and scholars . </P> <P> Neal Stephenson has suggested that while any definition will be simplistic there is today a general cultural difference between literary and genre fiction . On the one hand literary authors nowadays are frequently supported by patronage, with employment at a university or a similar institution, and with the continuation of such positions determined not by book sales but by critical acclaim by other established literary authors and critics . On the other hand, he suggests, genre fiction writers tend to support themselves by book sales . However, in an interview, John Updike lamented that "the category of' literary fiction' has sprung up recently to torment people like me who just set out to write books, and if anybody wanted to read them, terrific, the more the merrier...I'm a genre writer of a sort . I write literary fiction, which is like spy fiction or chick lit". Likewise, on The Charlie Rose Show, he argued that this term, when applied to his work, greatly limited him and his expectations of what might come of his writing, so he does not really like it . He suggested that all his works are literary, simply because "they are written in words". </P> <P> Literary fiction often involves social commentary, political criticism, or reflection on the human condition . In general it focuses on "introspective, in - depth character studies" of "interesting, complex and developed" characters . This contrasts with genre fiction where plot is the central concern . Usually in literary fiction the focus is on the "inner story" of the characters who drive the plot, with detailed motivations to elicit "emotional involvement" in the reader . The style of literary fiction is often described as "elegantly written, lyrical, and...layered". The tone of literary fiction can be darker than genre fiction, while the pacing of literary fiction may be slower than popular fiction . As Terrence Rafferty notes, "literary fiction, by its nature, allows itself to dawdle, to linger on stray beauties even at the risk of losing its way". </P> <P> Realistic fiction typically involves a story whose basic setting (time and location in the world) is real and whose events could feasibly happen in a real - world setting; non-realistic fiction involves a story where the opposite is the case, often being set in an entirely imaginary universe, an alternative history of the world other than that currently understood as true, or some other non-existent location or time - period, sometimes even presenting impossible technology or a defiance of the currently understood laws of nature . However, all types of fiction arguably invite their audience to explore real ideas, issues, or possibilities in an otherwise imaginary setting, or using what is understood about reality to mentally construct something similar to reality, though still distinct from it . </P>

What is the essence of realism in literary fiction