Encyclopedia of American Popular Fiction

What is the definition of “popular fiction”: sales figures over critical acclaim, contemporary appeal rather than high art – or simply the success of the right book at the right time? Editors Geoff Hamilton and Brian Jones would prefer to describe cult bestsellers like Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold as “first‐rate storytelling”, rather than “second‐rate fiction”. Chick lit and “summer reading” titles might not be considered classical fiction, but there is always a demand for the latest trend on the shelves, from Harry Potter to John Grisham. Film adaptations of novels also...