Modernism and the birth of literary fiction as a concept was a reaction against popular fiction / commercial fiction / pop culture / mass culture. Sometimes, it was a reaction against the masses themselves. Exclusively. Elitist.

I have been obsessed with the intersection of literary and genre fiction, and that intersection is an area where contemporary literature can differentiate itself from its counterparts of a century ago.

...literary fiction that is for the masses, not against it.

This would be expressed both in content and theme, I believe. It would aspire to the art of language & form while embracing genre & themes that address inclusivity rather than exclusivity. The-divine-right-of-kings fantasy, for example, would be a poor thematic match.

It would embrace diversity within books and diversity in authors. It would celebrate own voices. And it would itself be a marriage of art and social concern.

It would not look down on the superhero genre for being popular, for example, but it would be concerned with the fascist undertones that can be present. It might champion the movie Logan, for example.

For those of you interested, what stories (books, films, or other) do you see fitting these criteria?

It's not the most creative term for it, but for now we might refer to this as post-literary fiction.

One might think of it as inclusivity-focused upmarket fiction, but upmarket it a publishing category. This is more of a mindset, a goal, a literary worldview.

*exclusivity