POPULAR FICTION ON (UN)POPULAR SOUTHERN THEMES: FRED CHAPPELL'S FANTASTIC STORIES

The article highlights the role of popular genres (detective stories, science fiction, horror, fantasy) in the works of Fred Chappell, a contemporary Appalachian novelist, poet, and essayist. In Chappell's opinion, genre fiction should be rehabilitated in the eyes of "serious" writers, even though each genre contains a set of rules that may suppress authors' creativity and imagination; the existence of rules can even be considered an advantage. Genre literature always helped Chappell to cast fresh looks at traditional aspects of southern culture and history. Because sci-fi and detective fiction can be limiting, the most suitable genre for challenging traditions is fantasy. In his fantastic stories, Chappell uses the versatility of the genre to see his native South from many different points of view. Through them, he perceives the South, especially Appalachian North Carolina, alternately as popular and unpopular: such a dichotomy applies to his rendering of southern history, manners, gender relations, religion, and education.