At the beginning, I’d like to address the elephant in the room. Yes, this article is in response to the New York Times opinion piece The Disappearance of Literary Men Should Worry Everyone. 

Like the original author, I am a writer of multiple genres, who has observed the same inexorable statistics. The vast majority of readers, agents, and editors are now women. This hasn’t always been the case. This shift has impacted what I write and attempt to publish, however. I have my own stories of what industry insiders have told me about my publishing viability, but this is not what keeps me thinking about this topic. I applaud anyone who reads and anyone who gets published. Both are to be commended.

I think this opinion piece struck a nerve because I have a 20-year-old son, who is extremely career focused, but also an avid reader (the last couple of years in books that assist in a greater understanding of his desired profession). My son values learning and literature, but he is not reading much fiction or non-fiction (he is an avid history and political buff) while in college.

My own life changed as a boy growing up in a small town in Michigan, where I discovered books. Like many kids my age, I was first drawn to adventures (heroic tales) where I could imagine myself in the role of saving others. 

These stories, for me, were instructive in becoming a better person, someone who stood up for himself and others. Along the way of reading adventure novels and science fiction, I grew to love being transported to other places. Along the way, I gained empathy for those unlike myself. This initial love of slaying dragons or demons in novels and comic books (possibly hardwired into some men’s DNA), opened a portal to a larger world. 

Literature, in its varied forms, has been a life saver for me. My purpose and love of reading are nearly impossible to unwind as I have worked most of my career as a professional writer. 

The key question is: what would I be like if I grew up now?

Some of the same likely avenues still exist. Comics remain a domain where boys learn moral stories. In other households, the bible and church can help provide tales and transport young men to lives of purpose. There is something else though, often vilified (along with porn) that explains why men have stopped engaging with literature: short form video content and video games.

I don’t believe video games, in themselves, are a source of evil. Addictions as drugs, alcohol, gambling, and porn I believe are more detrimental to development. Statistics show young men are increasingly withdrawn, underemployed, and depressed. Lack of friendships or familial support can lead to loneliness. For many men, video game communities are a lifeline. 

But where can young men find inspiration outside of assigned reading in school, YouTube, and super hero flicks?

Stories have continued to evolve since the days of cave painting and campfire tales. I would imagine that if I was growing up, I might be a gamer instead of a reader. Some of the world building in these are artistically and powerfully done. We have seen powerful adaptions of League of Legends (Arcane) and Fallout to screen. Some of these games have complex universes, diverse character sets, and important moral questions and ambiguities to explore. 

Maybe these games are opening worlds for other kids now like literature did for me as a boy. I still will not forget how, during the early days of COVID, my son and his friends stayed in touch while gaming. They were able to speak and interact, and solve problems together. 

Literature itself is possibly changing. Men do read thrillers and science fiction more than other genres. Some of these genres as shifting, as literature often does. There is one recent sci-fi genre Lit RPG or Portal Fantasy, that allows readers to join a gaming party in the story. 

One of these series Dungeon Crawler Carl was mentioned to me by my physical therapist and I fell down a rabbit hole of science fiction with edges, humor, and immense scope that made me nearly giddy again. The fan boy in me resonated with this series. It tickled something within me. The photo in this article is of me wearing a Royal Court of Princess Donut T-shirt I bought based on Dungeon Crawler Carl

I still read literary fiction, poetry, non-fiction and other genres. I’d love for other men to read them, too. However, perhaps the door to this work might be comics, new sci-fi genres, or yes, video games. And perhaps this shouldn’t, in itself, be as worrying as one might think.