lately, magical realism is creeping up there. since the fantastical elements in magical realism serve as more of an obstacle or weird coincidence to characters rather than a solution, the question of "what is the author trying to say here?" has been more prevalent in my mind. books like beloved, midnight's children, and kafka on the shore have been some of my most rewarding reading experiences. the reread value is so high with these.
fantasy kicks ass too.