What is good fiction?

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 Well, all I know is what I like, and what I love is Faulkner, Pynchon and Jim Dodge. My three favorite writers, with Cormac McCarthy being a close fourth. 
   Not sure what they have in common other than being American-white-males but it makes me uncomfortable. Most of my literary education was by way of Harold Bloom books so that might explain it. I love magical realism and Latin American authors in general specifically Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jorge Luis Borges. Find women writers brilliant like Katherine Dunn and KJ Bishop. And have a fascination with African and Japanese literature. My favorites remain Faulkner, Pynchon and Jim Dodge. I don't know Why I feel the need to borderline apologize for it, other than emphasizing that I am not saying they are the best only my favorites.
   My three favorite novels in order are Stone Junction, Gravity's Rainbow and As I Lay Dying. One a metaphysical pulp, another a psychedelic fairy tale, and the last a southern gothic romance that borders on farce.  
 I think it is possible that I don't have much to say on the subject but these three rules for writing. Some my own while one is borrowed. 1 the only job of any given sentence is to make you read the next one. 2 try to spend more time writing the book than it will take to read it. 3 don't write a character you wouldn't want to talk to at a party. The first two were mine while the third was a Neil Gaiman one I have grown to love.
    Other than that it is all smoke and mirrors misdirection and trying to keep the stakes high enough that people will want to find out how they play out. This may be the ultimate loser of a blog post and complete undermining of my intent in writing it but everything else is a question of taste, and that can only be acquired through living and reading.

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