There’s been a discussion on a writing list I’m on regarding definitions: what is fantasy, what is horror, what is SF, and this started from a discussion on what makes writing “art”. I stayed out of the arguments, which got heated at times. Ultimately, I think the discussion is self-defeating. Labels are only useful when they are used to promote discussion, and celebrate diversity, but often they are used to exclude, and inherently, to reinforce prejudice. Look at how we label people: black, white, straight, gay, working-class, etc. These terms are often (not always) used when people want to put distance between “us” and “them”. In literature there are many…