LessWrong (30+ Karma) The Missing Genre: Heroic Parenthood - You can have kids and still punch the sun
Nov 29, 2025
The narrator explores the genre shifts throughout their life, revealing how their reading habits changed as they grew. There's a deep dive into the absence of active parenthood in fiction, highlighting a need for stories featuring heroic parents. The idea is presented that having children can amplify ambition and purpose rather than diminish it. Finally, the desire for narratives that blend love, family, and ambition under realistic constraints is passionately articulated, making a case for a new genre celebrating heroic parenthood.
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Reader's Lost Obsession
- The narrator stopped reading obsessively at age 30 and tried to understand why for nine years.
- She links the shift to changing life stages and genre needs, culminating in parenthood replacing earlier reading habits.
Genres Map To Life Stages
- Genre preferences shifted with developmental stages from adventure to literature to romance to fantasy and sci‑fi.
- This pattern suggests fiction functions as a developmental template aligning with readers' life goals and identity.
The Missing Parenting Genre
- The narrator found no genre that portrayed active parents who remain ambitious and central to the plot.
- She identifies a missing template for mothers who both parent and pursue world‑changing goals.