There is a perceived hierarchy between literary and genre fiction, which varies from one person to another. According to Arthur Krystal, genre fiction is escapist, and literary fiction is realistic (Krystal, 2017). This precisely means that genre fiction provides a psychological escape from the practical thoughts of the day to day life and immerses the reader into exotic situations while literary fiction is serious fiction, which is symbolic or rather significant to day to day life or activities (Hussain, 2017). However, according to Grossman, genre fiction makes an individual "come to terms with" problems and not escape them (Grossman, 2012).  Literary fiction is symbolic and realistic as opposed to genre fiction, which is layered by virtuous, uncomplicated, and attractive characters who enjoy adventurous activities in exotic settings (Hussain, 2017). This paper will, therefore, focus on displaying the escapism as portrayed in the Novel "The Fifth Season" and how genre fiction is displayed in contrast to literary fiction regarding escapism while considering that in genre fiction, an individual comes into terms with the problem and does not necessarily escape anything.

Noteworthy, Grossman Grossman (2012) asks why someone would choose a "hard place" for their fantasy as a form of escapism and claim the disasters as their own. This clearly shows that no one in their real-life would choose to escape in a hard way (Grossman, 2012). While reading the Jemisin’s novel, we find that there are several instances in the narrative where a reader is taken to an ambitious world that addresses power and oppression. At this juncture, one connects with the character by imagining the pain they are going through since it is relatable to something that happens in the real world. Grossman brings about the understanding that reading genre fiction will help one forget the problems in reality and bring a "transfigured form" of the issues which help in understanding them more deeply. In Jemisin's novel, the racial slur "Rogga" is used as a hate speech to dehumanize then and precisely treat them as animals or things rather than people (Jemisin, 2016). This is the same as using hate speech in a transfigured manner, which might give an individual a new way to come into terms with the problems in reality (Grossman, 2012). Relating to the orogenes and the work they were doing, a reader will get mad and try imagining being in their place for the moment they are reading the novel.

Markedly, as much as the word escapism is connoted with negativity that suggests that the audiences are unhappy and are not capable of connecting meaningfully with the real world and taking action, the idea exclusively and fundamentally contrary and should not be associated with genre fiction. This is because genre fiction only allows its reader to "doff" their problems and fix themselves in the world posed by the author, which provides for unpredictable activities and arbitrariness by offering rationality, structure, and resolution, which is not found in other forms of fiction (Hussain, 2017). It is essential to note that literary fiction in the social world is considered to have more merit and value than other types of fiction. It is considered realistic in that it connects, or instead, it is significant to political issues, social issues, and human conditions that are perceived in the day to lives. On the other hand, genre fiction differs by focusing on things made up in the mind that are not perceived in reality (Petite, 2014 As exhibited by N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season, the novel typically smashed the impermeable boundaries between literary fiction and genre fiction.   The author has twisted the plot to ensure that it caters to all fiction hence smashing the borderline of stating whether it is literary fiction or genre fiction. For example, there are real-life calamities such as the forces of geology and earthquake. At the same time, there are exotic ideas such as having a side of the world where they can call the moon back and stop the cycles of the seasons. This is achieved by describing the Stillness, which is a land affected by a long catastrophe, although ironic that the land referred to as stillness is facing geological instability, literary fiction is displayed because environmental catastrophes are all over the world. In the novel, at the end of the day, a woman is made to conquer all the challenges and hide her secret power so as to find her daughter who has been kidnapped, which brings about exotic thoughts to the reader (Jemisin, 2016). There are numerous challenges, such as the great red rift and spewing ash that blots the sun, and the same time death and kidnapping, as well as betrayal, is displayed (Jemisin, 2016). These are real events such as the periodic disasters, which the novel terms as seasons. These are examples of the environmental problems being faced currently in several parts of the world, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. Moreover, apocalyptic seasons that leave a reader engrossed into the problems being faced by the characters such as the orogenes and Essun, the woman who goes through all that pain. As Essun goes through thick and thin, it delivers real emotional response, and the reader doesn't need to translate the problems as they represent the day to day happenings all over the world, which is perceived in literary fiction.

However, at the same time Stillness collapses to serve a madman's vengeance and the spewing ash is said to be enough to darken the sky for years or even centuries, the author seems to have diverted from reality and stepped into fantasy. Moreover, Essun and Nessun travel to a world far from the Stillness where they can bring the seasons to a stop by calling the moon back (Jemisin, 2016). These events bring the reader to a state of escapism, where they start relating to exotic activities  that  cannot happen in real-life situations. It is clear that the moon cannot be called, and seasons cannot be stopped. If it is summer, nothing can be changed about the summer until it is over.

According to Hussain (2017), the emotional and social escapism in genre fiction as much as it cannot be ignored, it is important to note that it allows readers to imagine an alternate world that enables  an individual to be absorbed into the character and activities and become compassionate. However, the compassion and corning into terms with the problems, as shown by a Norwegian psychologist Stenseng Frode, "'stimulates our empathic muscles"' (Hussain, 2017). In my opinion, I will side with Hussain (2017), whereby escape should not be viewed as evasion or rather denial of real-life issues but rather another way of seeing the world. For example, in Fifth Season, the narrative pulls an individual to sympathizing with the orogenes as well as Essun, who go through marginalization, oppression, and enslavement. It is not true, but it allows the reader to flow through the eyes of the characters involved. This way, it is easier to understand what escapism, as portrayed by genre fiction, is without entangling it with escaping the real-life situations that we live in. Looking at Grossman's argument, it is essential to note that there is more than escapism in genre fiction. What is also there is connectivity to real and serious issues that also happen in real-life situations (Grossman, 2012). For example in the Jernisin (2016), we find that the orogenes serve a great purpose for the society through their incredible powers, but still, their treatment and training are brutal. In real-world situations, we find good people being awarded unpleasant acts. Therefore this brings connectivity and reality to the reader as they read the narrative.

Moreover, looking at the novel The Fifth Season, the author's words flow flawlessly, carrying  the  readers'  thoughts  throughout  the  happenings,  which  is  something  that  occurs  in highly polished prose (Jemisin, 2016). Jemisin's prose transports the reader to a complex yet vivid world, revealing how ill-intentioned society can be in reality. For example, the orogenes discussing the oppression of their race and the sad state of their world, which is equivalent to the world we live in. They are dehumanized, and when their anger takes over, they revenge by fracturing the entire continent, which brings about a catastrophic fifth season. The literary fiction is clearly and deeply though and intertwined to ensure that they transfer the thoughts and feelings of the reader while they jog the mind towards the reality of death, pain, and kidnapping, among other aspects such as the catastrophic climate change. When the character Essun tries to leave, she is stopped and threated to be killed. However, she ends up killing and freezing a lot of people due to rage (Jemisin, 2016). As a reader, one relates to the angry mob trying to kill her for leaving and at the same time, engages with exotic happenings of Essun freezing people solid, which is somehow unrealistic.

In conclusion, it is essential to note that escapism is portrayed in genre fiction, unlike literary fiction, which is a significant reality fiction. Moreover, genre fiction relies on the plot while the literary genre does not focus on the plot; instead, it focuses on prose. From Jemisin's novel, literary fiction and genre fiction have been smashed, making it difficult to relate with the novel as either literary or genre fiction. The novel portrays that one does not really escape from themselves but rather connects with the events happening to the characters by relating to them due to the real world happenings displayed in the narrative. Therefore, it is imperative to understand that escapism in genre fiction should not be negatively exhibited or perceived but instead considered as a manner in which individuals tend to come into terms with their problems in reality in a transformed form.