My creative piece represents an alternate universe fanfiction of Steven King’s novel, Misery (1987). By considering the outlawing of Popular Culture and fiction as a crime against artistic integrity, as well as Paul’s obsession with becoming a ‘literary author,’ my work subsequently evaluates the recurring tension of ‘Popular fiction vs. Literary.’ As discussed in lecture, Paul and the United Republic’s attitudes toward Popular fiction reflect the common presumptions made about this kind of work being lowbrow and less ideal. These stereotypes are further reflected in the piece’s underlying metaphors of Popular fiction being a kind of drug for the masses poisoning their perceptions of culture. So, additionally, it highlights the tension of
