The Steampunk Boiler Room

For those of us on the editorial side of the fence, there is a term -- used somewhat derogatorily by those who don't like the practice -- of "Li-Fi" or "Literary Science Fiction." I personally don't like the term because I think there is nothing wrong with writing science fiction that has a more literary appeal. In any case that's not the point of this post.

I am working on a revamp -- major overhaul is probably more appropriate -- of a piece I started nearly 12 years ago. Originally it was meant to be a Victorian pastiche based on a character I created in college. The piece as it stands now works relatively well, but there has always been something missing, and I had a bit of an epiphany about its direction. My question -- or curiosity -- is whether or not there is a sort of unspoken rule that there be action built into the genre, as there seems to be a preponderance of it in all of the pieces I have read (though short works seem to be more proactive about writing more "literary" pieces). Or perhaps would someone put down a piece that doesn't have a lot of action, considering the genre?

Cheers
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J Boone Dryden
Director, the Milwaukee Writers Workshop
Director of Programming, WriteCamp Milwaukee

PS -- If someone is bored and would like to read about 60,000 words, let me know, because I'd love your comments on the work in its current state.