The 20th century is so rich in good lit. Even Faulkner (you in your latter comment) is in this time period. And getting closer to today you still have solid aut

The 20th century is so rich in good lit. Even Faulkner (you in your latter comment) is in this time period. And getting closer to today you still have solid authors: Gene Wolfe, Jim Harrison, Cormac McCarthy, Marilynne, Robinson, Susanna Clarke, China Mieville, Dan Simmons, Ursula K. Le Guin. These aren't chumps. The 21st century is just beginning. It will shake out over time. I suspect a part of it is a minor fetishization with language that differs from what we're used to. Like a British accent can sound delightful to me even if it's not any more literate than me. The same could hold with past writing styles. So what is "blandly" written now, might not sound bland to people 50 years from now. Just a thought.