[hsshhshshjk]

Is this just the constant survivorship bias of the present? Only the best of the past has survived until now. Only the best of now will survive the next two centuries so that someone in that time can bemoan the state of their present day literature.

[api]

I'm sure the 23rd century will have its equivalent of roman statue avatar social media accounts citing today's best art and asking "why can't we make culture like this anymore?"

There was a ton of disposable literature in the 19th century. It's when the term "pulp" started to be used for trashy novels.

[PinkSheep]

...and all the periodicals in 19-20th century magazines or newspapers, that were written by a single author for extended periods of time, but not good enough to be published as a separate worthwhile book. We don't talk about those, because we don't even have them within our frame of reference. Completely forgotten.

[hsshhshshjk]

Great examples, I hadn't even thought of those.