# is Marlon James the new DFW **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marlon-james-the-new-dfw/735307 "2015-10-21T00:26:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@thanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thanatic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marlon-james-the-new-dfw/735307/1 "2015-10-21T00:26:36Z")
do you think “A Brief History of Seven Killings” will reach the legacy of “Infinite Jest” is he the new David Foster Wallace ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marlon-james-the-new-dfw/735307/2 "2015-10-21T01:52:37Z")
Well, I don’t think he is the new Dallas/ Ft. Worth. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marlon-james-the-new-dfw/735307/3 "2015-10-21T02:14:48Z")
> [@thanatic](#): > > do you think “A Brief History of Seven Killings” will reach the legacy of “Infinite Jest” > > is he the new David Foster Wallace I would have thought you would ask if he is the _best_ David Foster Wallace. 😉 I haven’t read the book, but heard a lot about it when it came out. I don’t recall comparisons to DFW. Have you read it? What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![thanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@thanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thanatic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marlon-james-the-new-dfw/735307/4 "2015-10-21T03:14:43Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I would have thought you would ask if he is the _best_ David Foster Wallace. 😉 > > I haven’t read the book, but heard a lot about it when it came out. I don’t recall comparisons to DFW. Have you read it? What do you think? “best”? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marlon-james-the-new-dfw/735307/5 "2015-10-21T11:50:42Z")
> [@thanatic](#): > > “best”? Your threads tend to be short OPs asking who is the “best” at math, philosophy, etc. Most folks will NOT know who “DFW” is simply by initials (see post #2 said in jest), let alone read the Marlon James book or know that, apparently he is being discussed as approaching his writing in a way that is similar to David Foster Wallace. I am a huge DFW fan, and a reader who has heard of Marlon James and had no clue that he is being discussed in a way that is similar to DFW - only reference has been your OP. If you are just looking for folks to respond with Yes or No answers, cool: No. ---
**Author:** ![thanatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@thanatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thanatic)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marlon-james-the-new-dfw/735307/6 "2015-10-23T05:13:26Z")
anyone else ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2015, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marlon-james-the-new-dfw/735307/7 "2015-10-23T06:33:05Z")
I’m part of the very large group of “what the hell are you on about?”