Lamenting the dearth of space devoted to fiction in magazines, David Granger, the editor-in-chief of Esquire Magazine, has made the decision to publish fiction for men. Starting in June, the magazine will publish an e-book series with a male perspective. In the first run, the series will feature short stories by Aaron Gwyn, Luis Alberto Urrea and Jess Walter. The series will be published every couple of months through the digital publisher, Open Road Integrated Media.

In a New York Times article, Granger said, "It's a struggle, because especially during the recession, we lost so many pages," he said. "Fiction begins to feel a little bit of a luxury."  He went on to define men's fiction as "plot-driven and exciting, where one thing happens after another. "And also at the same time, dealing with passages in a man's life that seem common." 

The announcement was met with some skepticism and a bit of teasing  by some female writers.  Jezebel writer Erin Gloria Ryan wrote the following, "Finally shedding the yoke of female dominance of the literary arts, the oft-ignored and long oppressed minority group known as "men" will finally have things to read made just for them...finally giving voice to the silent struggles and desires long ignored by a society primarily concerned with the needs, thoughts, and viewpoints of ladies. Chick-lit? Meet Dick-lit. " 

"Fiction for Men" will be available starting June 12, which coincides with when a new issue of the magazine will be released. The magazine will also dedicate more print space to fiction--a total of 6 stories by (and for) men will be published in the upcoming issue.