I'm writing a literary sci-fi novel. While I recognize that the first focus in writing should always be crafting a compelling story, I also feel that great writing weaves interpretive depth throughout the narrative (e.g. The Great Gatsby). For instance, I would not just gloss over a scene and engage with the characters and the plot, but rather take the time to describe the scenery as though it were an allusion to some other idea. My characters spend much of their dialogue discussing, in subtext, philosophical themes (particularly those of Existentialism, Absurdism, and (a bit of) Marxism). They are also neurotic (from a Freudian perspective), though in different ways and the narrative reflects that (e.g. unresolved Oedipus Complex, dissociative issues, and generalized Anxiety). As this is a postmodern story, I've largely ignored morality (particularly dualistic morality) as a medium for character development, and the plot is rather simple and in the background. As my novel is (to my eyes) "literary," I also focused much of its wordcount on exposition and description. So, when describing a cityscape, for instance, I don't merely list the the technological intricacies of the world (e.g. Gibson and other Cyberpunks), but rather the subjective and poetic aspects of how the character experiences his/her reality (being-in-the-world). There are no jargon-heavy descriptions, but instead more personal associations tied to sense-experience, function, and it's significance to the immediate protagonist (there are four). In fact, the usual progression of my descriptive paragraphs are sensory description, then exposition, then philosophical reflection or internal monolouge. Of course, these descriptions are split by character action and dialogue.

In terms of aesthetics, my novel is deeply inspired by Vaporwave and Synthwave imagery and themes, though in a metaphorical way. So, while I don't directly point out "synthwave" music or anything, I do use music as an interpretive vehicle for irony or symbolism. It's very much a "Man vs. Reality/Self" type of story and there are several instances where I even break conventional narrative techniques for special effect.

In your view, how important should aesthetics and philosophy be in the writing of a novel? Is it more important for a novel to be intellectually engaging or entertaining?