Lady Murasaki Never Writes the "Tale of Genji"

During the Heian Period in Japan, a great work was written. Lady Murasaki, a court lady in the service of Empress Shoshi, wrote what was considered the world's first novel, "The Tale of Genji". It follows the story of Hikaru Genji, the son of a fictional emperor who falls in love with a low level concubine, Lady Kiritsub and the development of their forbidden love during the course of several years. Consisting of 54 chapters. the work has been cited as being highly influential to both Eastern and Western writers.

What if for some reason Lady Murasaki had never written the Tale of Genji? How would literature as it is today be impacted?
 
Some other princess write some other novel, although notable Genji Monogatari was one of several "court diaries" written in the Heian period.
 
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