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Fantasy writing.
Honestly, I really don't get it. Still your dear editor knows her duty. I
will do my best to describe the genre of fantasy fiction in a way that even
I might want to give a shot again. But let me explain.
I tried The Hobbit at the behest
of a good friend but personally, I couldn't get very far. The problem for
me was that the point of the book was to build a world other than the one
I live in, when I do in fact prefer to read about what happens here on earth.
To me, The Hobbit was a project rather than a story: Could an adventure plot
be plausible on someplace besides regular earth? Can you make a regular story
work on another world?
But I think that's the point of
fantasy fiction. I understand that there are very many subgenres of fantasy
fiction, which on a base level requires a different world or at least perspective
on the world created by means of magic or some other phenomena. The trick
here, at this base level, is that neither science nor technology have anything
to do with this other world. I will say that it is hard enough to come up
with a good story with regular people on earth, let alone people in another
world altogether. I admire those writers who can make this other world and
have a good story - plot, character development, the whole nine yards - at
the same time.
Of note here of course would be
JRR Tolkien. It's his fault that this fantasy stuff won't go away. But I give
the man his props. Here's a guy so well-acquainted with the English language
and what to do with it, he could even go so far as to create a new language
for his new world, this Middle Earth. The adventure might take three whole
books, but it is engaging enough, and its characters well-rounded enough for
the books to still sell like crazy. The Hobbit is a staple of junior high
reading lists but is certainly of a literary quality to elevate it to the
general literature cannon. I guess that any guy who can make interesting a
whole new world filled with little hairy people upset over…a ring… has got
to have something good going on in his head.
I again to defer to Wikipedia
for further information. Mentioned there are the authors Robert E. Howard,
Fritz Leiber, Ursula K. LeGuin and C.S. Lewis. Clive Barker does some
nice fantasy work, too, your editor herself admitting to enjoying Weaveworld
in high school, when I really should have been reading Moby Dick.
Don't tell anyone, but I still haven't read that stupid book and god willing
I never will.
A college stint at a Barnes &
Noble reminds me that I directed many people to an author named Orson Scott
Card, found and featured prominently in the fantasy section. His readers,
too, had no trouble spending the bucks on hardcover editions of his series,
so the following is there. Terry Pratchett sold a lot of books, too, his work
reaching the cashwrap with a much greater frequency than my favorite, Edith
Wharton, ever did. I don't know what the public trying to tell me.
Wikipedia
also mentions some ancient works which I would not have considered, so
cheers to the Wikis.
I see the point. Greek and Roman mythology is mentioned, and to be sure,
those stories are pure fantasy. I loved that stuff when I was little,
especially the Greek! I never wanted to be Aphrodite, though. I wanted
to be Artemis. I wanted to kick ass. I was already pretty.
The Iliad and the Odyssey.
In addition to being fantasies, they have the added benefit of being full-on
fantasy, evidenced by the sheer length of the works. Needless to say the
language is lovely as well, so you can enjoy your fantasy with a highbrow
highball, your drink stiff as any tweedy professor.
Your old and middle English staples
are worthwhile as well. Do a little language study and read a more original
Beowulf, rather than a modern English translation. Trust me, it's better,
even though I felt I suffered a great deal to finish it. Given that, the original
is worth the trouble, as is Sir Gawain and the Green Night which in the original
middle English is an easier read.
I can speak with a bit of certainty
about the author Neil Gaimon. His books have been turned into shows on the
BBC and while he is not quite fantasy as we've defined it here, he does fit
into what's called speculative fiction, a term that might actually best bring
together all the various subgenres of fantasy work. Gaimon himself has created
his little fantasy empire, signing off on adaptations of his books much the
same way Stephen King does. I think he might even have some role-playing games
at your local game store. And I don't mean the antique chess store.
The conclusion here is that we
here at Fictionarium have the basic idea of fantasy down, but we need help.
We need more information from those in the know and I know you fantasy people
are out there, in great numbers, and have a lot of bright things to say. So
don't be shy. Tell us what's what. Help us make fantasy fun for everyone.
-ed.
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