Every so often when I go into a department store like Fred Meyers, or sometimes Target, I take a look at what's selling in the fantasy department. On a side note, I also like to open the books and read the first sentence. Anyway, the medieval setting does seem to be the most popular, and many of the stories look the same. Granted, there is a greater variety of fantasy at the big name bookstores. The great thing about fantasy is the limitations of the genre. That is, there are no limitations, except for your own imagination. Yet, elves, wizards, dragons, and the like seem to form the basis of most fantasies today, even though there are exceptions. I agree with you. Because of the very nature of the fantasy genre, there is unlimited potential for variations of settings, characters, and plots that are far more radical than we are currently seeing. Oh yeah, let's not forget the latest overdone craze: vampires.
I blame LOTR. People want to copy Tolkien, so they base their story in a Middle Ages-esque setting. Some of the fantasies I've read even had dwarves still living underground. But fantasy/sci-fi, to me, is just a big-ass sandbox where anything's possible. After all, it's not set in our world. For instance, I can take our Earth and replace humans with elves. The countries are still there (USA, UK, France, etc), but instead of us, its the elves and their history and cultures (obviously) would be different from ours. I always wanted to see a German elf running around kicking butt and taking names. :>
Fantasy is one of the oldest genres available in storytelling and for me its about appreciating what a good story is all about, its the ultimate playground for an author - the Iliad, and the Odyssey come to mind, Faustus, Midsummer Nights dream, Arthur, Beowulf, Cinderella, the many amazing legends we have. Tolkein had an indepth knowledge of legends, history etc without that writing a good fantasy must be incredibly hard. My level of education is nowhere near Tolkein's however my study of religions, archaeology, philsophy, science and stories through the ages is invaluable when a problem comes up in my story. For me writing fantasy is ultimate in exercising every piece of knowledge and every inch of my imagination. It uses my academic ability to think on my feet, provide context, as why, to explore. Other genres you can do it but not to the same extent - I can't see me ever writing without some fantasy element to the story even when I am doing general fiction etc Personally my favourite fantasy writer and world builder is Enid Blyton, think she was much more of a genius than Tolkein in this respect - her worlds are wonderful, characters engaging. For me Tolkien is a wonderful academic exercise, Blyton and Lewis for me use their academic ability to enrich their stories rather than to create them. They let it inform and deepen their imagination.
At the risk of getting gruesomely assassinated in the dead of night-- I never really liked Tolkien that much. I read the second book, but had no desire to read the first, or the third. Just not my style. Anyway, to return to the topic at hand. It's probably because of the atmosphere about the time, or rather, the perceived atmosphere. But what does medieval fantasy actually mean? Swords and magic and robes and tunics? I'm sure those exist in other settings/ages as well. I've read few fantasies where there is feudalism, or grittiness, or realism. If those are what most people understand by medieval. I know about GRRM and his books, and I can say they form an exception. Do people take fantasy to mean works set in a technological age similar to our middle ages, or do they imply the mindsets and social traits as well? And to end the post: why do I write in medieval settings? It's comfortable, known ground to me.
Entirely agree was forced to read the Hobbit for school and read first few chapters of LOTRs, I recognise his worldbuilding genius, but not his storytelling ability lol He bores me stupid. I actually think it is more to do with the Arthurian/Celtic/Scandinavian/Roman/Greek legends than Tolkein. Plus the middle ages = dark ages and you can get away with more imagination to fill in the gaps in history than in some earlier or later eras. Mine is a completely different world - they have laptops, vehicles etc but the king wears a uniform designed in the middle ages etc they have guns but they also have weapons such as bows and arrows, knives etc made from a special ore again their world's middle ages. They allow for a quieter kill, like one of MC says he has grown up playing with a bow and arrow, he has never used a gun, doesn't want to shoot himself in the foot lol It has links to their meditation and energy sources.
Fair enough. Not everyone has to like fantasy. However, the fantasy stories I appreciate most are the ones which include strong characters and demonstrate a good understanding of human relationships. As others have said here, not having limitations on your imagination when you're writing in the genre is part of the appeal. That being said, good fantasy authors do some research on their setting and the weapons/food/culture and whatever else they're describing. My favourite fantasy series is the Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. LeGuin. The overarching theme has to do with how people deal (or don't deal) with the fact of their own mortality...the fantasy quest works well for the development of this theme.
Everything you're describing here reeks of George R.R. Martin. I feel sorry for people who won't read fantasy, because they are missing out on some great writing. Sure, there's some bad stuff in there, just like any other genre, but the good stuff is really, really, good.
wouldn't Shadowrun be considered fantasy? That is more of a futuristic setting with cyber technology, guns and magic rolled into one. I don't really believe that most fantasy now days is set in the dark ages, especially when anything involving angels and demons is classified as fantasy as well. Isn't Twilight considered fantasy?
Yes to Twilight. Vampires and werewolves are fantasy. Wouldn't Shadowrun be Science Fiction? Although sometimes there is a thin line between fantasy and sci-fi.
Funny you should mention that. Obviously, from the number of responses, you now know about urban fantasy, etc. I just finished reading about half the books in The Dresden Files series. Fantasy, yes. Medieval, not. And, as others have mentioned, there are literally tons of other, non-medieval fantasy stories. I think, simply because of stories like TLotR and Eragon and the like, people tend to think first of that kind of Swords and Sorcerers setting. I'm sure if you think not too hard, you'll be able to bring to mind many other fantasies which have nothing to do with the middle ages or swords and other 'typical' fantasy fodder. Steampunk, by the way, is very hot and steampunk fantasy is a wide open territory that's building lots of (no pun intended) steam.
Why are medieval settings appealing? Ok I'll throw out a couple of ideas regarding this: Magic. In a world where science is rudimentary at best, magic can flourish, giving the writer more scope to do as they please. History. A lot of people enjoy history and are curious what it might have been like to live a thousand years ago. The writer doesn't need to be so imaginative since he can use historical research to flesh out his fantasy world. Superiority. Oh look at how simple and barbaric people were back then. Aren't we all wonderfully advanced and clever in our modern world. Mutual backpatting ensues. Chivalry. The medieval knight is a powerful and enduring image. Even Jedi wish they lived in the middle ages. Well defined social structure. Kings are kings, peasants are peasants, and everyone knows their place. Even the poor stable boy who rises to greatness probably has royal blood. Fur. Everyone looks cool in fur. Chainmail and fur is even better. Chainmail, fur and leather and you've got a hit. Heroes, swords and guns. It is vaguely plausible that one man with a sword could battle through ten men with swords. Substitute swords for guns and its a lot harder to pull off. There is also something more appealing about slaying your foe face to face than blowing him up with the push of a button.
According to wiki Shadowrun covered all the bases "Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction."
This statement precludes the fact that said authors have owned a sword and knows how to use it. Just because writers don't write about certain things doesn't mean they don't know about it. These sweeping statements you make are borderline trolling.
plus when you are playing god with a world - your gun can be what you damn well want and fire what you like A sword doesn't have to handle the same way as it does on Earth - mine don't because they are made of a unique ore we don't have on earth, they are lighter, stronger and sharper.
Agreed. Some neophyte fantasy writers think they have to make the fantasy as realistic as possible. (Like with our swords 'n' stuff.) It's fantasy! You could create a race of characters who fights with their hands, feet, and jaws!
yep - my world is what I would like to see not what I actually experience. The swords are what i would have liked to handle not what I actually did handle. The guns likewise would be a combination of what I would love to be possible. The magic is how I would love to be able to direct my meditation etc.
What attracts me most about putting fantasy in a medieval setting is the imagery which is quite a bit of why I write in the first place. I'd much rather people were fighting with swords etc. than with guns, simply because I consider it to be cooler. Not to mention that guns aren't the most interesting of ways to kill if only because of how simple they are to use. It was brought up earlier that it helps to avoid an alternate reality feeling. Who can say that if magic existed in whatever form then gunpowder and electricity would have been developed to such an extent? Trudi Canavan touched on the point in her FAQ page I think in that when she was coming up with the Black Magician Trilogy she was aiming for a point where we had the beginnings of gunpowder technology in our past but the use of magic had stopped it becoming too prevalent whilst the printing press was still coming into existence. Continuing on that point, in my opinion at least, too much of a history to the world detracts from the story at hand. And the more technology there is, the more history there's going to be at which point you have to wonder how you can justify where things stand without a huge back-story. If you don't want the magic to have been some recent occurrence which opens up a few more issues as to why it happened. But then there's writers such as Adrian Tchaikovsky who's written the Shadows of the Apt books, set a few centuries after an industrial revolution. It's completely fantasy but isn't the middle ages. So they're not stuck, it just works for them to be set their, part by convention and partly because it makes life easier in places. Finally, copying Tolkein. I made it up to the Dead Marshes in The Two Towers before I lost interest. Writing has come on in the last half a century and it shows. Most of the fantasy I've read recently doesn't feature elves, dwarves, dragons etc. and when they do it's often in a different fashion. Robin Hobb's main series of books are a good example, and Karen Miller's Mage books include all the nightmarish creatures, but they're all myths and legends that people haven't seen for generations. Elves and dwarves can work, but they're usually done badly and as stereotypes and I think that's a lot of what people dislike about fantasy. But it's no worse than a tendency to use women doctors to get across their personality as a driven persona, or a gunslinging soldier and all that implies. That'll do me for now.
This post led to me figuring out a new idea, probably due to the imagery. Thanks for the flash of inspiration. I tried to give you some rep, but it says I've given out too much in the past 24 hrs -- I'll give you some later. Mist Walker, to be honest, I find the movies much better. You bring up a good point that it's the badly-done ripoffs that give fantasy a bad name.
Good fantasy should still be more about the characters than the crazy world you've created, just because you can. This, I feel, was the downfall of Avatar. So, just because you can create a race that shoots bullets out their mouths and can walk on water, it doesn't necessarily mean you should.
I almost agree entirely - I actually think good fantasy is about the stories AND characters, more than the world. I tend to create the crazy stuff as I write the stories, its what the stories need. I find it gets crazier the more stories I right lol Thanks to Lewis Carroll making an appearance in my third book all three now have cats with smiles That race may well give you a major character that works in the story. I have a fire elemental race, sort of my elves, they are tall and skinny have flame blue skin that flickers, flame shaped ears, red hair and amber eyes. If they slap your face when angry you end up with burn blisters in the shape of a hand They use bows and arrows, drink a lot and have a reputation for flirting with anything that you can put a hat on. They also have an abilty to make the other characters feel positive etc, one of them becomes a major character in my atonement book - it allows for the most fabulous love square. My earth race are my sort of ogres, around 7ft tall long dark curly hair, beards, big booming voice and a love of bright colours, they have given me a character I am writing now.
What Avatar had great characters. Aang, Zuko, Azula. As for the topic not all fantasies are set in it. Medieval is probably more popular because of LOTOR. Harry Potter is very popular and it's a fantasy set in modern day. I just don't see that many set in Africa, the Middle East, or in a zany wacky world like setting.
A lot of Terry Goodkind's series, Sword of Truth, takes place in the 'old world' which definitely resembles the middle east.
Pretty sure they were talking about the movie Avatar. But Last Airbender had a great cast of characters. Zuko being one of my favorite because he uses two swords... that and I just love how he starts off as this classic villian(for a childrens show anyways) and it turns out he really isn't a villian but rather a misguided young man.
After reading through this I thunk I am going to completely rewrite my book. Fantasy and science fiction set in àn alternative industrial revolution rather than the medieval setting it currently occupies.
