Well, I've not encountered those. But I do think I'm getting fed up with the 'war' themes in so many of the offerings. And all the 'warriors.' Surely there can be more to fantasy than this. It's one of the reasons I LOVE Kage Baker's fantasy/sci-fi stories so much. She deals with lots and lots of other themes.
I quite like Discworld, Dark Tower, and Dresden Files. I mean I read a lot more than just fantasy these days but if I had to pick a top three.
I think chain mail bikinis are more of a video game thing. Although I must admit it's quite fun to send your male character to kill demons in a leather thong (curiously enough, you can't do this with a female character in the aforementioned, best-game-series-ever, Dark Souls, but you can give ladies a miniskirt and heels ).
I'm a HUGE fan of Discworld, although I don't really categorise it as fantasy ...it's more satire isn't it? Kind of like the Gulliver's Travels of our time, but much MUCH funnier!
Ok, I've been hesitating but let's broach it: Fantasy doesn't "do stuff" to me anymore. When reading it, I feel more like meh, whatever, didn't happen. Even if some gruesome sh*t is described in the book. Then I think of apartheid, holocaust, damn, inquisition and other more recent outrageous gore in the Middle East. I know what Fantasy is by definition, and that it has indispensable role and I also agree with others that, I well may have grown up reading some badass classics. And Eco. Fantasy seemed to be a stage in my development... ...don't want to insult anybody though. Guin's Earthsea universe will probably be THE Fantasy safe haven for me forever. Also, on a more linguistically advanced note, I ponder giving Titus Groan a try. I've also read The Name Of The Wind and though the Tarbean city part was marvellous-outstanding actually in the book's scope-it didn't impress me as a whole; I couldn't detach myself from the character's cringy ways around girls. And I didn't care, knowing he wouldn't get laid anyway, not with that stupidly blind attitude. I might read some non-fiction to elicit inner response with me. Or a detective thriller. Or, my recent favorite genre, substantially influenced by gaming, horror. In general I love books that require you to think, solve and piece things together. Hints. Fantasy has woefully little of this, sadly.
Agreed here. Also, I was expecting a little more of scholarly stuff. More of the academic, I mean. Heck, Harry Potter had more of that.
For me it's the I-am-the-unprecedentally-tallented-youngster trope. I'm totally fed up with this bullshit.
No, I think of it as more like fantasy. Yes, the series has its roots in parody and satire. It is a big giant deconstruction and comedic take on fantasy, but it's still fantasy imo.Most authors I've heard talk about it reference at as a fantasy series and all bookstores, in the USA, anyway, have it firmly in the fantasy section. Anyway, no reason it isn't both!
I've been reading a lot of query drafts from different writers lately (most of them aspiring like myself) and I'll say this. It's a lot of fantasy. I think that's clearly what's selling right now. Maybe new writers are actually just being smart.
I do think fantasy franchises like Game of Thrones(show and book) are playing a dangerous game. By focusing on violence, sex, romantic triangles, and long series, I think fantasy at large has crossed over from the mystical (Gormenghast, Neverending story, LOTR, King of Elfland's daughter) and into pure adolescent desire.
I see a lot of people in this thread saying they're tired of the same old tropes of fantasy stories and want something new and original...but I'm wondering if people would actually accept different approaches to the genre. People say the same thing about horror films, how they're tired of the same old thing over and over, and yet, they go and watch Paranormal Activity 24 and say they love it. My personal "fear" is that people want the same old fantasy tropes (because they're used to them and they're "safe") but want it in a different way that they may not even know themselves...or that's even possible. Maybe there are so many of the "cookie cutter" fantasy stories because they're the ones that sell and most people are interested in.
Is it possible that these are two different groups of people? One who wants to see the same thing over and over again, and another who doesn't?
Dunsany's was an influence on Tolkien. I like to read authors who were influential in the development of genres. 'The King of Elfland's Daughter' is a wonderful book. I love the poetic prose and Dunsany's concepts are very original. For example, 'elven' is not only a name for the race of elves, but, also for a state of existence similar to the word aevum. The creatures in Elfland are described as elven. It's dense, but, the characters from Alveric, his elven wife Lirazel, their son Orion and other characters are all wonderfully done. It really is a magical story,but, is a dense read. Godspeed!
Elves and Vampires are sexy by default. Aliens and Robots are a bit trickier to make the same appeal as those of Fantasy. On the other hand it is harder to make the former 'new' and more interesting because they already have established Lore, and changing said Lore to such extremes makes them feel somewhat less than what they ought to be. But hey Magic is the simplest way to dodge the complications the latter has, by having to be explained in much more detail because of the nature at the other end of the spectrum. Mixing the two genres is quite interesting at times though. But as stand alone, they have their pros/cons. (Vampires that can play in the sun still kinda irk me.)
As a big horror movie fan, when I say I'm tired of the same old stuff I mean "I wish people would stop making movies with tropes I'm not interested in." Zombies, vampires, and werewolves all bore me to tears, so when I see a new movie based on them I'm all "DO SOMETHING ORIGINAL!" But I've probably watched every exorcism movie there is and will continue to watch each one that comes out, because I never get bored of that trope.
@Stormburn - sounds like a good read! But if he's an influence on Tolkien, then likely not my sort of writing lol. I never even made it through The Hobbit! I'm a bit of an impatient reader so dense reads tend to get abandoned, and Hobbit wasn't even dense. Never heard of aevum either though. @Tenderiser - what fascinates you so much about exorcism?
I'm more into the "ancient evil/madness type horror"...very much a lovecraft fan! Generally I can stand movies that rely on gore and jump scares...much prefer psychological stuff. Need to watch some more.
