Hey. So, has anyone read a novel or even a short story that has a fantastic example of a written fight scene? Thinking about a plot that I have in mind, and although I haven't got around to writting it up yet, it just started me thinking about what makes a really great fight scene. I'm aware that it depends on the style of the writer, the atmosphere of the story and the taste of the reader, which is why I'm asking you lot. Any thoughts on aspects of a great fight scene? Or perhaps an example you've read?
I remember a titanicstruggle to the death between a circus strongman and a musclebound middle-Eastern assassin in Alaistair MacLean's spy thriller Circus. I wish I could lay hands upon my copy of that novel. It stands out for me as one of the more memorable novels of that genre.
wow,this is one i havent heard in awhile well i suppose i might be able to wisk you an example off the top of my head (ostenibly garnered from experience in "para" or "t1" on yahoo,many years ago) "She limped foward,forcing herself to drag onward,despite her wounds.The pistol she carried was still rolling smoke from the barrel.The upper back portion of her left leg had been hit earlier in the gun battle,in addition to two bullets that had hit her in the side..Most of the rest of the bullets had been stopped by her flak jacket,though not without some bruising..A single twig cracked off in the distance behind her,she then closed her eyes,turning as she aimed the pistol,5 bullets remaining,in the direction of the sound and repeatedly pulled thew trigger,hoping she would survive" "He had been pursuing her for a good few days now.His orders were to find and eliminate any stragglers left over from the attack.Many a kill was marked out on his armor via a crude sratching with a combat knife..He did not even think twice,to him this was duty,to him it was all he could think "seek and destroy any survivors"...He then looked down,perplexed as his boot hit a twig,snapping it in two..He wasnt usually that foolish.As soon as he looked back up however,gunshots range his sensitive ears,a large bullet hit his leg armor,the sheer force of the impact flipping him over..He got right back up and continued on,pre-emptively dodging left and right,the anticipation of the fire pattern allowing him to avoid a good number of bullets..Then he caught site of his target,the momentary distraction proving fatal..the final bullet hit right between the bullet proof visor peice of his helmet,and the helmet metal..the bullet forced its way through the weak spot in the worn helmet..making quick,and very explosive work on the inner contents,launching the now disused corpse backwards" there you are,i apoligize if i seem abit rusty because well,i actually am have fun and hope this helps
Day by Day Armageddon has a scene thats my favorite fight scene. Its actually 2 characters fighting a zombie horde at an abandoned airport. The scene was so intense you could visualize the entire drama and felt the tingling in your feet.
"Legend" by David Gemell. Brilliant epic battle and fight scenes that really felt like you were a part of it.
Possibly not exactly what you had in mind but there is a devastatingly well done slanging match, then physical tussle, in Raymond Carver's short, Little Things. Once read, never forgotten.
I think my favorite fight scenes are the ones that give you just enough to imagine it, but not too much to describe the exact position of every limb and location of speck of dirt throughout.
I was always partial to the fight scenes in "The Wolf's Hour" by Robert McCammon. He included just enough to give me the idea of what the character was doing but didn't bother with extreme detail. Of course having the werewolf character eat somebody's heart during a fight was probably a bit much.
Steven Erikson is an extraordinary writer of such action. Very detailed and graphic. And intelligently written. I found Abercrombie didn't write with such a professional sense. He is still an above average writer though, most definitely!
