Fantasy novel lovers thread

[Minion X]

Yes, it’s very weird that people are complaining about Savage House which is set in 18th century England and is thus technically Georgian but is exactly as bawdy, unsentimental, satirical, and scatological as anything written at the time. But it upsets people whose only understanding of the Georgian period is based on Austen and Bridgerton to be made aware of this.

Austen's works are the only contemporary ones out of those examples, but she was writing on the cusp of the Victorian Era as society was undergoing some pretty major changes, like the Great Male Renunciation, so maybe a few differences from a time almost a century removed is to be expected.

 

[Minion X]

You could certainly make a case that Bridgerton is fantasy, since it is set in a fictional world entirely unlike the real one. But imaginary worlds without magic and dragons are usually classed under science fiction.

The name for that is "romance novel", like how "crime fiction" means a story set in a fictional world where justice exists.

 

[MNblockhead]

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Yep, I read this too. It's the most recent book I finished in fact. I researched the Dragonlance setting last year to run a game, but I had never read one of the books cover-to-cover. Now I have. I can understand why people who read this when it first came out are very ardent fans today, there's some nice character interplay in this book. Will I read the next one? Probably, if only because reading world-level game resources doesn't always convey, for example, the intent behind kender characters. Also because I like copying the weird lore into a Google Doc for my game. If Tanis Half-Elven is your favorite character, you should probably read The City of Brass.

I reread the Dragonlance Trilogy about 8ish years ago in my mid-40s. I can't say it held up fully to my tastes then and now, compared to 80s me. But I did completely re-read the entire 3 books of the Chronicles Trilogy and enjoyed them. At the time I was still pretty anti-audio book. No, I would probably listen to the audiobook versions instead of reading them. As special a place as the original three books hold for me, I've never felt compelled to explore the rest of the Dragonlance canon.

 

[Autumnal]

Start Abercrombie with The Blade Itself, I’d say.

There’s a broad movement across the stories in that setting:

The First Law trilogy shows a bunch of things going wrong at the same time, and asks if there’s some force behind the scenes pulling some coordinating strings, and answers that questions.

The Levellers trilogy is three stand-alone stories set in the aftermath of the First Law, set far away from the locales of the First Law, that develop some unexpected connections to things back home.

The Age of Madness trilogy is set decades later, with social changes spiraling out of control into a kind of Industrial Revolution, and asks, can anyone resist the strong puller and their pulled strings from earlier? If so, who? And it answers that question and shows us its consequences.

The first trilogy still stands alone. The others are more dependent on it. So I’d start at the beginning.

 

[jian]

Austen's works are the only contemporary ones out of those examples, but she was writing on the cusp of the Victorian Era as society was undergoing some pretty major changes, like the Great Male Renunciation, so maybe a few differences from a time almost a century removed is to be expected.

Yes, Austen (and Bridgerton) is really Regency (1811-1830, though of course George IV was king in his own right for the last decade, but most historians seem to consider this period Regency as well) rather than Georgian (1714-1811, so a century as you say; if you include George IV it’s until 1830).

BTW I note, not for the first time, that “Great Male Renunciation” is a heck of a dramatic term for “dudes decide colours and fashion in general is only for girls”.

 

[Dioltach]

The first trilogy still stands alone. The others are more dependent on it. So I’d start at the beginning.

As an introduction, maybe Sharp Ends? It's a collection of short stories, about half dealing with characters from the first six books, and half dealing with two new characters. If you just want to get a taste of the world, it's an excellent place to start.

 

[MNblockhead]

Can't you do both at the same time? Like keeping a book open, either on your desk or in a separate window on your computer screen (ultra-wide monitors are great for that), or listening to an audiobook while you write. That way you can read until the urge to write becomes too much, then switch back to reading after you have written your inspiration dry.

Emphasis mine. Regarding listening to audiobooks while you write. No, no I can't. I'm amazed by people who can. Or more honestly, I secretly feel that those who do, really can't, and it is just background noise like having the TV on all day in the background. I would question whether their concentration and writing suffers. But if there are people who can really pull this off, I'm amazed.

I listen to audio books on long drives where I don't have to worry about directions (I'm going to miss my biweekly drives to from Milwaukee to the Twin Cities on I-94, 5 hours each way, it's going to cut into my audio book time), when doing housecleaning, laundry, and other chores (since I got into audiobooks, my organization and cleanliness have reached a whole new level), when exercising, or just siting on a recliner when I there is nothing left to clean or organize and when no other obligations are nagging at me.

 

[Minion X]

Yes, Austen (and Bridgerton) is really Regency (1811-1830, though of course George IV was king in his own right for the last decade, but most historians seem to consider this period Regency as well) rather than Georgian (1714-1811, so a century as you say; if you include George IV it’s until 1830).

BTW I note, not for the first time, that “Great Male Renunciation” is a heck of a dramatic term for “dudes decide colours and fashion in general is only for girls”.

If you consider that it meant eschewing some of the greatest social status indicators, it was a very dramatic shift. Like a bird giving up his plumage so that his splendour would not upset the mice. And you can see of it dovetailed into the more reserved Victorian Era. Though these Pan-European trends are perhaps not best discussed in terms of British kingships, any more than the Mongolian conquests of East Asia should be framed in Japanese imperial eras.

 

[MNblockhead]

I‘m also really picky. I like maybe one book out of five that I read. I read Gardens of the moon a long time ago, enjoyed it, but never seem to get around to reading other books in the series. Someday though.

Do you finish books you don't like? I find the older I get, the more likely I am to nope out of books, movies, and TV series. There are too many great books and shows and not enough years.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yes, Austen (and Bridgerton) is really Regency (1811-1830)

Austin died in 1817!

P&P was published in 1813. The Napoleonic wars are happening in the background.

It’s pretty much before the flamboyant fashions.