What is fresh in fantasy?
- Thread starter Tormenet
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Liminal Syzygy
Community Supporter
I'm not sure if the original poster is even bothering to read this thread anymore. But I find it sad that while his question was quite specific, many of you choose to ignore it and answer "What fantasy do you like?"
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
I'd call that question reasonably close to "What fantasy do you like?" and I'd say that most people posting to this thread have most definitely provided answers to it.The Original Poster said:
Liminal Syzygy
Community Supporter
I disagree that his question amounts to "what do you like".
If you focus on the "just plain cool" portion maybe, but the poster's original intent is clear if you look at the entire post. He is focusing on what is new and breaks away from the standard fantasy tropes.
If you focus on the "just plain cool" portion maybe, but the poster's original intent is clear if you look at the entire post. He is focusing on what is new and breaks away from the standard fantasy tropes.
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
"The entire post", of course, consists of exactly ONE sentence in addition to the one I quoted. And most of the posts in this thread seem to be very definitely about the issue you're describing.Cordo said:
But whatever. Sorry to make you sad.
Ycore Rixle
First Post
I think Eberron is fresh - if it really follows through on its "magical technology" and "D&D magic that makes sense" idea. I think this for the same reason that Jurgen points out about his Urbis world (which I haven't had the time to read about, but keep meaning to). Namely, these two assume a world dominated by D&D-style magic. Not a world with D&D-style magic that inexplicably doesn't over-run the medieval setting. But a place where the world has evolved according to the fact that magic exists, is readily attainable, and has been studied and practiced for centuries. I'm dying to see a well-done world like that.
I can't agree that so-called "contemporary fantasy" is fresh. I love Joss Whedon, but Buffy is really just the 90's-female version of the Stan Lee superhero. The SLH is the hero whose power brings succor to those around him but hurts him personally at least as much as it helps. Stan Lee doesn't get nearly enough credit for bringing this archetype to modern literature (and pretty much inventing it - can anyone think of a true earlier example? Greek heroes with "tragic flaws" don't count, because in the SLH, the "tragic flaw" is the power itself, as opposed to hubris, jealousy, greed, etc. - it's hard to think of such heroes outside of the New Testament's superhero).
Harry Potter is well done, but far more formulaic than fresh (not always a bad thing at all, but we're talking about freshness here). And American Gods, well, I just thought that was a muddle. Give me a nice clean Neverwhere, with its stock characters all gussied up in urban hippie bum-chic with Avalonian undertones, over a pointless picaresque roadshow depression-fest any day.
I can't agree that so-called "contemporary fantasy" is fresh. I love Joss Whedon, but Buffy is really just the 90's-female version of the Stan Lee superhero. The SLH is the hero whose power brings succor to those around him but hurts him personally at least as much as it helps. Stan Lee doesn't get nearly enough credit for bringing this archetype to modern literature (and pretty much inventing it - can anyone think of a true earlier example? Greek heroes with "tragic flaws" don't count, because in the SLH, the "tragic flaw" is the power itself, as opposed to hubris, jealousy, greed, etc. - it's hard to think of such heroes outside of the New Testament's superhero).
Harry Potter is well done, but far more formulaic than fresh (not always a bad thing at all, but we're talking about freshness here). And American Gods, well, I just thought that was a muddle. Give me a nice clean Neverwhere, with its stock characters all gussied up in urban hippie bum-chic with Avalonian undertones, over a pointless picaresque roadshow depression-fest any day.
Grodd JoJoJo
First Post
Hi all...new poster, hope I add something reasonably constructive.
I saw Feist referred to earlier in this thread - good choice, IMHO.
My DM's actually pretty experienced in a number of genres - D&D, Atlantis, Champions, Top Secret...the old classics. She and I are both English teachers, and she's taking our group on a campaign based on Faerie Tale and Charles de Lint's books. Our reading group got involved in de Lint some time ago, and we're pretty psyched about it. She's using d20 Modern, with some material from D&D.
Cheers, mates!
I saw Feist referred to earlier in this thread - good choice, IMHO.
My DM's actually pretty experienced in a number of genres - D&D, Atlantis, Champions, Top Secret...the old classics. She and I are both English teachers, and she's taking our group on a campaign based on Faerie Tale and Charles de Lint's books. Our reading group got involved in de Lint some time ago, and we're pretty psyched about it. She's using d20 Modern, with some material from D&D.
Cheers, mates!
Kanegrundar
Explorer
There are two series that I can't brag up more. The first is Stephen King's Dark Tower series. This series, once wrapped up later this year, will be on par with that of The Lord of the Rings, IMO. It blends the modern day with that of a psuedo-medieval world with elements of westerns and post-acopalyptic settings as well. There's magic, monsters, technology, and a blending of many elements from several of King's other books. So far, it's been the deepest fantasy series I've ever read. Very worth while.
The second series is Chris Claremont's Shadow War series. It has many staples of fantasy like elves, sorcerers, faeries, and such, but it handles it all in a much different way. I love the way that Claremont handled half-demons as well as other natural half-breeds. Plus the way he writes magic is hands-down the most evocative that I've ever read. Plus, it continues the story of one of my favorite fantasy movies: Willow.
Beyond that, I'd suggest just about anything by Sean Stewart as well. Any of the books from his loose series of books pertaining to our world destroyed by magic are well worth the time and money. Galveston is especially good as is Night Watch.
Those are my recommendations.
Kane
The second series is Chris Claremont's Shadow War series. It has many staples of fantasy like elves, sorcerers, faeries, and such, but it handles it all in a much different way. I love the way that Claremont handled half-demons as well as other natural half-breeds. Plus the way he writes magic is hands-down the most evocative that I've ever read. Plus, it continues the story of one of my favorite fantasy movies: Willow.
Beyond that, I'd suggest just about anything by Sean Stewart as well. Any of the books from his loose series of books pertaining to our world destroyed by magic are well worth the time and money. Galveston is especially good as is Night Watch.
Those are my recommendations.
Kane
Tinker Gnome
Adventurer
s/LaSH said:
I think any would be damn cool. To me, Seasons 1 has a higly adventurous feel to it. Season 2 does as well. Also Seasons 1/2 are more fantasy to me, where as, Season 3 is more Sci-Fi. Season 4 turns back to fantasy though. Hmmmmm, I am not sure what system you would use though. D20 Modern seems most likely.
I can not believe I am admitting to this, but me, my older brother, and some friends of mine. Used to do what could be equated to a Digimon LARP, all in my room. It was like in Season 4, where we could turn into Digimon, and we fought some kind of Dark Children. Although this was done waaaay before season 4 was ever aired. Probably sometime during late season one.
Dr. Strangemonkey
First Post
I'll back up the Sean Stewart. Gene Wolff is also excellent.
There actually seems to me to be a pretty fair amount of innovation out there, just not necessarily things that seem to be making it very big. Depending on what big is in Fantasy.
I also highly recommend Mary Gentle. She has written both a very funny satire called Grunts, which should be a required read for all those fantasy doesn't reflect the realities of technological development debates, and an excellent fantasy series called the Books of Ash which has my favorite take on the idea of alternate history ever.
Glen Cook has been pretty innovative, in a sense, in both of his big fantasy series. Black Company has been lauded many times and moves through a variety of fantasy genres as well as being an impressive bit of writing, particularly over the course of the series.
Read bits of a very different book about a strangler, anyone got any clues on that?
Contemporary fantasy does appear to be a developing strong sub-genre.
Martin is fantastic, and I think he does introduce some innovations, but he might be better characterized as renovating.
I would like to see more of that. Very little seems to have much sense of the literature of older periods that informed a lot of our great lights and games.
It would be really great to see someone go in and create a whole world with different notes playing the same style, as AU attempted to do with DnD, and come up with something like Dune or LotR.
But, sadly, I do think that sort of thing has been left to the science fiction writers.
There actually seems to me to be a pretty fair amount of innovation out there, just not necessarily things that seem to be making it very big. Depending on what big is in Fantasy.
I also highly recommend Mary Gentle. She has written both a very funny satire called Grunts, which should be a required read for all those fantasy doesn't reflect the realities of technological development debates, and an excellent fantasy series called the Books of Ash which has my favorite take on the idea of alternate history ever.
Glen Cook has been pretty innovative, in a sense, in both of his big fantasy series. Black Company has been lauded many times and moves through a variety of fantasy genres as well as being an impressive bit of writing, particularly over the course of the series.
Read bits of a very different book about a strangler, anyone got any clues on that?
Contemporary fantasy does appear to be a developing strong sub-genre.
Martin is fantastic, and I think he does introduce some innovations, but he might be better characterized as renovating.
I would like to see more of that. Very little seems to have much sense of the literature of older periods that informed a lot of our great lights and games.
It would be really great to see someone go in and create a whole world with different notes playing the same style, as AU attempted to do with DnD, and come up with something like Dune or LotR.
But, sadly, I do think that sort of thing has been left to the science fiction writers.
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