Outgrowing Fantasy
- GwynnPollard
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Outgrowing Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre that caters primarily towards younger people. If you're on the subway and you see a grown person in a suit reading a book with a dragon on the cover, you'll have some questions. However, a little boy reading a book about pirates or magic is completely normal- why? Why are we expected to outgrow our imagination? There is an assumption that adult life means no more adventure or excitement- you settle down, you start working 9 to 5, you eat the same things every day, and you read boring books about boring subjects. While this may be fine for some people, it's not for me.
I personally refuse to grow up in that sense. I'll never stop reading books about angels and demons and monsters and parallel universes. I'll never give up my hope and my passion in exchange for stability- that's boring to me. I have no shame- I am an adult and I love Fantasy. There are too few of us, and we often get overlooked when it comes to creating a market for books like this. We have to search long and hard to find grown-up Fantasy authors.
That's why I made this post- to create a pseudo-database for Fantasy lovers like myself, where we can share our love for authors and books of the genre. For me, it's Neil Gaiman all the way. You read a Neil Gaiman book and, by the end of it, you are both entertained and educated. His books find the perfect balance between whimsical adventure and real-life lessons. Reply with your favorite Fantasy authors/books below, and join me in Neverland!!!
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My most recent books have been Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, and the Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier. I have never read Neil Gaiman, but I'll have to add him to my (very long) list!
- LivreAmour217
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- lane_vespertine
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I have a few thoughts about fantasy novels.
The first is that it is rare to see anyone reading anything (except for newspapers or magazines). When someone says, "Why don't adults read more Fantasy?" I feel like a reasonable response is, "Why don't adults read?"
But, having said all that, when I was younger I DID read more fantasy as a percentage of books read. In particular the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. I read, and reread, all of them. And I loved horror and alternate timeline stuff too.
I think that as I grew up, I became more patient. I used to require a lot more stimulation in my life (keep in mind, this is still the perspective of a kid who would lock himself in a room with a book, just like the rest of you ). If a book didn't have excitement and action and excitement and action, then I got bored and probably never got around to finishing it (I am and always have been a willing non-finisher.)
As an adult, I don't mind a bit of drama or a bit of dialogue. It doesn't bother me when a book is methodical and ponderous (actually, these are qualities I am more likely to praise rather than criticize now). It isn't that I outgrew dragons and vampires (ever read Fledgling? By Octavia Butler? Super duper good), but that all those other books that I would never have touched before are now appealing.
It is like if I was a kid who only liked chicken nuggets (fantasy novels). Seven days a week, I only ate chicken nuggets.
As I grew up, I added more things to my diet. Now I like so many foods that I only get around to eating chicken nuggets on my birthday. Cause, you know, I still like them... I just like pizza (scifi) too. And sushi (drama). And vegetables (history).
-- 23 Oct 2016, 17:22 --
I get it, our reading lists can get a bit long. There are only man so many hours in the day, blah blah blah.CaitlinE wrote:I'm right there with you! I was a little ashamed of my love for fantasy for a while, but then I figured I should just get over it!
My most recent books have been Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, and the Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier. I have never read Neil Gaiman, but I'll have to add him to my (very long) list!
But, if I may, you should move Neil Gaiman on up that list.
Imho, start with The Graveyard Book.
Then Neverwhere.
Then American Gods.
Then have a party. *Party party*.
I don't mean to derail the thread with Neil Gaiman.
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Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite fantasy authors. Some of his works include Elantris, the Mistborn Trilogy, Warbreaker, and Way of Kings.
I would recommend reading Elantris if you want a shorter self-contained story. You follow the travails of Roaden, a prince of his people, who is stricken with a mysterious disease that has blighted his people. He is thrown into the once powerful city of Elantris, where citizens stricken with the disease are now imprisoned. The story follows Roaden as he battles to overcome the illness and return Elantris to a city of power that it once was. Central to Roaden's struggle is his finding and interpreting Aons, symbols that gave Elantrians magical powers. Many of these Aons can be seen on Sanderson's website as jewelry available for purchase. This story is soulful and you find yourself cheering Roaden through his successes and sharing heartbreak during his failures. Overall, Elantris is well worth the journey!
Another recommendation is The Mistborn Trilogy. This trilogy is an amazing work of storytelling! With epic battle scenes, romance, and intrigue, not to mention, characters that you love and love to hate, you can't go wrong. With Kelsier, Vin, and Eland as protagonists and the Lord Ruler and the fantastical Steel Inquisitors with spikes for eyes as antagonists, the story is full of suspense, action, and Sanderson keeps readers guessing as the plot twists through this dark and compelling world. One aspect of the story that is extremely entertaining is the ability of characters to gain magical powers by manipulating metals. Vin, a Mistborn allomancer, gains power as she ingests metals and her body "burns" them releasing certain powers. Science fiction at its finest!
- lane_vespertine
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Totes agree.MarisaRose wrote:I completely agree with this post! Fantasy novels are such a fun escape. I grew up reading things like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter; as I got older I also fell in love with Neil Gaiman. My only issue with the genre as a whole is that it's so hard, once you've read a ton of fantasy over the years, to find books that are new and innovative. Some many times I have picked up a fantasy book and not even finished because it's a rehash of a different fantasy story I've already read! I would say this happens for one out of every three fantasy books I read! Anyone else experience this?
When I am in a judgmental mood, I tend to tell people that all fantasy is a rip-off of LOTR, Dune, and a Wrinkle in Time.
I don't actually think this is totally true. But the themes and characters in these three book series' do tend to crop up all the time.
Now, if I am reading a fun and interesting fantasy book and all of a sudden a dragon appears I tend to smack myself on the forehead. For example, A Song of Ice and Fire. The dragon is such a cliché that I almost don't like them anymore.
I'm waiting for a self aware fantasy novel that includes an ironic and meta dragon. "Fire, or whatever... whatever I'm supposed to do... ohhh, scary..."
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