photographs and brightly colored paper

[enthusiastick]

I've started reading Eragon, partly because Eldest is out now, and I feel compelled to find out whether or not I actually have any interest in the series. There are definitely bits of this book that feel like they were written by a teenager, which is unsurprising given that the author started it when he was 15 and published it when he was 17. Some of the dialogue, particularly the expository stuff, is inarguably wooden. And yet I find myself oddly drawn in and compelled to read on.

I say "oddly" because, as sleetfall will happily confirm, I'm not actually a big fantasy guy. Oh, sure, there are certain sub-genres, particularly those influenced by Asia, that I get fired up about. But aside for a sort of grudging respect for the Tolkien oeuvre (although I agree with theferrett that, from a certain point of view, they're bad books) I'm not actually one to get into long fantasy series. Science fiction will call me like a moth to a flame. But fantasy, well. The first time I have to read a blow-by-blow description of any sort of hand-to-hand combat, or find the story put on hold so that the author can serve up 50 pages (or more!) of "necessary" history regarding his mythic lands, or worse still find a character I had come to enjoy abandoned utterly in favor of completely new people 300 pages into a 500 page book, with the tacit understanding that he'll probably show up again, down the line, a book or so from now... I admit it, part of me tends to just give up. Maybe its a short attention span. My mind wanders.

I want to think its more than that. I enjoy the fantasy genre; I love a good fantasy movie (which comes along rarely, in my opinion), or television series (which is so rare it might just be mythical or imaginary.) And as I said, I'll often find myself reading long science fiction series without batting an eyelash. I get involved, and my interest is held. And its not like I don't read anything under the general heading of "fantasy" that's long-form. So-called "modern" fantasy? No problem. Graphic novels? Check. Harry Potter? Try and stop me. Sure, I might re-read extensively, but I tend to do that anyway, and if I find myself using it to refresh the salient details of a complex tale, all the better. But I don't know, most "classic" high fantasy just escapes me.

But I'm going to keep plugging away at Eragon. For the moment its got my attention, and I might even end up liking it.

Comments

[adampb.livejournal.com]

I have a fantasy-book-reading friend who refuses to read Eragon on the grounds that a teenager shouldn't get to have a book published.

It makes more sense when he explains it, you hear the indignation in his voice.

[manslayerliz.livejournal.com]

I agree. Wheel of Time et al suck balls--- that's why I'm a Harry Potter and Sword of Truth -type girl. Let me know if this book you are working on is worth reading and I just might take a break from Anne Rice's Erotic Sleeping Beauty Trilogy long enough to give it a shot.^-^

[lady-eleret.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely sure how you can be into Sword of Truth, but not Wheel of Time. I know they're different, but not THAT different.

[theshanakee.livejournal.com]

High fantasy really does suck. LotR is forgivably bad because it was the first set of modern books to really do that, but after that someone really should have improved on the genre somehow, and no one really has.

And for the record, Wheel of Time and Sword of Truth were just...grumble. I think the last "fantasy" book that I read that was any good was the Gene Wolfe New Sun series. The only problem is it suffers from a writing style denser than Cicero...

[sleetfall.livejournal.com]

Well fuck you all then (not really), I'm just gonna go and be the one to defend high fantasy. I think people are going to have to let me know what it is about it that sucks. Sorry, I've had this argument before, and just because you don't enjoy something doesn't make it poor writing. Crap people, try Raymond Feist. Though yes its a long series with a big history, he builds that history over the course of his series... but YOU SEE IT HAPPEN. Other than that it just starts. No back story, no explanation. Its: this is the realm, its like medieval europe, now lets get on with it.

As for the Wheel of Time series... its not really bad literature. It just takes a lot of patience... and Robert Jordan is a complete asshole. And what about George RR Martin? I'm pretty sure he has a damned solid writing style. Granted, there is plenty of fantasy popcorn crap out there, but that doesn't damn the whole genre. Maybe pick up something by David E. Coe, or Simon Green.

Ok, enough. The point is that I enjoy fantasy... and my enjoyment makes it neither good nor bad the same way that your dislike of it makes it neither good nor bad. Its the writing itself, and just because the big essentially brand-name authors don't hold your attention, doesn't mean you won't find good stuff in other authors. After all, Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind (all of whom I like) are kinda like... well... TGI Fridays. Their stuff is pretty decent, and has wide appeal. Hm, I think I said enough at the beginning of this long-ass paragraph didn't I? Ok done now.

[manslayerliz.livejournal.com]

Well, granted I only read read one wheel of time book, and I have read all of the Sword of Truth Books 4 or 5 times, but from what I can gather it's basically the same premise--- regular guy turns out to be the chosen one who will save the world, etc etc, the big difference between the two is that SoT reveals details about the world and its history when they are necessary, while WoT makes me sit through pages of it for no good reason. Another big one is that the SoT characters are all more real--- you read one SoT book and you want to find out what happens to everyone. After I read WoT, I had a hard time remembering anyone's NAME, much less anything else about them. So, there's my 2 cents... And while I'm at it, you're right, Martin and Feist both write pretty solid stuff--- no complaints here. (For once...)

[manslayerliz.livejournal.com]

And while I've got the attention of all these book people, did any of you ever read Stephen King's It?? Ok, put aside all your collective prejudices about how King writes Pop Horror for the masses (because that's what I had to do...), and just read it and get back to me. I read it 4 months ago and I'm STILL trying to figure out what I read. It's a really bizarre combination of slasher horror/folk myth/metaphysical fantasy.

[juineve.livejournal.com]

Boo.. doesn't anyone at all read Peter Beagle? I mean c'mon Last Unicorn rocks all sorts! The Innkeeper's song is pretty cool/fuxed up/good too. Also there was a little known sci-fi /fant authr, Simon R. Green, he wrote two books I enjoyed quite a bit.. Down Among the Dead Men, which inspired a campaign/world of my own, and "Blue Moon Rising," plz plz plzzzzzz check them out.. I'll double cut LJ posts!

[manslayerliz.livejournal.com]

You better believe I love Beagle too. Last Unicorn is by far the best... Innkeeper's Song is OK, but I'm really not sure what I think of the weird threesome-type stuff going on in there.... Now A Fine and Private Place, that's some good reading!

[juineve.livejournal.com]

I need to re-read the Innkeeper's song.. got a little lost in the orgy.. as well as Giant Bones. I remember AFPP fairly well, but should ask my SO to read it. He reads quick. How were his other short stories? I'm rather shure I read Lyta the Werewolf but can't remember it much.. A dance for Emmelia was sweet/cute but not a must-read.. other than that I think I haven't read much else (besides the Last Uni of course of course).

[sleetfall.livejournal.com]

I do believe I mention wonderful Simon R Green. I loved the Blue Moon books, and he's actually done a Sci-Fi series (the Deathstalker series) that I LOVE. Of course, Eben's torn on the series... him having a short attention span and all :P

[juineve.livejournal.com]

wow someone else read Simon R. Green (fuckit I don't even care that you liked it.. someone else reading SRG is like someone else remembering Kidd Video [http://www.kvflipside.org/] or Project GeEkEr [http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/695-project-geeker/], and Disney's "Black Cauldron." Like.. before the internet (had it not been a book I owned), I started to question if such things ever actually existed or had I just imagined them in my youthful memory.. SRG's books ran parralel to such things.

I haven't touched DS.. the backs looked a little lame.. Although today I sat down at the B&N to finger through Anasazi Boys and see the new edition of BMR right in front of me. Also how is the sorta-sequal to BMR? The one with the princess and prince except they have different names now. It seems like a slightly tenuous sequal, more cowboyish than High Fant, but that's only from reading the back.

Xie Xie (pin-yin mandarin for 'thanks').

[sleetfall.livejournal.com]

I assume by the sequels to Blue Moon, you're talking about the Adventures of Hawk and Fischer. They're pretty dark, and a lot of fun to read. I would recommend them if you liked Blue Moon Rising. There are 4 Hawk and Fischer stories that come in two actual books. Then he finishes the series with Beyond the Blue Moon. They're all fun... and the Deathstalker stuff is a hell of a lot of fun to read as well despite what they sound like on the backs of the books. Though pooka_madness only enjoyed parts of the first one, and had no interest in continuing with the series. SO if your tastes run more along the lines of his you might not want to try them.

[pooka-madness.livejournal.com]

Alright, so Beagle's pretty darn good. But I don't really consider him serial fantasy, or even particularly "high" fantasy. Since his work falls as an exception to the genres I've laid out, I still say my original points stand.

As for Green... all I've read of his is Deathstalker, which is basically serial fantasy thinly disguised as science fiction. And I've only read the first book in the series, and while it piqued my interest it was also pretty darn maddening for all the reasons I've mentioned.

[juineve.livejournal.com]

I'll agree Beagle is not high fantasy.. well ok the Last Unicorn is I feel, but not the Innkeeper's Song. However you only made a vague reference in the original post regarding serial being a limiting factor. And phoo.. Read Blue Moon Rising and/or Down Among the Dead Men. I haven't read the Deathstalker series but again I can't emphasize enough how much I liked the first two. He writes high fant but if I remember (it's been about 10 yrs since I read them, almost) he's a bit more modern/self aware than other stuff.. Not so pseudo-archaic.