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

[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.