Someone recently asked me,
Why would you recommend the fantasy genre to me?
They asked me this because I read a fair deal of fantasy books along with classic literature. And I think this is a good question. There’s a general disinterest regarding the fantasy genre. It’s usually overlooked and not taken seriously. This hostility is not always baseless, I’ll admit. But I do believe you should read whatever you feel comfortable with. Sticking with something other people find boring shouldn’t make you forfeit your choices. You don’t need to explain yourselves to anyone for your actions unless it hurts other people. But expressing your thoughts should always be fine, especially if articulated with an intention of healthy debate.
Moreover, people nowadays wage war against fiction as a whole. I understand that non-fiction books reward you readily. Provide you with information you want to know and many of them have real world applications. But they can be very limiting.
The true greatness of fiction doesn’t come from the story. It emits from the writer’s writing style, their philosophy, personal experience and wisdom. And the greatest aspect of them is their flexibility. Freedom from reality and all the rules, nuances, taboos it comes with. Non-fictions are limited by their respective fields, however broad the field may be. Fiction (and to a greater extent fantasy) doesn’t have to deal with it. Fiction also rewards people, but perhaps passively and I daresay the impact is stronger. Fiction doesn’t draw conclusions and tell you what to think. Rather fiction invokes thoughtfulness in its readers. Urges them to think on their own.. Makes them realize the other side of the imposed reality coin.
I’m not scornful of reality, nor am I trying to escape it. I think of myself as a logician (I’m also an INTP based on the 16personalities test!). I do not believe in anything preternatural or spiritual. Yet, I find well-developed tales of fictional words are way more logical than the world I live in. The reason is actually quite simple. At the end of the day a fictional world usually mirrors the writer’s longing for an alternate reality. It isn’t that hard to imagine a writer yearning to address or fix the problems, atrocities of their own world. Examples are in abundance. Has anything ever gave a harder slap to totalitarian regimes/mass surveillance states than Orwell’s 1984?
Fantasy is a subgenre of fiction. It has one main distinction from its mother genre—incorporation of myths and the supernatural. Sometimes it comes with brand new realities and worlds altogether.
Fantasy can explore aspects that aren't physically possible or historically inaccurate. This creates a vast window to work with. A metaphysical realm to meddle with. It has the allure of novelty of a different kind.
Unfortunately, the problem with modern fantasy is that a huge portion of them are written by people who aren’t actually writers but pretend to be and want to see their name in paper. And writing fantasy is easier than writing a story about people or a subject as you can make up stuff as you go. They make the books all about fantasy and forfeit the possibilities they offer. Fantasy should be supporting pillars of a story, not its driving force. But like every other genre, there are great works in fantasy.
I personally like the genre because unlike general fiction, a high-fantasy worldbuilding requires the author to make up a completely imaginary world and use their storytelling skills to populate it. It’s apt for the study of literature theory as well.
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I read a fair amount of fantasy to go with fiction and non-fiction. All have their place for me.
I read a lot of science fiction in my youth. Much of that would be classed as fantasy today, and I still like the genre. Fantasy writers (good fantasy writers) and fiction writers have the possibility of 'social commentary' in their craft. They can speak out on today's headlines by example in their craft.
For the record: I still think Tolkien is the master, followed by Heinlein and Steven King in the fantasy genre.
Very true! And a lot of them did just that through their craft. Kafka, Ionesco for a few examples. Even contemporaries like Steven Erikson.
Tolkien is the king, no doubt! I think of Ursula and Erikson in a similar light.
Even though I've read way too many fantasy series, haven't read much sci-fi. Short stories here and here, that's about it. I love all of Jules Verne and The Foundation series by Asimov. I know of Dune and King's The Dark Tower.
Do you have any recommendations?
Yes. Arthur C Clarke and Robert Heinlein. Clarke's Ringworld series and Heinlein's Lazarus Long books. Oh, and Harry Harrison wrote the Stainless Steel Rat series, it was great fun. He also wrote a serious alternative history of the American Civil War...
I just loved Arthur C Clarke's "Tales of the White Heart". A collection of short stories.
Heard about C Clarke and Heinlein's series I think but had no idea about Harry Harrison.
Thanks a lot, will check them out!
If you enjoy world building you can't go wrong with Brandon Sanderson.
I actually read his Mistborn and Stormlight Archives. He's good with world building. But I don't like his prose or his characters.
Tolkien and Raymond E. Feist...Can't go wrong. Great little post here mate.
Thanks! A fan of tolkien as well. But haven't read anything by Raymond E. Feist. Will check him out.
Start with Magician mate, you'll be hooked.