RIP Diana Wynne Jones
I just told my Fantasy class about Jones the other day. I hope some of them seek out her books.
I think what stood out for me when I read DWJ as a child was that her books were so different.
Most famous children's authors hit on a formula for success and run it into the ground with a 30 books series. DWJ's books weren't just different in subject matter and setting, they were different in tone. Howl's Moving Castle is hilarious; The Homeward Bounders is chilling; adventures like Dogsbody are engaging and poignant. And each universe she created was different: I never got the sense that she was cut-and-pasting some ye universal setting into her books. Well, except for The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, which is both hilarious and one of the best guides to generic fantasy writing out there.
To paraphrase de Lint, "she rearranged the insides of my head, for whch I am grateful."
For the record, my favourite book of hers is The Lives of Christopher Chant, but it's a tough decision.
I'll end with my favourite DWJ story opening:
"In the land of Ingary where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of the three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes."
- Diana Wynne Jones (Howl's Moving Castle)