Giant Freaking Spiders

[_ocelott_]

Ok, what is with the giant freaking spiders in every fantasy story ever? Is it a requisite or something? Does the story not count as a fantasy unless there's a big menacing spider trying to eat the heroes? The giant spider shows up again and again and again, and there doesn't seem to be any reason for it! None of the other insects are huge and

Comments

[muse_books]

*scrolls past your giant spider piccie very fast*

I can't say I've noticed a lot of giant spiders but then I haven't read that much of recent fantasy.

[_ocelott_]

Umm, offhand, I remember spiders in Tolkien's work as well as Harry Potter; the first Green Rider book (although that's not what they called it, Karigan got caught in a big freaking web); anything remotely resembling Dungeons and Dragons; and mecooper assures me there are giant spiders in the Wit'ch Fire series, too. I'm sure I could think up more places I'd come across them if I weren't trying so very hard to suppress the memories...

[kat_nic]

Wow, I must have arachnophobia ESP, and unconsciously pass up the books with giant spiders in them, because the only books I've read that had giant spiders were The Hobbit and The Two Towers.

And you have to admit, a giant spider is freakin' scarier than, say, a giant roly poly, or a giant katydid. Plus they have the whole venom thing going on.

[_ocelott_]

Umm, offhand, I remember spiders in Tolkien's work as well as Harry Potter; the first Green Rider book (although that's not what they called it, Karigan got caught in a big freaking web); anything remotely resembling Dungeons and Dragons; and mecooper assures me there are giant spiders in the Wit'ch Fire series, too. I'm sure I could think up more places I'd come across them if I weren't trying so very hard to suppress the memories...

I know, so many people suffer from arachnophobia, it does make a certain sort of sense that a big giant spider would be even more terrifying. But it's been done so many times, it just strikes me as lazy instead of making me wonder how the hero can possibly escape this latest peril.

[mecooper]

For _ocelott_:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8dSBWysmnM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc

Back on topic - I've read a few books with big ugly spiders. The Wit'ch Fire series had a rather icky spider villain so I would recommend you avoid that one.

[_ocelott_]

HA! That second video, I got about halfway through it before I realized it was a joke and just started howling. I'm gonna blame you when I pass it around to all my friends.

I couldn't really get into the Wit'ch books. I read the first one and kind of thought "meh." It wasn't bad, but I did find it fairly forgettable, and never bothered to pick up any of the others in the series. Giant spiders doesn't surprise me from those books at all.