Disparate Thoughts on Ballard, the Nature of Memory, a Fisher-Queen, and Fantasy Generally

[filomancer]

Have missed several Black Gate blog posts. Here's today's:

===========

RIP, J.G. Ballard.

His was among the strange New Worlds fiction that I encountered as an unsuspecting kid in my brother's sf collection, higgledy-piggledy among the Clarke, Asimov, and Simak. I didn't know what to make of it then, but it's been sitting in my backbrain all

Comments

[comrade_cat]

I went back & checked out one of the posts you missed. It's wonderful to see someone mention Rachel Pollack's urban pagan books & Sean Stewart's novels! I also preferred Temporary Agency to Unquenchable Fire, I think because the plot was faster or tighter & because the heroine wasn't trying to get out of having magic happen to her like the protagonist of UF. I recognize that's part of the point of UF, it just doesn't resonate with me as much

[filomancer]

Do you think that "trying to get out of having magic happen to her" is specific to UF? I guess I would say it's a common trope in fantasy generally, and related to the "Refusing the Call" bit which is also so common.

If I had to characterize urban fantasy as opposed to other kinds, it would have to do with the specific sense of place. People who haven't lived in cities often think of them as sterile and ugly and lacking in nature and magic (I did once), but they have their own mysteries.

Crowley's Little, Big is I think one book that gets both kinds of magic.

I haven't read the Green or the Turtledove. I've seen used copies of Metropolitan around, like at Powells.com, so you ought to be able to find them that way if not closer to hand.

[comrade_cat]

Do you think that "trying to get out of having magic happen to her" is specific to UF? I guess I would say it's a common trope in fantasy generally, and related to the "Refusing the Call" bit which is also so common.

Hm, Refusing The Call is common. It's just...Jennie seemed so whiny about it, I guess. It seemed like she spent the book not doing anything, while there was all this fascinating magic stuff going on around her, either in her storyline or in the stories throughout the book. Not that I didn't like the book, it's just I didn't identify with Jennie as much as I usually do with whoever the main character is.

Flights didn't have Metropolitan, but I found a cheap used copy on amazon.