Comments | nedlum: A Favor to Ask

nedlum

A Favor to Ask

Jul 07, 2007 13:07

As I mentioned the other day, I've got a thesis coming up, I want to write it on the fantasy genre, and I ought to have at least the start of an idea by the time school starts back up again.

I'm pretty well read, if I may say so. But I'm aware that, if this thing is going to work, I'm going to need to read more, have more material to draw from.

( Read more... )

book, fantasy

Comments 10

digopheliadug July 7 2007, 17:34:42 UTC

Robin Hobb:

Farseer trilogy
Liveship Traders trilogy
Tawny Man trilogy

nedlum July 8 2007, 01:17:19 UTC

*Orders Assassin's Apprentice from the library*

rushthatspeaks July 8 2007, 03:29:07 UTC

If I'm restricting myself to one: Lud-in-the-Mist, by Hope Mirrlees. A novel written in the 1920s that hasn't aged a day; the founding document of the subgenre that includes Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and Neil Gaiman's Stardust. In a better world would be as well-known, and loved, as Tolkien. Funny, strange, tragic, and the best portrait of Faerie ever written.

If I'm not restricting myself to one, you should let me know that it is okay to talk your ear off. Because I am totally capable of that.

nedlum July 8 2007, 03:51:16 UTC

Lud-in-The-Mist you say? I shall investigate.

you should let me know that it is okay to talk your ear off.

I've got a tub of ear-glue just gathering dust. Fire away!

rushthatspeaks July 9 2007, 21:24:13 UTC

All-righty. So. Is your thesis going to be about fantasy as a genre as it exists today? A history of fantasy as a genre? An overview of any of several subgenres? My recommendations vary slightly depending on that.

If you're doing a history of the genre, Frankenstein is currently claimed as the ur-text for both fantasy and sf, and Dracula for horror-- the first fantastical/science fictional/horrific *novels* as opposed to traveller's tales, myths, allegories etc.

Sub-genres:

High Fantasy: the branch of the genre that can be described as epic, sweeping, and all the other words people use about Tolkien. The Worm Ouroboros, E.R. Eddison (real Elizabethan prose in the 1920s); The Lord of the Rings; Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy, although the whole thing takes place in one house; William Morris; Lord Dunsany, especially 'The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save For Sacnoth'; Steven Erickson's currently running Malazan Book of the Fallen series; The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle; most everything on the list of things you mention as ( ... )

hit the length limit rushthatspeaks July 9 2007, 21:26:41 UTC

Also unclassifiable, also awesome: Alan Garner.

Thread 5

haggis_bagpipes July 8 2007, 21:41:53 UTC

The stone trilogy by Graham Edwards is remarkably well written, but hard to find?

Also, Terry Brooks.

nedlum July 9 2007, 21:41:03 UTC

Noted.

In other news: Damnit! You're in Scotland! How am I going to set you on fire if you're in Scotland?

haggis_bagpipes July 9 2007, 23:16:10 UTC

I'll do it myself!

(paraffin being poured, match striking)

AAARRRRRGH!!! THIS HURTS!!!!!