Strangely, I don't read much fantasy these days, even though it is my first love, my first impulse. I find myself dissatisfied with most fantasy, and this has been true since I read LOTR's at 13 years of age. Of course, back then, there was very little of what we now call fantasy, and what came out was pretty bad at first. There have been some modern fantasy writer's who do it pretty well; Martin, Rothfuss, Bujold.
But most mess the mark.
I started reading a well regarded fantasy trilogy last night, and immediately had that familiar feeling of disappointment. On reflection I think it's because the world just isn't fleshed out. It just feels too arbitrary.
This is what has kept me from writing fantasy. I don't like world building (except by writing) and yet I feel it is utterly necessary for the full experience.
Another reason is that I've always been afraid of being too derivative if I indulge in my impulse--there have certainly been plenty of fantasy that I think has shamelessly copied Tolkien.
Tellingly, I haven't even attempted to write heroic fantasy in this second go-around.
But I've been working up to it. Someday I'm going to go full Tolkien, just indulge in the deep nostalgia I have for that period in my life. In a way, all the writing I've done up to now has been leading me to this.
I'm not as worried about being derivative because I've learned that I tend to put my own spin on things no matter what.
The important thing is to tap into that life-changing feeling I had with LOTR's. Here I am, a bookstore owner and fiction writer and life-long nerd. I may have been that way anyway, but LOTR's sealed my doom.
It's like--I'll know when I'm ready, and when I'm ready I'll go all in.
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I think it has to do with age and an elder's incredulity. I just can't brook high fantasy anymore. The fact that I KNOW is just can't possibly exist detracts from the illusion. In my youth -- what did I know? I'd gladly adopt the most contrived world-building scenarios. Today? Nope. To pull off alter-reality world building the story must really be well written and barely overt in its otherness. Not much of fringe (Tolkien) fantasy does it for me anymore. Even stuff like the Dresden Files or The Iron Druid leaves me shaking my head.
I think the problem I have is that it is all the same. Almost by definition, high fantasy is constrained by it's motifs, therefore for it to stand out it has to be excellent. When the author tries to break the motif's, it is often obvious and stupid--and no long "high fantasy."
Tolkien also made it believable by sheer world building backstory. Most backstory in fantasy is paper-thin.
I try reading one book out of each fantasy author and if they don't show me something more than Tolkien-lite, I move on. That includes almost all well-known fantasy authors. As I said about, Rothfuss, Martin, and Bujold have passed muster--almost everyone else has failed.
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