Comments on: An author answers [3]

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:54:00 +0000

And to think there are people out there who won’t even TRY fantasy!

By: hrugaar

hrugaar — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:53:00 +0000

I just think that Fantasy shows us there is more to life than the tedious grey monotony of materialistic existence that current society foists on us as allegedly being ‘reality’. Discovering a new world is a bit like falling in love really – it brings new colours to the monochrome and opens up your awarenessto all kinds of unexpected possibilities. :o)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 19:39:00 +0000

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head, Glenda. Fantasy is a *huge* tent -- it encompasses so many facets of storytelling, and allows them to be combined and recombined in ways that theoretically mean the genre need never get stale or old.

That's what I love most about it, and it's why I get so cranky when I hear people complaining about certain kinds of fantasy. People who are in the spec fic community and should know better. If you don't like 'traditional' style fantasy, fine. Go write the stuff you like. But don't whale on the writers and readers of that kind of story. Fantasy is the Baskin and Robbins of spec fic storytelling. And if I like vanilla, that does stop you enjoying Rocky Road? I don't believe it does -- if enough other people also enjoy it. But if they don't, is that the fault of vanilla lovers everywhere? No, I don't believe it is!

Sorry. I'm ice cream deprived at the moment, can you tell? *g*

There is endless scope in fantasy fiction. And that's why I love it, and why I think it's so powerful.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:39:00 +0000

*i* would buy it.

You get such cool questions...

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 06:11:00 +0000

Thank you,Argus Lou! You will get the US version, I think, with the, um, interesting covers…

By: Argus Lou

Argus Lou — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 05:06:00 +0000

Good question, thought-provoking answer!

I ordered one of your novels from the Deutsch Amazie yesterday, Glenda. Looking forward to it.

By: Satima Flavell

Satima Flavell — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 04:44:00 +0000

Good point, Glenda, about our not carrying our prejudices so much into a fantasy world. Perhaps that helps make the genre a powerful catalyst for making people think. It’s easier to think with the blinkers off!

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 03:23:00 +0000

Exactly. And we don’t carry our prejudices so much into a fantasy world, so our thinking is not so clouded by our upbringing and acculturation.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 02:31:00 +0000

Oh, I’ve recently read and enjoyed Karen’s books!! Others poohpooh fantasy and science fiction as lightweight, but I agree that it explores myriad facets of life, of living, of philosophy, of – well you name it really. It does make me think and one of the reasons is that the setting throws the theme into stark relief: it isn’t hidden in ‘real life’ but is made clearer and given depth.