Comments on: FANTASYCON 2014: MY SCHEDULE https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/ Sat, 13 Mar 2021 10:20:52 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 By: Thoraiya https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18232 Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:06:55 +0000 #comment-18232 The Rowan! I was trying to think of the name of that book!

Me (to husband): There's a science fiction book, only not, because they're using psy powers to drive spaceships and I think we established that's fantasy, but ANYWAY the daughter gets her own spaceships to look after and meets an alien and falls in love with him, what's that book?

Husband: *blank stare*

Thanks Spikeabell 😀

]]> By: Spikeabell https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18231 Mon, 08 Sep 2014 02:11:49 +0000 #comment-18231 So too late for the panel. I am having to think here, so obviously neither occurrences are overly prevalent. But in Dianna Wynne Jones' 'The power of one' nearly all the parents are present. Some helpful some not. The younger generation do end up sorting out some of the former's mistakes though. Anne McCaffrey's ‘Tower Series’ starts with orphan 'Rowan' but continues on as a family based collection. (that could be a thing) Hmmm agree with Thoraiya on her list of Platonic Friendships. There are some in Kate Forsyths 'Witches of Elianan' Isabeau and Lilanthe but not central. There are more female friendships perhaps in 'urban fantasy' like Charles de Lint's stories. Memory and Dream (Izzy and Kathy), Jack the Giant Killer (Jackie and Kate) Trader (Tanya & Zeffy). Love Flame and Blaze's friendship, The Glory Isles remains one of my all time favourites.

]]> By: Glenda Larke https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18230 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 22:26:32 +0000 #comment-18230 Thank you, Marina!

]]> By: Marina https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18229 Tue, 02 Sep 2014 16:26:10 +0000 #comment-18229 There's a YA fantasy called The Edge of the Woods by Aussie Ceinwen Langley, which I found remarkable exactly because not only was the mother not dead, but the young protagonist had a great relationship with her and actually considered how her own actions in the story would affect her mother. Very unusual!

]]> By: Glenda Larke https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18228 Sun, 31 Aug 2014 04:29:20 +0000 #comment-18228 Thanks for the book names btw.

]]> By: Glenda Larke https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18227 Sun, 31 Aug 2014 04:28:54 +0000 #comment-18227 I quite understand the get rid of parents thing (not necessarily by death), because it ups the stakes for the kid.

As for the other topic, it made me SO annoyed that I wrote the Isles of Glory trilogy.

]]> By: Thoraiya https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18226 Sat, 30 Aug 2014 20:10:51 +0000 #comment-18226 Jo: Good point! But…HMM…would we call that the main protagonist's foster-father? (if that matters?)

Also the foster-father is CONVENIENTLY injured quite early on in order for the plot to leave him behind 😉

]]> By: Jo https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18225 Sat, 30 Aug 2014 18:59:44 +0000 #comment-18225 I hadn't thought of the Wheel of Time series. In fact the main protagonist has his father fighting in the battles too. One female at least has parents alive and well another has a mother who is thought dead for a while but turns out to be alive and well. There are certainly a number of women who are very close friends in these books too.

]]> By: Thoraiya https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18224 Sat, 30 Aug 2014 17:55:20 +0000 #comment-18224 Hi Glenda

Cool panel topics!

Platonic friendships between women appear in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, Tansy Rayner Roberts’ Creature Court trilogy and, for science fiction, “Pushing Ice” by Al Reynolds.

They are very noticeable (and appreciated!) because of their rarity, and this is because women are for sweet sweet lurve, not being actual people, so once you have one woman character as a love interest for your protagonist, why would you need more? And if you have a woman AS your protagonist, you’re no doubt thrusting her into a cruel man’s world, and what better way to isolate and distress her than give her no female friends?

As for parents being dead, I can think of series where the parents are alive but out of the way – in Lian Tanner’s Keepers trilogy, the parents are in jail, while in Cat Valente’s Fairyland books, the parents are stuck in the real world while September goes to fairyland, and in Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, the parents are turned into pigs – but actually participate in the adventure?

I can’t think of any, except for where the parent is involved in an evil antagonist (see Luke Skywalker), usually after an “orphan” discovers who they truly are.

Actually, I’m straining my brain to try and remember if Pol from Melani Rawn’s dragon books ever fights side by side with his parents?? I think maybe he does?

Someone else who has read them will have to let me know if I’m remembering properly.

My favourite Disney movie is “The Princess and the Frog” because the mother is dead in every other Disney princess movie…and in this one, the still-alive and encouraging mother is Oprah. Oh yeah. Everyone should watch it even without the excuse of grandkids!

]]> By: Jo https://glendalarke.com/2014/08/fantasycon-2010-my-schedule-2/#comment-18223 Sat, 30 Aug 2014 05:42:18 +0000 #comment-18223 At the moment, no I can't think of any but I will mull it over and see if I can come up with anything.

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