Fantasy Aficionados discussion

I have enjoyed fantasy stories for over twenty years, and I have grown fascinated with the paradox of why the impossible elements of the genre are so memorable and resonate with our daily lives.

Though I have a few theories of my own, I would love to hear what you already know but may not have yet placed into words: What makes magic so delightful to imagine? Why do we enjoy mentally visiting castles in the sky and otherworldly lands? Why do we enjoy meeting, through words, mythical creatures from dragons to faeries?

Because life sucks and then you die.

Mrs Joseph, you cannot say more with less.

I read because I need to; and I read fantasy because I really love the honest evasion it provides. When reality overwhelms me, I just need to have another world to go and rest my weary head.

Quoting Sir Terry Pratchet, "Only in our dreams are we free. The rest of the time we need wages".

George R R Martin says in this quote exactly why people read fantasy.

"The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real ... for a moment at least ... that long magic moment before we wake.

Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli. Reality is plywood and plastic, done up in mud brown and olive drab. Fantasy tastes of habaneros and honey, cinnamon and cloves, rare red meat and wines as sweet as summer. Reality is beans and tofu, and ashes at the end. Reality is the strip malls of Burbank, the smokestacks of Cleveland, a parking garage in Newark. Fantasy is the towers of Minas Tirith, the ancient stones of Gormenghast, the halls of Camelot. Fantasy flies on the wings of Icarus, reality on Southwest Airlines. Why do our dreams become so much smaller when they finally come true?

We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the songs the sirens sang. There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La.

They can keep their heaven. When I die, I'd sooner go to middle Earth."
— George R.R. Martin

We live in the "real" world, who wants to read about it?

"They can keep their heaven. When I die, I'd sooner go to middle Earth"

I thought this was the best thing he said.

Tacuazin wrote: "Mrs Joseph, you cannot say more with less.

I read because I need to; and I read fantasy because I really love the honest evasion it provides. When reality overwhelms me, I just need to have anot..."


I haven't had the greatest week...so maybe that was a little flippant...but it's true.

I haven't had the greatest week...

Yeah... and it's not Thursday yet! If I could, I'd move to Winterfell, but I've heard it's a bit cold this time of the year, with the war and all that. Maybe the coast of Dorne...

Machavelli wrote: "George R R Martin says in this quote exactly why people read fantasy.

"The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real ... for a moment ..."

LIKE, LIKE! He pinned it.

I read a great article in Realms of Fantasy about why they read fantasy - I agreed with it completely. I'll have to look it up when I get home beacuse it's been a while and I can't remember all it said.

He insulted tofu. I like tofu. And beans. *stalks away offended*

"Machavelli wrote: "We read fantasy to find the colors again..."

I think that sums it up perfectly.

So the rest of it was pretty and accurate and all. I'm still insulted.

I'm sure this has nothing to do with being tired and cranky.

Nothing at all.

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, the man who never reads lives only one."

George R. R. Martin
A Dance With Dragons

I have never lost that belief in the mystical, magical, and fantastical that children have. Reading fantasy feeds my sense of wonder.

Fantasy is probably the most honest genre. You have to suspend disbelief for any genre: thrillers, romances, crime novels, "based on a true story." At least in fantasy, the rules of the world really ARE different, and people have an excuse to act the way they do.

Plus, I read fiction for the sake of thinking about things other than the real world. It's good for the mind.

Laurel wrote: ""A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, the man who never reads lives only one."

George R. R. Martin
A Dance With Dragons"

I like this =)

My favorite reason is a quote from my favorite author R.A. Salvatore himself: "Because in fantasy perhaps more than in any other genre, the character is rewarded for making the right choices and punished for making the bad. Ask Boromir."

Thank you for sharing the GRRM quotes, Machavelli and Laurel. Heaven does sound tedious, no offense meant to the big man upstairs, and I would prefer the excitement of a fantasy-world afterlife, despite the dangers and the lack of indoor plumbing.

Also, Kevin brought up an interesting quote by RA Salvatore. We always like to believe in a just world, and in fantasy, we at last get what we want. The evil are punished. The good are rewarded, though sometimes posthumously. I can think of some exceptions, of course. The work of Joe Abercrombie is full of 5-star characters, but he is an author committed to greyness, and I would argue the lack of moral resolution weakens his endings. He goes out of the way to reward the wicked, etc. I would argue this makes his world more realistic, but, again, realism is not necessarily what I want when I read.

I can see there's a great crowd in these Goodread forums. I look forward to everyone's future posts.

I've argued that fantasy is the genre of emotional states. Emotions drive the characters and keep them in conflict.

Welcome back from seclusion, Jon. Is Shadow's Lure out yet?

Thanks, Dread. I'm still here, lurking now and again. :)

Lure is out, thanks for asking. I'm in the middle of revisions for book 3.

Fantasy for me is being able to live that dream in my mind, to allow my imagination to soar, from magic to epic battles to castles and lands only a mind that lives and dreams in the fantasy world could imagine. Add characters with their own goals, dreams, trials, loves and conflicts and have them be able to use and manipulate the incredible to find a resolution. How could you not love it?

If I had a choice between a Mercedes or Pegasus. Guess which I'm choosing?

Terry, I would love to ride my Pegasus to work instead of a compact car! :)

Can't I just teleport? A Pegasus sounds messy.

But, they're winged horses! How cool is that?

Maybe they're magical in other ways!

I'd totally go for the Pegasus. Bonus if it's a Unicorn Pegasus! :)

Hmmm Denae, why do I picture Dothraki and something GRRM may write in that response of yours? Maybe it's just me....

And Kit, yes a Unicorn Pegasus, yes, definitely. I'm also partial to silvery white myself.

Eh? Which response?

Gaudior was a pegasus/unicorn (pegacorn?)

Denae wrote: "Maybe they're magical in other ways!"
That one, :).

Yes Kit, how could anyone not want to ride one of those lol. Bring it here!!!!

Ah. Yeah, I totally missed that connection. I thought you meant the tofu comment.

Kit★ wrote: ""

Yes! That! :-D

Oh, yes. I'd love a unicorn/pegasus!

I think I'd prefer a transporter. Much easier, and less mess.

If I had to go with magical flying horse type creatures, though, I'd go with a thestral. Not sure I could get too close to a unicorn anymore, to be honest. ;)

What is a thestral?

I'm a vet, so animal mess doesn't bother me at all. And with a pegasus, it's magic mess, so no worries!

Someone's clearly not a Harry Potter fan. :>

I've only watched the movies, so I don't keep up with all the creature names. Thanks for the link.

I like this picture of a thestral.
They're from Harry Potter, Thestrals

I'll take a pegasus over a thestral any day. :)

I like that pic better than the first one you linked to, Kit. I like how they looked in the movies, too. I have the statue from the Noble Collection of the thestral with the baby.

Yea, once I saw the first pic large size instead of thumbnail, it didn't look as cool as I thought lol. I like that statue, it'd fit right in with my collection of dragons and gargoyles and such :)

I have quite a few dragony things about the house, too. Not so many in the way of gargoyles, but there are a few of those, too.

Love the quotes brought up here. Guess I'll add my two cents. I was pretty much an outcast as a kid. Four eyes, brace face, sensitive, bookish and too emotional for my own good. My mother dumped book after book in my lap that was realistic fic that dealt with characters in similar circumstances. I hated them. I didn't want to know more of what I was already dealing with.

Discovering fantasy allowed me to break away from the pain and ostracization I was feeling at school. To jump into situations and worlds entirely unlike mine. I didn't like the treatment I was receiving in school. I wasn't sure I liked who I was. Fantasy reading gave me characters that showed me facets of personality I wanted to obtain. Honor and courage and determination and imagination. It didn't matter that I might not actually be able to travel to such magical places, I could still use the central themes to build my own identity and framework.

I like who I turned out to be, and that has much to do with fantasy stories that kept me alive and gave me a mirror.

My friend bought me one for Christmas one year, his wings pull out of the statue and they are wicked little knives. http://www.shopcheapskate.com/servlet... I don't have the big dagger in the middle, but the wings are cool. Just gotta keep him high up on the bookshelf and way out of baby's reach.

That's pretty cool, Kit, even if it does look too much like a dog for my tastes. ;)

Yea it kinda does doesn't it? Would that be considered something like a dogasus? Lol

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Oh, yes. I'd love a unicorn/pegasus!"

As a long-time horse lover and breeder of dressage horses, I have ALWAYS wanted to believe there might be a Pegasus in my life.

Thought I might have gotten lucky this year but unless the wings sprout much later, we didn't get wings! BHowever, even without wings, her picture went up on my website!

http://www.stallionstation.com/kaleid...

Sharon wrote: "Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "Oh, yes. I'd love a unicorn/pegasus!"

As a long-time horse lover and breeder of dressage horses, I have ALWAYS wanted to believe there might be a Pegasus ..."

You breed horses?? *drool*


Ok, that does it! Group trip to Sharon's house!!