Out with the Old …
Posted by Meg
For genre with seemingly endless possibilities, fantasy can sometimes get stuck in certain tropes and themes. Primarily, those of the Tolkien books and the books inspired by the Middle Earth style of writing and world building. How can writers honor modern fantasy’s epic roots while bringing something fresh to the genre?
Two weeks ago, the New York Times published an article highlighting fantasy author Brandon Sanderson and his approach to world building and novels. The article mentioned many contemporary fantasy authors throwing away many of the tropes of classic fantasy and subverting the reader’s expectations.
And Jacob Weisman, publisher of Tachyon Publications, which published Mr. Sanderson’s “The Emperor’s Soul,” winner of the 2013 Hugo Award for best novella, said, “Brandon is part of the new breed of epic fantasy authors who have redefined the genre.” Mr. Weisman was referring to writers like Peter V. Brett, Mr. Rothfuss and Joe Abercrombie, whose novels, like his hard-bitten “First Law” series, reject the stateliness of Tolkien and his imitators, and have the feel of gangster fantasy.
What are your thoughts on the new changes to the genre? Where can fantasy go from here?
Folks should take a look at Robert Jackson Bennett’s CITY OF STAIRS when it publishes in September for a big shake-up to the genre. Gods have left the world, magic is not quite there but maybe it is, but the story is wrapped in a Cold-War spy thriller setting. A brilliant novel.
I think it’s really important that fantasy move beyond the ideas that started the genre. ‘Fantasy’ can mean anything we want it to – it doesn’t have to mean swords, horses, and elves and/or dwarves. I am glad to see that a lot of authors today are moving beyond the old standards, though.
I think there will always be room for stories that draw on the mythic traditions of human cultures present and past. But variety is always a good thing, and I believe an inherent part of what makes a story good or interesting, at least to me, is whether it can offer something new. Be it a new concept, from a different (or even imaginary) culture, a new connection between everyday topics, or even a new take on the well worn tropes. It’s impossible to avoid treading on some common ground with stories – just because so much ground has already been trodden. Even subverting tropes is tantamount to at the least, acknowledging them, if not using them outright. People should write the stories they want to tell. There is no need to be different for the sake of it. Originality can’t and shouldn’t be forced.