What got you into Fantasy?
Beldin
I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
I'll be breathless w' th' anticipation o' readin' yer responses, don't
y'know.
-----
Beldin
If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, you must be the most
dangerous person alive.
Eveyone is entitled to a little stupidity now and then, but you
are treating it like an all-you-can-eat salad bar.
NuttyBar4
The most famous, gnarled little sorcerer Beldin : ) <Bel...@Aldur.net>
brilliantly produced ths:
>I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
>rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
>were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
>
>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
>
>2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
>in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
>romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
>
>I'll be breathless w' th' anticipation o' readin' yer responses, don't
>y'know.
>
>-----
>Beldin
>
>
The first fantasy book I ever read was Pawn of Prophecy. It was Aug.
4, 1992 (Why I memorized it, I do not know) but I was 14 and I hadn't read
a book for pleasure since I was in 2nd grade. I was going to be on a plane
trip and I looked at the cover (two topics with one stone, eh?) and I saw
the titles of future books, and I was hooked right away...I had to get the
rest of the Bel that week...discovering Eddings was one of the best things
that ever happened.
The reason I choose fantasy is that very little is connected to
actual life and I can put aside my homework and just relax into another
world...The other genres are great, I'm sure, but if I wanted a mystery,
I'll read the newspaper about a baffled burglary or something like that.
Lew
Flint
>
> 1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
>
Oh thats going back but it must have been the CS Lewis classic
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
this was a school text when i was in primary school...i must have been
about 10.
At the time I didnt really link it with Fantasy till a good many years
afterwards when I read Lord of the Rings
> 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
> in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
> romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
>
I think it was the complete escapism that Fantasy offered. I had always
read things like AListair Maclean and Desmond Bagley novels while I was
younger (and before that things like The Hardy Boys etc), and I think most
Fantasy in some wierd way is very linked to a lot of this type of book in
that there is an *adventure* which I suppose is what attracts me to it.
I must admit that I tend to like epic stories, and fantasy is the main
genre which offers us the chance to explore in a lot more depth charcters
within a novel, as many fantasy authors write trilogies (or more). It
offers the author a bigger chance ot develop the characters, and sometimes
its nice to know at least a little about all the mainn characters when you
start a book (like the 2nd book of a trilogy)
Teut
I'm not sure why, but Beldin <Bel...@Aldur.net> posted this on Thu, 11
Sep 1997, and called it " What got you into Fantasy? " as well:
>I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
>rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
>were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
>
>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
As far as I recall, it was The Hobbit. I got it for my 12th birthday
(still have it, 10 years later). I didn't get around to reading Lord Of
The Rings until much later, and to tell you the truth I got bored half
way through and have never got around to reading Return Of The King.
>
>2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
>in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
>romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
After I got through The Hobbit, I had a fascination with dragons (don't
you think Smaug was great?) and I started to read books with Dragons in
them. The Dragonlance books stand out in my mind, although past the
first three the're fairly dreadful. As well as reading about them, I
started collecting bits and pieces (posters, lampshades, pottery oil
lamps, bookends, wood carvings, etc [1]). Still do, in fact. And then,
of course, I started to read fantasy books without dragons in them and
enjoyed them, so I carried on.
I do read other types of books (sci-fi, mainly) although they tend to
have a distressing lack of dragons in them ::sigh::
--
Teut
Durnik
Beldin <Bel...@Aldur.net> wrote:
: I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
: rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
: were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
: 1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
Good post, Beldin. Thinking back on all those novels has brought back
some fond memories. The first fantasy book I read was "The Silver Chair"
(Book 4 of 'The Chronicles of Narnia" series by C.S. Lewis).
: 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
: in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
: romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
For as long as I can remember I've been intrigued by knights & sorcery,
adventures, and the serenity of the woods. Put all those into one and I'm
hooked.
-- Durnik
Greldik
As I was keel hauling the second mate I heard Beldin say:
>I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
>rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
>were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
>
>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
>
It looks like Im in the majority as well as the first fantasy books I
read were the Narnia ones, I think the first was "Voyage of The Dawn
Treader" - the memory is a bit hazy as it was about 1975. When I was in
the junior school one enlightened teacher read us the Hobbit and Elidor
by Alan Garner (being from Cheshire, we could identify with the
locations). And that was it, I was hooked, for ever more. Cheers Mr
King wherever you are!
>2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
>in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
>romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
>
Basically its a case of, "I read it because I like it". I think its
probably that sense of wonder when reading about new and different
situations in fantasy and SF. Reading a story set in contemporary times
in this world doesn't have the same sort of buzz to it. Having said
that, I also enjoy historical novels, but then you could make a case for
a book about Vikings being just as much fantasy.
Greldik
--
To get to sealand road, remove the DEVA first
Draco Paladin
On Thu, 11 Sep 1997, Beldin wrote:
> 1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
The first fantasy book I read was The Hobbit/LotR way back in grade 7.
Our class was having a reading contest (most pages read in the school
year) and my teacher suggested Hobbit/LotR to me. I loved it and haven't
stopped reading fantasy since.
>
> 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
> in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
> romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
I'm not sure what really attracts me to fantasy. I suppose it's the
grandness of it all... a few heros off saving the world.
---------------------------------------------
Mother is the name for GOD on the lips and
hearts of all children. - Eric Draven
Asl...@farmhouse.demos.com
From my kitchen window, I heard a voice. It was Bel...@Aldur.net
(Beldin) who said:
>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars books, two or three of them that I found as
a young teenager.
>2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
>in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
>romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
I'm able to drfit over into their worlds and shed the tension of my
own. With any other fiction, I'm rather stuck in RL, and sometimes the
fiction is scary enough that I don't want to be.
Aslade
... content in the service of Aphrael,
and honored to be little mother of a.f.e.
You can reach my kitchen by making my "demos.farmhouse" "cheerful"
a.f.e Netiquette at http://home.att.net/~marthalanclos/silver.htm
Sarabian
A sound like tiny flutes was heard and the smell of grass arose from
the earth, then magically I could hear Bel...@Aldur.net (Beldin) say:
>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
The Hobbit, when I was 11. Then I read The Lord of the Rings when I
was 11, 12 and 13(yes, it took me 3 years - average of about a page a
day - actually I gave up twice but the last time managed it in about 2
weeks). The third fantasy book I read was PoP and the rest as they
say, is geography.
>2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
>in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
>romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
I really don't have an answer for this. Perhaps the release from
mundane life and the entry into someone's _fantasy_ world where ppl
can do special things that you wished you could. A poor answer
but....
Sarabian
--
If you can't be good, be nice.
You can approach the throne and speak with His Majesty by changing
matherion.com to netcomuk.co.uk. You may visit the preview web
page at http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~pfreemn/matherion.html
but I wouldn't bother for the moment, there's not much there.
Grainne McGuire
Beldin wrote:
>
> I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
> rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
> were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
>
I had a book token for a year which I had never got around to using. I
finally went out and bought Julian May's Intervention (yes, I know
that's SF) and was hooked straight away. Her Saga of the Pliocene Exiles
followed (which are more fantasy in tone). From there after a futile
attempt at the Thomas Covenant books (though I did succeed with them a
few years later) I read ... yes you've guessed it PoP. I took it from
there.
> 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
> in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
> romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
Call me an escapist if you will, but I like stories set in a different
world to this one - it makes things more interesting. Other books don't
catch my attention as much.
Grainne
Quaz
Beldin wrote:
>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
The Book of Three by Lloid Alexander
> 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
> in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
> romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
>
I like Fantasy because you can escape from the modern day problems, and
just get lost in the story.
Jon
Peta Young
: The most famous, gnarled little sorcerer Beldin : ) <Bel...@Aldur.net>
: brilliantly produced ths:
: >I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
: >rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
: >were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
: >1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
The one I actually remember was "Dragons of Autumn Twilight", first book out
of the DragonLance Chronicles series. I *think* I had "the Hobbit" read to
me when I was a kid, because when I read the story a few years ago, it seemed
very familiar. After the first three DL books, it was all on!!
: >2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
: >in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
: >romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
Escapism. And it's just lovely to hear about a completely different "culture"
- yes, I realised that most fantasy novels are loosely (and very loosely at
that) based on middle ages/medieval period, but I think it's great.
Although I mainly read fantasy, I do also read other stories, just for a break
to remind myself that there is other literature in the world. Mind you,
there are some genres I steer well clear of.
Peta
Fantine716
>I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
>rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
>were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
>
>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
The first ones were "The Castle in the Attic" by Elizabeth Winthrop, when
I was about 8 or 9, and the Prydian Chronicles when I was 11. I started
reading Eddings when I was 13. I've been reading fantasy (almost
exclusively) ever since.
>2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
>in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
>romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
I guess I like fantasy because I can get to know the characters better
because fantasy stories tend to be in a longer series. I also like
adventure stories and fantasy novels allow me to escape from the RW for a
while (like now, when I have a monster calc exam hanging over my head).
Fantasy novels have all the aspects of the other genres of fiction combined
into one jam-packed version.
My thoughts as I try to clear my mind of derivitives........
Alean
************************************************
Accept that some days you are the pigeon,
and some days you are the statue
--Roger C. Anderson
Peta Young
On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 22:05:55 GMT , Sarabian was chatting about:
: >1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
: The Hobbit, when I was 11. Then I read The Lord of the Rings when I
: was 11, 12 and 13(yes, it took me 3 years - average of about a page a
: day - actually I gave up twice but the last time managed it in about 2
: weeks). The third fantasy book I read was PoP and the rest as they
: say, is geography.
I am amazed at how many people read LotR at such tender years! I tried,
and gave up. I finally tried again at the age of 23 and I did finish it
(all three books) but I have to admit, I found it harder and harder to
keep motivated. As a kid, I would have found it impossible. However, the
Hobbit - now *that* I can understand how people read that in their
childhood!
Peta
Lindsay
A good enough question to warrant a delurk.
Lord of the Rings was my first, at the 2nd attempt it hooked me and I spent
the next 3 days doing nothing but reading it.
I prefer fantasy because I like the idea of different worlds and magical
powers.
Also, the good writers can produce some wonderful characters.
Lindsay
Beldin <Bel...@Aldur.net> wrote in article
<3417524e...@news.mindspring.com>...
>
> 1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
>
> 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
> in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
> romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
>
>
Cyberkalt
In article <uNIRuAAU$GG0...@sealandroadrip.demon.co.uk>, Greldik
<gre...@DEVAsealandroadrip.demon.co.uk> writes:
>It looks like Im in the majority as well as the first fantasy books I
>read were the Narnia ones, I think the first was "Voyage of The Dawn
>Treader" - the memory is a bit hazy as it was about 1975. When I was in
>the junior school one enlightened teacher read us the Hobbit and Elidor
>by Alan Garner (being from Cheshire, we could identify with the
>locations). And that was it, I was hooked, for ever more. Cheers Mr
>King wherever you are!
>Greldik
What is it about Elidor?
Is it a famous book? Or is it simply that teachers all like Elidor? Or
maybe it's just coincidence. I don't think though, that it was Elidor that
got me hooked on fantasy though. When my teacher read it to us, I could
only understand half of it. It was and still is a strange book in my opinion.
I think that it was partly the Narnia books and the Hobbit that got me
into fantasy. Alongside role-playing games (both dice-rolling and japanese
computer games such as Phantasy Star II).
However, when it came to Eddings, it was my sister that passed the book
down and told me to have a read.
Kalten~!!!
Michael Vaarning
Beldin wrote:
>
> I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
> rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
> were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
>
I think that was "Lord of the Ring" by JRR Tolkien..
> 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
> in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
> romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
There is something intrigueing about magic *smile*
>
> I'll be breathless w' th' anticipation o' readin' yer responses, don't
> y'know.
>
Beldin
On 11 Sep 1997 11:41:54 GMT, Durnik <joh...@deltanet.com> produced
the following drivel:
>For as long as I can remember I've been intrigued by knights & sorcery,
>adventures, and the serenity of the woods. Put all those into one and I'm
>hooked.
Polgara, you need to set this man straight. he's been consorting with
the Dryads again. "Serenity of the woods," right. Belgarath knows
Serenity too, and her twin sister Tranquility.
Beldin
On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 08:34:24 GMT, "Flint"
<Fl...@dragonlance.demon.co.uk> produced the following drivel:
>its nice to know at least a little about all the mainn characters when you
>start a book (like the 2nd book of a trilogy)
I agree with you here. It is nice to pick up a 2nd book and know who
is who. The things that gripes me here is that Eddings (among others)
reintroduces his characters in each book, as though we will have
forgotten who they are. I realize a casual reader might forget, but I
think most folks who read fantasy read on a deeper level than a reader
of some other fiction genre.
Polgara
Durnik wrote:
>
> Beldin <Bel...@Aldur.net> wrote:
> : 1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
>
> Good post, Beldin. Thinking back on all those novels has brought back
> some fond memories. The first fantasy book I read was "The Silver Chair"
> (Book 4 of 'The Chronicles of Narnia" series by C.S. Lewis).
My first fantasy book was "The Hobbit", way back in (about) 1967. Then,
I went through "The Lord of the Rings"' actually, a friend of mine was
given the paperback set by her uncle--and there's no way she was ever
going to read them!--so I borrowed them one by one and read my way
through. After I finished "The Two Towers", my brothers both had to
read it which resulted in my having to buy her a replacement because
they really wrecked the thing.
>
> : 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
> : in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
> : romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
> Actually, I also like mysteries (esp Sayers), espionage (MacInnes,
MacLean, Ludlum, Clancy), romance (this is when I *really* don't want to
think about what I'm reading), and science fiction (Heinlein, Asimov,
etc.). I prefer the fantasy type of sci-fi, though; something about all
those quests (Kurtz, Lackey, EDDINGS).
I really enjoy burying myself in another world while I read.
Regards,
Polgara
--
"Poor dears, they can't help it. They haven't got logical minds."
Mrs. Goodacre, "Busman's Honeymoon" (by Dorothy L. Sayers)
The Dark Lord
Beldin wrote:
> 1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
Actually it was the very first book I ever read - Winnie the
Pooh
>
>
> 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you
> over fiction
> in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of
> suspense or
> romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
I like the batlles the most. Eddings handle on court
intrigue in his second story is very good.
> Brian
Polgara
I forgot. I read the Lloyd Alexander books before "The Hobbit".
Pol
Simon Nickerson
Beldin <Bel...@Aldur.net> did proclaim thus:
>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
Can't quite remember...either some of the ones others have mentioned
(the Hobbit, LotR, the Narnia Chronicles) or the Neverending Story
by Michael Ende. Every chapter started with a different letter of
the alphabet, and it was intriguing to know how the author (or more
likely, the translator) would deal with the chapter beginning with
'Q'. :-)
--
Celsimon (High Priest of Happy Bunnies)
I have some happy bunnies protecting me from spam e-mails.
To send mail, please ask them nicely to go away.
Joel Morton
Beldin wrote:
> On 11 Sep 1997 05:30:32 GMT, nutt...@aol.com (NuttyBar4) produced
> the following drivel:
>
> > The first fantasy book I ever read was Pawn of Prophecy.
>
> Pop was my introduction to Eddings as well. I wonder how many readers
> of AFE read the works of Big Dave in published order? It is really
> difficult to being a trilogy with book two and catch what is going on.
>
> <snip>
>
I started on DE when I found Magician' Gambit (belgariad #3) in the
mass-market rack a Kmart before going to summer camp. I don't remember
how old I was at the time, but if it was at Kmart, it would have been a
very current title ot the time. I can't go check my copy for publishing
dates, 'cause I wore the thing out (no covers, chocolate on the pages,
and that was before I had kids). It was kind of confusing to come into
the middle of the story. I had trouble confusing Ce'Nedra with the
references to Salmissra (my apologies to her Dryadic Majesty) and really
had trouble figuring out what the whole quest was about. Once they got
into the mountains, I'd got hooked and just went with the flow.
Joel Morton
Beldin wrote:
> >I'm able to drfit over into their worlds and shed the tension of my
> >own. With any other fiction, I'm rather stuck in RL, and sometimes
> the
> >fiction is scary enough that I don't want to be.
>
> I wonder, Aslade, if we who read fantasy are less able to cope with RL
>
> than other more well adjusted folk? You are not the first to mention
> escapism as a factor that draws one to fantasy. Are we all a bunch of
> escapists?
>
Pardon for intruding...I'd argue that people who deliberately escape
when they need to are better able to deal with the real world than those
who don't. After all, if you think about it, professional sports is as
far removed from everyday life as anything in DE ( at least, I don't
think I'll ever return a punt for a superbowl TD) (apologies to
non-americans who don't know what that meant... I'm still learning the
hand of this international thing).
> Or is it perhaps more because most fantasy authors write books where
> everything turns out right in the end, and we know that things don't
> always work that way in RL?
>
Actually, things tend to work themselves out better than we tend to give
them credit for. (That came out a lot less cynical than I usually
sound. I must not be feeling well. I'm in a rather optimistic mood; of
course it is friday.)
Joel
Joel Morton
Beldin wrote:
> I am also among the ranks who went the Tolkien/Lewis route into
> fantasy. I read the Hobbit in 1978, followed by the LotR books. I read
>
> the Narnia books next. I would like to point out that unlike the
> others who have mentioned the Narnia books, I actually read them in
> order :)
>
Not only did I read them in order, I made my mom buy me the whole set so
that I could, and by the time I'd finished I'd figured out for myself
about the whole christian allegorical going on thing. I realize that
may not be the most earth-shaking relevation, but for a grade school kid
it ain't too bad (IMHO).
I'd sort of like to tell an anecdote about one of the little "frissions"
that sort of pushed me in the direction of fantasy reading. I was
young, sixth grade (ten or so), and I had read Alexander's Black
Cauldron and loved it. I talked my mom into getting the rest for his
Taran Wanderer series, and we proceded to hunt the local stores for it.
We finally found most of it in a dusty bookstore with rich, dark wood
shelves and books everywhere. I mean the place was about the size of my
bedroom and crammed with books. Thick books, thin books, books
sideways, stacked, tucked, and piled up to the high ceiling. There were
thin little walkways between the assorted crates, shelves and boxes that
strained to control this riot of books. There was this little old lady
who was tending the store, and she tried very hard to help this shy
little kid and his clueless mom, neither of whom knew exactly what they
were looking for. After dint of great effort, she and my mom came up
with the right books (except for the last one), and in the process let
me alone to explore the contents of this labrynthine collection. I
don't really remember much more than impressions of shelves and books
and stacks and piles, but for some reason that was just the neatest
place my ten year old mind could envision, and I think for a few moments
I'd found a little window into heaven. I think perhaps the memory of
that experience lingers, just a little, when I dive into a really good
book.
Excuse me. I'm going to go dig in the ol' archives and find anything by
Alexander...
Joel
Zeshan
Durnik <joh...@deltanet.com> wrote in article
<5v8le2$6vu$1...@news01.deltanet.com>...
> Good post, Beldin. Thinking back on all those novels has brought back
> some fond memories. The first fantasy book I read was "The Silver
Chair"
> (Book 4 of 'The Chronicles of Narnia" series by C.S. Lewis).
Book 6, Surely ?
Zeshan
Beldin
On Thu, 11 Sep 1997, Teut <Te...@thebusstop.demon.co.uk> produced the
following drivel:
>>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
>
>As far as I recall, it was The Hobbit. I got it for my 12th birthday
>(still have it, 10 years later). I didn't get around to reading Lord Of
>The Rings until much later, and to tell you the truth I got bored half
>way through and have never got around to reading Return Of The King.
I am also among the ranks who went the Tolkien/Lewis route into
fantasy. I read the Hobbit in 1978, followed by the LotR books. I read
the Narnia books next. I would like to point out that unlike the
others who have mentioned the Narnia books, I actually read them in
order :)
Beldin
On 12 Sep 1997, fanti...@aol.com (Alean) produced the following
drivel:
>I guess I like fantasy because I can get to know the characters better
>because fantasy stories tend to be in a longer series.
I agree with this reason. I like a story that has some meat to it. A
lot of folks like to read Dean Koontz because of the gripping suspense
and the non-stop pace. My wife gave me a copy of his novel "Intensity"
for Christmas this past year. I read it in one day. Yes, it was
riveting and suspenseful, but it was akin to literary premature
ejaculation. A real wham-bam-thank you ma'am story. Once the book is
ended, you have little to show for the time you spent reading it.
There is no character development, and the plot depends entirely too
much on the intensity of the pace. Nothing against Koontz as an
author, but I really like the epic stories, as someone else wrote in
response to this thread.
Beldin
On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 17:20:18 GMT, Asl...@farmhouse.Demos.com produced
the following drivel:
>I'm able to drfit over into their worlds and shed the tension of my
>own. With any other fiction, I'm rather stuck in RL, and sometimes the
>fiction is scary enough that I don't want to be.
I wonder, Aslade, if we who read fantasy are less able to cope with RL
than other more well adjusted folk? You are not the first to mention
escapism as a factor that draws one to fantasy. Are we all a bunch of
escapists?
Or is it perhaps more because most fantasy authors write books where
everything turns out right in the end, and we know that things don't
always work that way in RL?
-----
Beldin
> The first fantasy book I ever read was Pawn of Prophecy.
Pop was my introduction to Eddings as well. I wonder how many readers
of AFE read the works of Big Dave in published order? It is really
difficult to being a trilogy with book two and catch what is going on.
I felt like I was doing that when I started the Camber of Culdi books
and then found books that were prequels...at least I think it was
these books. It's a sad thing when you begin to forget what books
you've read....especially so when you are more than half way through a
wonderful book and you suddenly realize that you've read it before.
Joel Morton
Beldin wrote:
> I mentioned this thread in another post as having appeared in the
> rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan NG last month. Some of the responses
>
> were very interesting. I am curious to know a couple things:
>
> 1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
Not counting children's books, either L. Alexander's Black Cauldron or
Tolkien's Hobbit. Both of which were given to me by my parents around
the second-third grade. It's also vaguely possible that it was Lewis'
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, given to be by one of my dad's
co-workers/friends. I was a precocious little tyke, so I'm kind of hazy
on when I read what.
> 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
> in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
> romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
>
Two reasons (I always start by saying that, even though it's almost
never true). One, I read to try to escape reality (not because I don't
like it, but rather I get frustrated with routine). Two, I like to
imagine myself doing (literally) impossible things, and fantasy/sf gives
me a springboard for doing that. Thirdly, I really like a lot of the
people I meet reading fantasy (even if they they're fermentations of
someone else's imagination), and like to spend time with these friends.
For some reason, I don't seem to empathize with the characters in books
from other genres that I've sampled, even though they may be more
real-worldy, they certainly don't seem to be more realistic
PS I wrote this before reading any other responses to Beldin post, so
It'll be fun to see your responses after having written my own.
> I'll be breathless w' th' anticipation o' readin' yer responses, don't
>
> y'know.
>
If that were in character, it'd be sarcastic.
> -----
> Beldin
>
> If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, you must be the most
> dangerous person alive.
>
If only you could meet my students.
> Eveyone is entitled to a little stupidity now and then, but you
> are treating it like an all-you-can-eat salad bar.
>
You should see my administration.
> braym...@mindspring.com
> -----
I wrote this in Communicator, so if the text is funky, I apologize. I'm
not used to all this modern technology yet.
Merce Rosello Garcia
> 1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
The first fantasy novel I read was the first from the Dragonlance from,
since then I only have read fantasy novels, better and worse, but only
fantasy novels. Instead, I don't remember what I read before I discovered
fantasy novels.
> 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
> in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
> romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
I don't know. Call it a way to scape from the reality and to travel to some
far-away-in-the-imagination to feel better with myself. Maybe is a way to
hope that all this magic, fantasy creatures and fantastic characters live
within ourselves and carry our day-by-day to a wonderful and dreamy
existence.
--
Mirtai
ky...@maptel.es
Claire Black
Draco Paladin (pal...@uvic.ca) wrote:
: On Thu, 11 Sep 1997, Beldin wrote:
: > 1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
:
: The first fantasy book I read was The Hobbit/LotR way back in grade 7.
: Our class was having a reading contest (most pages read in the school
: year) and my teacher suggested Hobbit/LotR to me. I loved it and haven't
: stopped reading fantasy since.
Ditto for me - except I was 7, in grade 2 when I first read the Hobbit and
started reading LotR - then in 6th grade I got the Dune series from my
mother as a birthday present and read the first 2 books in about a day
and a half (I was a slower reader back then :)
In between those (when I was 9 - in 4th grade) a friend of my mothers
gave me a copy of Heinlein's Starship Troopers and a few other books
by Joe Haldeman, EE Doc Smith etc...
From that point on I was hooked on both SF and Fantasy.
: > 2) What is it about fantasy fiction that appeals to you over fiction
: > in another genre? Why do you read fantasy instead of suspense or
: > romance or horror or espionage or mysteries (etc.)?
I don't - I read all of those as well - I love really well written books
as well as trashy novels (I consume romance novels by the ton). I
will admit though, I'm more likely to read fantasy or SF than some of
the other genres - I think there are more really well written fantasy
SF novels than the others and I think that is because there are fewer
restraints in them.
I agree with Draco Paladin (but I deleted the lines) about the escapism
involved too - I really don't like books without heroes - I bought a
book called "The Stone and the Flute" ages ago, and I still feel
really ripped off that as far as I can work out, nothing happens - the
hero isn't at all heroic - if I want people who aren't Fantasy heroes,
I'll just look around :)
Claire (Weredonut) Black
Greldik
As I was giving the coxswain a lick of the cat I heard Cyberkalt say:
>
>What is it about Elidor?
>
>Is it a famous book? Or is it simply that teachers all like Elidor? Or
>maybe it's just coincidence. I don't think though, that it was Elidor that
>got me hooked on fantasy though. When my teacher read it to us, I could
>only understand half of it. It was and still is a strange book in my opinion.
>
>
with the fact we were read it was the mid seventies and I think my
teacher was a bit of an old hippy. I have to say most of Alan Garner's
books were a bit strange (The Owl Service!) Its about 17 years since I
read them but they made a lasting impression on me. If you have ever
been to the area around Alderley Edge and Mam Tor (the shivering
mountain), it certainly has that feel of strangeness. Unfortunately, I
still havin't met Merlin crawling out of a rock! (I think the bloke who
saw Merlin in the legend might have been on the way home from the pub!!)
Greldik
--
To get to sealand road, remove the DEVA first
Belg...@aldur.net
On Thu, 11 Sep 1997 17:20:18 GMT, Asl...@farmhouse.Demos.com wrote:
>From my kitchen window, I heard a voice. It was Bel...@Aldur.net
>(Beldin) who said:
>>1) What was the first Fantasy novel you read?
>
>Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars books, two or three of them that I found as
>a young teenager.
Amazingly enough, this was also my first experience in SF/F, some 35
years ago (1962)! I was hooked on him immediately and read most of his
books; the Martian series (11 books), Time series (3 books), Pelucidar
(sp) series (9 books I think), and others. In fact, I still have most
of