Comments on: Stages of Readers: A Manifesto

By: MarFisk

MarFisk — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:49:06 +0000

I’ve yet to read any of those, but I will say the complaint came not because of a lack but a significant number of them. The judges for the World Fantasy awards made a similar comment when talking about the categories they looked at. However, they didn’t dismiss that stack as they did the paranormal romances though. Their issue with those was that because of the underlying formula of reader expectation, the differences between the books was not significant enough to have one really stand out.

Honestly, though there’s a lot of griping, especially among the long time readers, there’s also still demand.

By: Erin

Erin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:24:41 +0000

Well, the final volume (book 6) of the Codex Alera was just released 2 days ago, so I’d say that counts as recently published.

Lois McMaster Bujold’s Chalion books (Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls, etc.) also are recent. As are the Mistborn books by Brandon Sanderson.

Oh, and there’s Mercedes Lackey’s October Release — Gwynhwyfar: The White Spirit.

Overall, though, no, there’s not a lot coming out right now. Which might worry me, as Sundered Sword definitely falls into that category (it was inspired by lots of bits and pieces in Umbria), but I choose instead to think that just means it’ll stand out better on the new release rack, rather than being “more of the same.”

By: MarFisk

MarFisk — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:59:13 +0000

Yup. Those are definitely “horse and castle” ones, but written at the height of the genre’s interim phase when it was “oh cool” about extreme punishment or the crossover novel between SF and fantasy. Does that shelf of yours contain any recently published ones? Or have you reached your “no more” and don’t acquire them any longer? My mind is drawing a blank, and my recent purchases were more steampunk or urban fantasy when they weren’t romance or paranormal romance. The fantasy I have purchased recently doesn’t, in my mind at least, fall into “horse and castle” as much as sociological SF with magic .

By: Deirdre

Deirdre — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:29:57 +0000

Ah, your entry puts me in mind of Xanth. The age at which you start, the speed at which you read, and the time it takes you to become part of the “no more” crowd determines how many of the books you get through before you just can’t read them anymore.

…and all of those would fall into horses and castles. As would all the Camelot stories, the Lady Knight series, The Warlock In Spite of Himself, Magic Kingdom for Sale, I could go on…I’d just have to look at my bookshelf to do so

By: MarFisk

MarFisk — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:31:11 +0000

Well, it wasn’t my description, but how it was taken to mean was anything with European Medieval elements. It’s the same kind of comment that Tolkien did it first and everything else is a knock off.

Personally, I hope to achieve both, make you think and fun. Don’t know whether I’ve succeeded in either, but time will tell.

There does seem to be a revival in process, and so maybe that’s pushing the “anti” comments all the harder. It’s also more of a trend I’ve noticed in the short fiction markets. On the other hand, a lot of that style fiction is being pushed into the YA category unless it is explicit i nature.

By: Erin

Erin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:34:28 +0000

Um, so can I get some examples of “horses and castles” fantasy? I know Jim Butcher calls his Codex Valera series “swords and horses” fantasy — is that the same thing? Would Tigana be included in this category? GRR Martin? I have to honestly say that I’ve never heard the description before.

And since my work tends more to the fun end of the spectrum than the “make you think” end, I’m counting on at least one agent and some editors liking that sort of thing. But no matter what people may say at any con or on any particular blog, all you have to do is walk into a bookstore to see that the whole spectrum is still selling.