Dissonance in Fantasy

[jack_ryder]

thank you, thank you, thank you Paul Jessup

(from jaylake  )

I've been thinking about this recently, how (to my mind) the emphasis on worldbuilding and basically erecting new signposts on already well-trammelled roads is lessening my interest in the fantasy genre. My favourite fantasies as a kid made me think about things in new ways, rather than showed me the same thing in new clothes.

To my mind fantasy is about the unfamiliar then the overly familiar. Jessup's piece criticizes the perception of fantasy as history made interesting and highlights its strengths as a genre, strengths that, for me, most recent fantasy diminishes.

Comments

[pauljessup.livejournal.com]

Glad you agree with me. And thanks for the link

[blzbob.livejournal.com]

I concur. Fantasy should make one think, to see a new way, as you say. Without thought, nothing moves forward and stagnation is the obtuse result.