Ten Reasons Why Fantasy Is Still Awesome
Hot on the heels of my “Ten Reasons Why Science Fiction Is Still Awesome” list, here is my take on the reasons why fantasy is still awesome. This list was much more difficult than the last primarily because most of the reasons I came up with were cliche. I wanted to do something more with this list than just talk about dragons and magic (granted, those things are in this list, just not as separate items). Don’t be scared to leave me a comment.And here goes: PopularityIt seems like the fantasy genre never had to worry about dying out. It’s always been popular and probably always will be because it is the ultimate escape. Science fiction, unfortunately, is limited in scope. It can only go so far before it becomes fantasy. Fantasy can go anywhere, anytime, anyplace (why it doesn’t, I don’t know). And with all the movies, TV shows, comics, etc. being made out of fantasy series, I don’t expect this popular boom to stop. Improves LiteracyYou might disagree with me on this, but I see the fantasy genre as one that has drastically improved literacy across multiple generations and improved the desire to read among the young. Harry Potter may not be the best fantasy or literature in general, but it has fired up the imaginations of kids all around the world. Even Twilight and Paolini’s Eragon have done wonders for literacy and reading. Say what you will about any of these authors. The fact remains that while kids are still picking these books up, they’re still reading. Some of them may move on and try more “literary” things, or some may stick with fantasy, or science fiction, or both. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that they’re reading! VarietyHow many different series are there in fantasy? How many of them are still going? Every year the list gets longer and longer. The genre isn’t letting up. True, I find the automatic move towards the trilogy or the never-ending series tiring, but the one thing you can’t knock fantasy for is the variety. There are so many authors, so many different kinds of fantasy, so many publishers, so many lengths and characters, etc. The tropes are still there, but if you’re willing to flutter along the edges you can find some fascinating, thought-provoking works. MoviesFor some reason it seems like fantasy books make far better movies that science fiction books do. Case in point:The Lord of the Rings movies were absolutely brilliant, as were the books. 2001: A Space Odyssey or Blade Runner? Not so much. Visually they were brilliant, but as far as being entertaining films…not by a long shot.Fantasy has Stardust, Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia, Spiderwick, and Conan (yes, this last one was a good movie for what it was, thank you). Science fiction can’t really compare as far as well-rounded films go. This is referring ONLY to books turned into movies. As far as completely original works in film form, science fiction trumps fantasy every single time (Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.). Contemporary FantasyThis “new” trend of fantasy stories that flirt with the edges of the genre are particularly fascinating these days. It’s probably partially because they’re being written by people far outside of the genre (or at least not people who are known as part of the genre), or maybe it’s for entirely different reasons. Either way, contemporary fantasy, as a genre that isn’t all that new and yet feels so, well, fresh, is, in my opinion, revitalizing an already healthy genre. To put it simply, it adds character. Escapism (Still)Fantasy is still the kind of escapism, and I mean that in a good way. While some of its subgenres have become a little tired, new forms are erupting all over the place, drawing people in and giving them the opportunity to see fantastic worlds that never existed, to meet kings and magicians, and to see amazing creatures brought to life. Fantasy is still the only genre that truly offers an escape into the impossible, and it will continue to do so in the future. ImaginativenessThis ties into escapism, but at the same time is separate. Fantasy has an obvious history as the genre of the imagination, where things come to life that otherwise could never exist. Science fiction does a good job covering the possible, but fantasy covers all that stuff that never will be. As such, it’s a genre of imaginative elements, drawn together into new and striking worlds and characters. The cliches are still around, but the longer you look into the genre, the more you come to realize how much creative diversity exists there (it’s interesting, also, to consider that many of those old cliche elements are now being reworked and changed; orcs can now defy their “programming” and be good folks, if you can believe it). Comics/Graphic NovelsWhile I’m sure there are some excellent science fiction comics/graphic novels, most of the ones I have enjoyed have been fantasy, in some shape or form (and almost always some sort of Japanese concoction). Even the superhero genre has a hard time breaking out of the fantasy genre, if that was ever its intention. Granted, a lot of the best comic/graphic novel-based movies were science fiction, but that doesn’t seem to have phased the thriving fantasy comic/graphic novel market. I’m particularly fond of manga (such as the work of Yuu Watase, who did Alice 19th, one of my favorites). Manly Men and Strong WomenUnlike other genres (like cyberpunk), fantasy is populated by strong female leads and manly men. When I say manly men, I mean dudes who wield swords and chop off orc limbs with ease. None of this dork with bifocals waltzing around getting laid by cybernetically augmented super witches crap. No, in fantasy, the status quo is still maintained for the sake of realism. Do any of us really believe that a super dork can land a hot girl one not and spend the next twelve hours
The Interview Questions Meme
I discovered this meme through Tanaudel some time ago and she sent me a series of questions to answer. Before getting to those, however, I need to tell you the rules for this meme. The Rules: Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me!” I will (probably, in my sole discretion, and reserving the right not to – can you tell I’m a lawyer?) respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions. You will post the answers to the questions (and the questions themselves) on your blog or journal. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. And thus the endless cycle of the meme goes on and on and on and on… If you’re interested, let me know in the comments and, if your email isn’t in your profile, provide me a way to contact you directly. And with that out of the way, on to my responses to Tanaudel’s questions: With what philosophy do you meet rejections (and why and whence derived)?I learned long ago (like four years ago) that if you let things like rejections and failures get you down in a significant way, it will stop you from doing the things you actually love. With writing, I used to get depressed and upset at not doing well at it. There was a point where I didn’t write for well over a year (compounded by the fact that I was fighting off cancer, which I beat the sh*t out of, by the way…that bastard cancer). This all probably had a lot to do with the fact that at the time I was a lonely teenager that hadn’t come into his own, felt lost in the world, didn’t have a purpose, etc. I didn’t have a fun time as a teenager, generally speaking (as much as I hated Placerville, it was probably the best time of my High School life because I started to get a bit more of that “accepted” feel there than anywhere else, but I still left school and teenage-hood with the belief that women were, by definition, put on this Earth to torment me).So, there came a point where I started taking my writing really seriously (probably around the same time I started this blog, actually, with WISB and all that–chapters viewable on the left sidebar) and decided that if I was going to get butthurt over rejections and harsh critiques, I might as well stop being a writer altogether. I later learned that Jay Lake had hundreds upon hundreds of rejections before his writing really took off, and still gets rejections, further proving that getting butthurt over it is a bad way to go.So, my philosophy is much more about simply accepting that you can’t win every time, that life throws you curveballs, and that learning from failure/rejection is better than mulling over it. It’s okay to get upset, but don’t let it control you. Right now I’m thinking of a silly quote from Mystery Men:Sphinx: Your temper is very quick, my friend. But until you can master your rage…Mr. Furious: …your rage will be your master? That’s what you were going to say. Right? Right?Sphinx: Not necessarily… You’ve talked about losing interest in a series between books. Do you find that you tend to enjoy reading books more when you know the whole series has been published?Not necessarily. Ha! I wrote that twice. Anywho.I can enjoy a series that hasn’t been finished yet, I just find that knowing I don’t have to wait 15 years for the final installment to be printed makes it easier on me. I hate waiting. Every week waiting for the next episode of BSG is murder. So, really, if a series is good, it’s good regardless of how much of it is already published; a series that isn’t all that good is going to be mediocre even if all twelve volumes are in the stores. Name five books you mercilessly inflict on everyone you meet (or would mercilessly inflict on people if you were that sort of person) – not necessarily your favourite books (although they might be) but the books you think people should read.Mercilessly inflict? To be honest, I don’t think I’ve intentionally done this. I guess the books that I push people to read tend to be staples in the genre: 1984 by George Orwell, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, and others. Newer books I suggest folks read are: Sly Mongoose by Tobias S. Buckell, The Innocent Mage/The Awakened Mage by Karen Miller, The Golden Cord by Paul Genesse, Spaceman Blues by Brian Francis Slattery, and dozens of others. It’s hard to pick just one book I push on folks, since I push a lot of books. Then again, I try not to push books on people, because I know that irritates me. What do you try most to avoid in your own writing?Maybe preaching, or making mistakes, or I don’t know. I’m still developing my craft. A lot of things I refused to do before I am now doing as experiments. Back then I didn’t do those things because I hated them, but something about me is changing. I enjoy writing in first and third person present. I like trying to infuse literary elements into my fantasy and science fiction. There are a lot of things I’m trying now that I didn’t try years ago. I still try to avoid writing stories that have nothing to say. That doesn’t always mean I succeed, but I tend to hate my stories when they are just cliches. I still write cliches, obviously, but the ones that are literally cookie-cutter crap tend to end up in a “forget” folder somewhere. Which artist would you want to design a book cover for your work?Stephen Martiniere would be a knee-jerk reaction, however
Single Word Meme (Something Random)
I got tagged yet again by one of these meme things, and because I can’t resist, I’m posting it here. I’m not specifically tagging anyone. If you want to do it, awesome! If not, well fine then! Anywho, this meme is a single-word meme, meaning all questions have to be answered with a single word. Here goes: Where is your cell phone? Chair Your significant other? Lindsey Your hair? Brownish Your mother? Oregon Your father? Somewhere Your dream last night? Nonexistent Your favorite? #2 Your favorite drink? Coke Your dream/goal? Professowriter What room are you in? Mine Hobby? Writing Your fear? Many Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy Where were you last night? Here Something that you are not? Dead Muffins? Yes Wish list/item? Books Where you grew up? Places Last thing you did? Work What are you wearing? Pajama-bottoms Your t.v.? Old Your pets? Lizards Friends? Yes Your life? Awesome-ish Your mood? Sad Missing someone? Yes Car? Nope Something you’re not wearing? Bra Your favorite store? Borders Your favorite color? Blue When is the last time you laughed? Yesterday When was the last time you cried? Today Who will resend? What? One place I go over and over? School One person who emails me regularly? Nobody Favorite place to eat? Joe’s And there you go. Hope you all enjoyed it! If you liked this post, please stumble it, digg it, or buzz it.
SoD Chapter One: Of Dire Passages
(I am going to start reposting these in the correct order along with new chapters as they become available. And so the journey begins! Chapter One of The Spellweaver of Dern! Thanks for reading!) The Luu’tre lilted to her side, spraying water up onto the deck and drenching anyone who wasn’t already soaked from the rough seas. The Loe Straight was a brutal, treacherous, and otherwise unfriendly passage for any ship to take lightly. But the Luu’tre never took any trip lightly; her captain saw to that. This was a trip that could end good or bad and nowhere between, because as she was forced hard by the rapid currents, plunged into a relentless expanse of ocean that would fight with all its might to keep her from finding her way across into calmer waters, her captain had wild, slightly crazed ambitions that couldn’t be quenched by the physical demands of the world. Men pulled and vied for control of the massive sails that flapped and snapped as wind tore them one way and then another.It was here, just below the captain’s deck, where the giant wheel tipped and turned even in the stern grip of a madman, that James Fortright sat, huddled beneath a long set of stairs and hanging on to one of the support beams. He was wrapped in all manner of warm clothing, including a thick, manky cap of dirty gray and brown material. It looked itchy, and indeed it was, as he tried to reach up and scratch himself while winds and water sprayed against him, even in the shelter of the stairs. His left hand was bandaged, but the cloth that covered his wounds, wounds of battles long since ended, was tattered and falling from his grip. He groaned as a new spray of wind and bitter sea water slapped him in the face.Someone bellowed above and he looked up instinctively. Captain Norp was arguing with the rudders, with the violent winds and the otherwise unfriendly sea. And the sea responded by pushing the Luu’tre so she suddenly leaned to the other side. It was clear to James that this ship, no matter how strong and sturdy, couldn’t afford to argue in any fashion with a sea that could easily crush this pile of floating wood.James looked up into the sky. Gray clouds created a narrow strip of violent weather, but in the distance he could see the bright blue of the clearer skies and rays of sun. Here, in the Loe Straight, it seemed, a deeper magic lay. The sky was a torrent, an angry invisible god powered by long lost magic that James knew he would never understand, and with this invisible entity came a perpetual grayness and a never-ending, writhing sea.What have I gotten myself into, he thought, pulling his jacket tighter around his body. It seemed like ages since he had last put his feet on sturdy ground. He had lost count of the days he had been at sea, with the Luu’tre and her otherwise insane commander, and his companions, and Laura. Laura. She’s safe now. His face warmed at the thought of completing at least one part of what he had promised.Pain surged through his hands as the ship rocked. He tightened his grip. His wounds had never truly healed. Some still bled from time to time. Magic had torn him apart more than once. He hadn’t tried using his magic recently. The last time he remembered having utilized his abilities was when he and Pea had crashed an anchor into the dock in Sempur, subsequently allowing all of them to escape by sea. Luthien would be after them and he knew it. There were plenty of ships in Sempur for the man to use. But could any of them catch the Luu’tre?“What are you doing up here?” a familiar voice said.He turned to face Triska, her plump, motherly face pursed with concern. She gently took hold of his arm.“Get back inside before you catch cold.” Then she tugged him back and he followed her through the door at the center of the bridge and into the captain’s quarters.There was one large bed covered in what used to be white sheets. Now they were a dull gray from years of use and abuse. A long wooden table, dresser, and various other household items filled the rest of the room. This was a room that could have been fit for a king once, if not for the dust and the cracking wood beams that were ugly marks on an otherwise well rounded space. A grand window filled the back, silver curtains strung over the square panels to obstruct the view. The ship rocked and flung him sideways into the side of the wall near the door. He grunted and shook his head, spraying water everywhere.“You should take better care of yourself,” Darl said—the grumpy one. His aged face looked even more worn than it had before and the old man hadn’t taken the time since leaving Sempur to clean up his scraggly beard and hair. James thought about the first time he had met Darl and how much the old man had changed inside. Darl was still the same angry, bitter, and otherwise grumpy old codger, but James had earned the old man’s respect, something he sorely needed.The others were in the room too: Pea, the tiny Erdluitle, sitting in a pair of grayish children’s clothing that had once been owned by the Ship’s Boy, the likes of which had long since fallen overboard on one of Captain Norp’s crusades for greater adventure; Iliad, sitting in a corner wrapped in matted fur, stringing his bow and testing his arrows. And Laura.Laura, he thought, allowing himself to smile for a brief moment as he looked at her blonde hair that couldn’t be tamed with sea water. She was his friend and the reason for coming to this dangerous place; his only friend. No, not my only friend. I have
Book News: Realms of Fantasy, the Kindle Two, and Magazine Woes
Here are a few big stories for today: Kindle 2.0Apparently the new Kindle has been revealed (CNET has the story). The prognosis is good, but not great. While it has a lot of new features, there aren’t any features, according to CNET, that make the Kindle Two more appealing to the mainstream market. I have to agree and disagree. I think the fact that both the Kindle and the Kindle Two offer an easy, modern way to read books is appealing to the mainstream, but the price tag for both ($240 and $359 respectively) will turn people off. I’m certainly not going to spend that kind of money for a reading device when the books themselves are almost the same cost as paper books. Then again, if you made it really easy to put stuff into it that isn’t an eBook (.pdf, .doc, etc.) and had a way to do editing and the like inside it (maybe writing notes in the margins along with strikeouts, etc.), then I’d probably pay for it. Having a cool reading device with built in functions to make my life as a writer easier when I’m riding the bus, etc. would be great.The good news is that the new one does look a bit better. I can’t say it’s beautiful, but it doesn’t look like something stuck in the boxy days of handheld technology. Realms of Fantasy Up For Sale?SF Scope has some clarification to rumors spreading around the net that RoF is up for sale: Hintz did say that the magazine is near and dear to Sovereign, and he expressed sorrow over its demise. While he was unwilling to comment on any specifics of a potential change in ownership, he did say a “purchase is possible.” Whatever the magazine’s final disposition, Hintz promised more information by early March, saying “we won’t let this drag out.” Translation? It’s up for sale, but they’re not going to sell it for a cheap price. But that does mean that someone with some idea of what they are doing could purchase it and revitalize it. We’ll see. I’m hoping it happens. Distribution Execution (the Magazines Get Hit Again)As if things weren’t bad enough for the big three, Anderson News, the folks behind distributing F&SF and Asimov’s, have ceased doing what they do (a.k.a. gone under) when publishers refused to pay an additional fee for, well, distribution. Apparently they closed down because they just couldn’t afford to keep in business. Course, I suppose you can’t blame them. It can’t be cheap to ship stuff around.Then again, I keep saying that all the old-format magazines should consider, you know, looking at all the newfangled methods out there. Like this thing called the Interwebs and that other thing called POD. I mean, really, let’s get on the wagon of the future people. It’s not 1950 anymore. If you honestly think you can survive in this business dealing primarily in ancient technology, then don’t be surprised when you have to cut back on your publishing schedule…oh crap, that’s already happened…Get with the program. Short fiction doesn’t have to die, but at the rate these folks are going, the big three mags are going to find themselves extinct. And that is all!
Publishing: Your Options and the Pros and Cons
I don’t think I’ve done a post like this before and it occurred to me that many of my readers and folks out in the blogosphere might like a post that looks into the various options for publishing and whether they are worth it. So, for this post I’m going to put together a short list of the various publishing options and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Here goes: Standard Publishing (Big Press) Pros Bigger print runs. More potential exposure (big presses may or may not put money into advertising your work). Editing services provided. Automatic “respect.” Large advance (w/ royalties also earned). Cons Hard to break into this side of the industry. Even good manuscripts get rejected. Run on a profit platform where selling many copies of one book (or many copies of multiple books) is the standard. This means books are bought based on their profitability, with content taking a close second. This doesn’t mean crappy books are picked up, it just means that if a book is too niche, big presses are unlikely to take them. Long wait times for submissions. Long wait times for publication. Sometimes weeks, but most of the time months or even over a year. No simultaneous submissions to most big presses. One place at a time. Niche Publishing/Standard Small Publishing (Small Press) Pros Greater attention paid to individual books. Variety; there are an enormous amount of them. Most pay with royalties. Much more receptive to short story collections than big presses. Cons Fewer titles published each year than big presses. Because they are often niche markets, they are limited in what they take. Low advance or no advance. Smaller print runs. Depending on the publisher, there may be low distribution (Amazon and some bookstores, but not necessarily places like Borders). Rare instances of unprofessional behavior and publishers caving due to economic pressure (and I mean rare). Print-on-Demand (POD) Publishing (Small Press) Pros Your title never goes out of print. Books printed as needed. They pay in royalties. Other pros are roughly the same as for standard small presses. Cons Low distribution. Many chain stores will not take these books. Low advance or no advance. Low print runs if any (print runs are made obsolete by POD technology). Can be difficult to tell the difference between legitimate POD presses and ones simply trying to take advantage of you. Other cons roughly the same as for standard small presses. Print-on Demand (POD) Publishing (Self Publishing; Lulu, etc.) Pros Low cost to the author to get a novel printed (sometimes nothing). Titles are printed a needed. Complete creative control, with some exceptions where ISBN #s come into play. Pays in royalties. Cons You have to market your work on your own. Usually costs extra to distribute via major websites such as Amazon. Books usually cost significantly more than those published by small or big presses. Some free POD methods exist (such as via Lulu), but those tend to be limited. Most companies charge a large fee for printing packages. Selling books is, for most, nearly impossible. You have to really have something worth the money. You are stuck in a sea of other people who think they are great writers when, in reality, they aren’t. This makes getting people to view your novel difficult at best. Sometimes distribution doesn’t work properly. When something goes wrong, you have to take care of it. There is no company to perform those tasks for you. Many POD self-publishing companies intentionally take advantage of writers by promising them things that aren’t actually provided, etc. If you get into POD self-publishing, be aware of what you’re actually getting. Editing services almost always cost extra. Other professional services (formatting, etc.) almost always cost extra as well. Those companies that claim to provide these services for free are usually lying. POD self-publishing companies can be difficult at best, even when they are good companies. Getting your novel in stores is practically limited to what independent bookstores are willing to take the risk. Self-publishing comes with a stigma that is often justified by the overwhelming amount of garbage printed on a regular basis and thrust on the public. Standard Self-publishing (Note: Many self-publishing houses are switching to a POD format these days) Pros Complete creative control, with some exceptions where ISBN #s come into play. Pays in royalties (technically). Cons Basically all the same as POD self-publishing (minus the bits related directly to POD printing). Many of these companies will intentionally misrepresent what they do and con you out of your money. Know what you are getting into before you cough up the big bucks. Almost always costs an exorbitant amount of money for a publishing package. You have to print the quantity you want. No POD. The cost for the books you print comes out of your pocket. Podcast Novels (Podiobooks, Podnovels, Author-distributed Audiobooks) Pros Free (technically). Complete creative control. You can essentially do whatever you want. An enormous community for support. Audio format makes it easier on the listener/reader as they can take the book wherever they go. Cons Can cost a bit of money to get set up (mics, etc.), but generally getting started is low cost. Limited audience (and sometimes a picky audience). It’s hard to break into the field and do well now that podcasting has grown. Has unfortunately been stuck with the stigma surrounding self-publishing, though to a lesser degree. All marketing, etc. is the responsibility of the author. Self-published eBooks (downloadable books in various formats) Pros Basically the same pros as self-published work (creative control, etc.). Can be good marketing tools for blogs, when done properly. Cons Basically the same cons as self-published work. Can be hard to sell since it is an electronic only format; a lot of people still won’t read electronic stuff (this is the same with most electronic formats, though). Fiction is especially hard to sell in this format primarily because eBooks have and continue to be the domain of