Why I Don't Like Fantasy
Okay, backtrack.
It's not that I dislike fantasy. There are fantasy authors/series that I do love, and fantasy is such a broad genre that you can't really say that you 'dislike' fantasy, because it encapsulates so much. It has so many subgenres that to say you dislike fantasy is, to be honest, to say that you dislike fiction. And there are people that dislike fiction, but not as many as who say they dislike fantasy.
But 'why I don't like fantasy' was a quick, punchy title, so I went with it.
I'm not a huge fan of high fantasy. I did read Game of Thrones (and the rest of the series; at least what's out), and I read way more Brandon Sanderson than I ever really wanted to, and some Joe Abercrombie, and Scott Lynch. Out of those four, the only one I would say I loved was Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards series; sure, I liked ASOIAF, and the two books of Abercrombie's that I read, but they're not my favorites.
And YA fantasy. Sarah J Maas (who I did like, but I have not read anything past Queen of Shadows [BLEH] and A Court of Mist and Fury [okay, I loved ACOMAF]), and... Cinda Williams Chima? I like Chima. There are other YA fantasy authors, but I haven't picked them up. Mostly because, I don't really care about worldbuilding.
As well as that, I don't care about the pretension that comes with fantasy a lot of the time. That's why I like Locke Lamora. That is the least pretentious fantasy series I've ever read. Even though Maas isn't all that world-buildy all the time, she is pretentious. Chima can get pretentious, and I like her. And oh lord, don't even talk to me about Sanderson and his stupid extreme world-building. Other people like it, and I will admit that it's impressive, but I do not CARE. I don't care about the million made-up religions, or the intricate magic systems. I don't. At all.
Fantasy elements are cool, and there are fantasy authors I like. Scott Lynch is one. Chima's not bad. Hilari Bell--I'd die for her Farsala Trilogy, and even though the last couple of books soured my feelings on Knight & Rogue a little (Bell, please stop trying for romance, you had such a good track record with no romance), the series as a whole is well-written and fun.
And, of course, Stephen King. Stephen King is not a fantasy author, but he has written some strictly fantasy works--Eye of the Dragon, anyone?--and the Dark Tower series pulls on fantasy a lot of the time. If you use the strictly broad definition of fantasy, which does include a lot of horror, he does write fantasy.
So I don't dislike all fantasy.
I mostly just have a problem with Brandon Sanderson. And even his Mistborn trilogy was pretty good.
It's not that I dislike fantasy. There are fantasy authors/series that I do love, and fantasy is such a broad genre that you can't really say that you 'dislike' fantasy, because it encapsulates so much. It has so many subgenres that to say you dislike fantasy is, to be honest, to say that you dislike fiction. And there are people that dislike fiction, but not as many as who say they dislike fantasy.
But 'why I don't like fantasy' was a quick, punchy title, so I went with it.
I'm not a huge fan of high fantasy. I did read Game of Thrones (and the rest of the series; at least what's out), and I read way more Brandon Sanderson than I ever really wanted to, and some Joe Abercrombie, and Scott Lynch. Out of those four, the only one I would say I loved was Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards series; sure, I liked ASOIAF, and the two books of Abercrombie's that I read, but they're not my favorites.
And YA fantasy. Sarah J Maas (who I did like, but I have not read anything past Queen of Shadows [BLEH] and A Court of Mist and Fury [okay, I loved ACOMAF]), and... Cinda Williams Chima? I like Chima. There are other YA fantasy authors, but I haven't picked them up. Mostly because, I don't really care about worldbuilding.
As well as that, I don't care about the pretension that comes with fantasy a lot of the time. That's why I like Locke Lamora. That is the least pretentious fantasy series I've ever read. Even though Maas isn't all that world-buildy all the time, she is pretentious. Chima can get pretentious, and I like her. And oh lord, don't even talk to me about Sanderson and his stupid extreme world-building. Other people like it, and I will admit that it's impressive, but I do not CARE. I don't care about the million made-up religions, or the intricate magic systems. I don't. At all.
Fantasy elements are cool, and there are fantasy authors I like. Scott Lynch is one. Chima's not bad. Hilari Bell--I'd die for her Farsala Trilogy, and even though the last couple of books soured my feelings on Knight & Rogue a little (Bell, please stop trying for romance, you had such a good track record with no romance), the series as a whole is well-written and fun.
And, of course, Stephen King. Stephen King is not a fantasy author, but he has written some strictly fantasy works--Eye of the Dragon, anyone?--and the Dark Tower series pulls on fantasy a lot of the time. If you use the strictly broad definition of fantasy, which does include a lot of horror, he does write fantasy.
So I don't dislike all fantasy.
I mostly just have a problem with Brandon Sanderson. And even his Mistborn trilogy was pretty good.
I came into this post expecting to feel personally attacked and now I just want us to be friends because it's so hard to find people who have read the Gentleman Bastard Sequence! It is hands down one of my all time favourite series, only wish he'd get on and release the next book!
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