The Fantasy Genre, Why do we read it?

[Drakedragon]

I couldn't think of a better place to put this than here... so here it goes.

For my GST 201 class this year, I'm writing a paper about the Fantasy Genre and how it connects to those that read said genre.

To help me in writing this paper, I'd like to ask you guys'n gals for some help! If you don't mind me quoting you, etc., blah, blah... then feel free to answer some of these questions!

- Why do you read Fantasy stories?
- What are some of your favorite Fantasy novels?
- What do you think makes a Fantasy story?
- What do you expect to see in a Fantasy story?
- What do you think of the characters? Do you connect with any of them?
- What kind of character do you think best qualifies as a 'main character?' 'Villain?'

I will probably have more questions and things to ask later... but that's it for now.

[VincentValentine13]

- Why do you read Fantasy stories? I read them for an escape, really. I also enjoy surrounding myself in characters and lives that will never be mine, and so, I can at least pretend that I'm some adventurer or prince or whatever while I'm reading.
- What are some of your favorite Fantasy novels? Some of David Eddings books, especially the 'Pawn of Prophecy' series. Also things by R.A. Salvator, at least those concerning drow. I don't really like older fantasy, like LoTR because it can be dry, but Narnia isn't so bad either.
- What do you think makes a Fantasy story? Anything that could never happen in our world. Especially races; elves, centaurs, dragons, creatures that we never see in our world. Magic and monsters, etc.
- What do you expect to see in a Fantasy story? As stated above, I want to see grand adventures! Travels to exotic lands and seeing various creatures. Characters doing and saying things that I only wish I could do and say.
- What do you think of the characters? Do you connect with any of them? I always seek out a character that I connect with best in a story, and usually, I have a hard time paying attention to the actual plot until I do.
- What kind of character do you think best qualifies as a 'main character?' 'Villain?' A main character is someone that you can perk up while reading and say 'Hah! I know someone just like that!' It's not so much about what they can do, but more about their personality and way of thinking...also, their appearance. I relate and enjoy characters that are, well, cool sounding. As for villains, villains that are witty and cruel, smug and evil. If I'm reading about a villain, I want to be feeling like I want to punch them in the face for talking the way they do. I want to hate them and love them.

[Drakedragon]

Thanks Vincent, this really helps! ^^

Hm.... here's another question:

What do you like in a fantasy story when it comes to good and evil? Do you like clear-cut and black and white, or do you think there should be that gray area? Which of the two do you enjoy reading more?


Well okay, it's compound question, but anyway....

[VincentValentine13]

Ooh! Gray areas are great! Especially when it comes to people who do bad things but are still considered 'good' thanks to the ends. The ends justify the means, at least in fantasy they should. Because really, when in terms of human beings, or anything with personality, is there NOT some kind of gray area with behaviors? I want to have to think when I read, and puzzle over whether or not someone could be a traitor etc.

[Falconwing]

Why do you read Fantasy stories?
Probably because in fantasy there are the things that would never happen in real life. This could probably be said of any book, but in fantasy things can be so much larger then normal. The universal laws don’t have to apply (gravity) or in some case a completely different set of laws can be created. Fantasy allows for the improbable to become plausible.

What are some of your favorite Fantasy novels?
Narnia (I think I’ve read them one a tear since I was seven) Andre Norton’s “Mirror of Destiny” (I like most of her work) and I enjoy the old folk tales.

What do you think makes a Fantasy story?
Plot and the means of carrying it out. There has to be some substance to the story. When I pick up a fantasy book I expect there to be some sort of conflict that needs resolving and the resolving usually includes something that would not be possible in the modern world.

What do you expect to see in a Fantasy story?
A hero or strong female lead. Someone who’s character is developed through out the story. a decent villain or problem to be solved, usually a spell pops up some where. and usually there’s some sort of battle at the end.

What do you think of the characters? Do you connect with any of them?
For me connecting with the characters is irrelevant, however, they have to be strong enough to catch my interest and carry the story forwards. If I loose interest in the characters I generally don’t finish the story. It doesn’t even have to be a main hero, sometimes my curiosity is peeked my a quirky side character or the villain.

What kind of character do you think best qualifies as a 'main character?' 'Villain?'
Main character could be anyone. But they have to have personality of some sort. Whether it’s an extremely shy child, or a boastful strong man, they have to be worth paying attention too.
When it comes to the villain I prefer a certain degree of intelligence. I want to look at the evil scheme and actually have to think about what it is they’re doing. I want to read and say oh this character’s plan is brilliant.

What do you like in a fantasy story when it comes to good and evil? Do you like clear-cut and black and white, or do you think there should be that gray area? Which of the two do you enjoy reading more?
I enjoy reading gray areas more. While I believe it is good to have clear black and white boundaries it can also be intriguing, and for me far more thrilling, to have that line smudged a little. That way the characters can get dangerously close to the line without realizing it, and the reading can puzzle over which side of that line the character is on.

[Fancypants_402]

-I like to read fantasy because it is rather, ummmm, fantastic! It's where you could put onto paper the things that you could only wish you could do. However, I read it for new ideas and creations, as I am sure others do also, becauseI nowadays people seem to be fresh out a lot of the time...

-I would also have to agree with Falcon with Narnia, but as to other favorites, I am just a critical reader and find ripped off ideas from one series in another, but I understand how hard it is to come up with a completely original idea. I like some of Terry Brook's books, but not all of the mass plethora.

-I think new ideas, that's what mainly divides it from other genres. I would have to classify it with sci-fi, as many people do. The plots that you use in fantasy a lot of times could be put into a reality book.

- this is probably getting really repetitive right now, but definitely something new,, fresh, unexplored. I want to see something unused. Yeah, vampire romance novels: used too much. Same as a lot of spells do the same thing, and people have the same powers. Along with the ideas, there needs to be a strong and complex plot. A simple plot really doesn't draw me. I have put down several books because I could see exactly where the plat was going.

-I think that in order for a story to have subtance, you need to develop every character there is. Tolkein went hard into his characters, and brouht them to life. If one character is out of any life, then the rest almost start to feel the same. Connection is not important to me, I want to read a story where I can feel a person's pain even if I can't connect to their situation at all.

-Main character does not necessarily have to be the hero of the story. Many times he is evil and a lot of times (almost too much) he has personal issues and is emo. The main character can differ a lot, but I would like to see the evil character be truly vile. Fantasies over the years have really dulled down the sense of evil. All of the villians seem to be the same now, so I like development of their characters. Development that makes the reader almost cry reading it.

-There should be a mixture. There can be areas that start out foggy, but in the end you should see the line. What really draws a story is a complete flip flopping of the black and white, like a person growing up in the knowlede that his country is good and the other evil, but then once out and fighting, sees the carnae that his country has done to these innocent people of the other country.