tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post8558039370021293284..comments2023-10-28T21:12:52.124+08:00Comments on k0k bL0k: In Defence of Fantasyk0k s3n w4ihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09564727389837796019noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-77201938890824489012008-10-29T21:24:00.000+08:002008-10-29T21:24:00.000+08:00ap: ah, my guilty pleasures include Pratchett's Di...ap: ah, my guilty pleasures include Pratchett's Discworld books, and Brian Jacques' Redwall series. I seem to have a childhood devoid of books like the Animorph ones, the R. L. Stine kiddie horrors and other teen lits. I read Enid Blyton stuff, the boarding school stories, the Five-Findouters, Famous Five etc back in primary and then spend a few years playing computer games before acquiring a taste for fantasy after watching Peter Jackson's magnum opus, and reading the LotR after the first movie :) do you have a blog?<BR/><BR/>anonymous: well, there's no credit for holding an opinion, but you're too kind :)k0k s3n w4ihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09564727389837796019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-22410866353815724262008-10-29T21:07:00.000+08:002008-10-29T21:07:00.000+08:00OMG THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE SAME MIND! Well, the...OMG THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE SAME MIND! Well, there are people who just can't see in the same light so be it with them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-1226128229473535342008-10-27T16:51:00.000+08:002008-10-27T16:51:00.000+08:00I agree that Neil Gaiman's novels do not hold up t...I agree that Neil Gaiman's novels do not hold up to close reading at all, he developed his good ideas so underwhelmingly, the graphic novels are genius but suffer from weak moments as well. I guess I am one of those people who might be interested in Sauron's bad childhood, lol, and Gregory Maguire pretty much grounds fairy tales in reality so not a great option for someone in for the ride. But he offers sth different, possibly refreshing i think. Wicked seemed like a fractured story to me, I liked Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister much better......<BR/>I used to be so into Animorphs in them pri. sch days, now relegated to the category of guilty pleasures, that I'd obsessively read(actually pretty gd as it registered then)fanfiction with The Final Countdown as background music, hahahah. It is so much easier to be obsessive about Other Worlds than 18th century English countryside etc. That just disqualified my chances of being a historian =].Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-13197489342177353292008-10-25T10:24:00.000+08:002008-10-25T10:24:00.000+08:00terri: I read Good Omens sometime in early Septemb...terri: I read Good Omens sometime in early September. When it has its moments, I find most of the book a bit lame and forced. Pratchett, I feel, was stronger of the two co-authors. Gaiman's voice sort of bogged the whole ship down. I'll agree that Gaiman has some really good ideas (as evidenced in a lot of his other works) but I just can't stand his style of prose. Of all his works, I enjoyed the Sandman graphic novels best (they are amazing, you should try them) and his reimagining of the Beowulf legend. And the Fountainhead isn't isn't strictly fantasy. From what I gathered, it isn't fantasy at all xD<BR/><BR/>ap: I notice that Gaiman is one of the most widely read fantasy author today but the only work of his which I really enjoyed (and would recommend to everyone) is his Sandman graphic novels. I read American Gods, Stardust, Neverwhere and Coraline - none of them matched up to their hype (thought the twist in American Gods did take me completely by surprise!). I felt that the characters he make up just aren't interesting enough for me to care about (I don't even remember the name of the protagonist in Neverwhere).<BR/>You're right. Escapism isn't limited to the fantastic, but speculative fiction is the genre most associated with it. There's just something about losing yourself entirely in some world that is completely different from ours. I do read non-fantasy fiction (a quarter of my library are books of that genre) and to an extent, historical fiction as well - which is why I feel that I am ready to draw comparisons.<BR/>Jerry Maguire's work do sometimes give out the occasional bleep on my radar but I kept sidelining him for competely original authors. I am not entirely familiar with his works - and the only one of his books I have any working knowledge of is "Wicked", which is essentially a one-trick pony (IMHO), from what I've read. It's about as appealing to me as a novel about Sauron's bad childhood. I might check out Napoli's works though. And u did right to stay away from the HDM movie. Pullman's story was completely de-fanged.<BR/>Be sure to let me in on the title of that novel when you finally recall it :)<BR/><BR/>zzzyun: wow, it sounds good. I'm putting that up in my booklist. The Abhorsen trilogy was pretty neat - I thoroughly enjoyed the concept of charter magic in them (Mogget rocks, by the way). Keep on reading, girl, and do write about them as well :D<BR/><BR/>yuhhui: Well, anne mccaffrey is one of the living icons of the genre for reinventing dragon fantasy (dragonriders of pern series) but unfortunately, I am not that big a fan of dragon fantasy (Earthsea's take on dragons is the awesomest, IMO). I have quite a number of Pratchett's book in my library but I feel he works best in small amounts. His books are more satire than proper fantasy (which is why I find his Tiffany Aching books most appealing, because he focuses less on subverting fantasy tropes and more on character and story). But I'd agree on Pratchett's genius. He's diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's though, so he'll probably push put about 5-10 more books before he leaves a Pratchett shaped hole in the world of litereature :(<BR/><BR/>fubi: told you to take it easy. you're going to rot ur ear off. I spoke up for Picture of Dorian Gray what. And gosh darn it, I've forgotten all about Jule's Verne books! Classic and science fiction! I knew I missed something.<BR/><BR/>jun: K-PAX sounds good. Reminds me a bit of Adam Douglas' A Hitchhhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (I assume they are written in the same vein?). Well, reading is a good thing, regardless of what you read. I only wrote this post in response to people who puts down my favourite genre. And yes, you enjoy reading too :)<BR/><BR/>anonymous: Bartimaeus is fascinating in the way it deconstructs the Harry Potter phenomenon; a dark haired magic prodigy who is a first class prick (arguably, Harry Potter is pretty much a prick too), and a magician based government that's a whole lot more realistic. If i can use magic, I'd take over parliament from the stupid muggle admin too. I admit I have not ventured on to Strouds other works. Let me know f they are any good, okay?k0k s3n w4ihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09564727389837796019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-57665162331067760572008-10-24T20:05:00.000+08:002008-10-24T20:05:00.000+08:00Thanks to one of ur earlier advice, I discovered t...Thanks to one of ur earlier advice, I discovered the great Bartimaeus and have hunted for every book of Stroud since.The latest being"Buried Fire"<BR/>Fantasy genre makes great reading !Please continue to discuss ur books.<BR/>A BibliophileAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-88111927577594139842008-10-23T08:19:00.000+08:002008-10-23T08:19:00.000+08:00hi! i have to say fantasy is not usually my cup of...hi! i have to say fantasy is not usually my cup of tea, but i've come across a really absorbing one called K-Pax. i can't remember much of the story cos i read it 2 yrs ago, but i remember coming across a lot of satire and discussions about morality in between the lines. <BR/><BR/>i dun have a specific genre i stick to as long as the book is more interesting than an endoscopic resection of a nasal polyp -__- although i prefer non-fiction, fiction is a good exploration of the virtues and vices human behaviour. can't remember any good titles off my head at the moment except albert camus' "the outsider" and anything by milan kundera. <BR/><BR/>enjoy reading :)Junhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16753020799574836307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-68689660496012857912008-10-22T00:43:00.000+08:002008-10-22T00:43:00.000+08:00ppl shld speak up for classics T^T my ear pain. i ...ppl shld speak up for classics T^T my ear pain. i tried2 force an earring with wider diameter thru x_x now its swollen. i hope i dun get an infection. its almost healed2 *cries* bt at least i got d earrings in :DAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-3680478132050330832008-10-21T23:08:00.000+08:002008-10-21T23:08:00.000+08:00I absolutely love this post of yours. It's everyth...I absolutely love this post of yours. It's everything I had in mind. and LOL at the Christianity part. ( I agree with it!! ) I get pissed when ppl ridicule me about reading fantasy. They tell me that I shouldn't be a child. Geez. Who said fantasy is for kids? Anyway, Philip Pullman rocks. Terry Pratchett too! My bf is a huge fan of him and has all the books. I love Neil Gailman but at times, his books are a little confusing. Do you read anne mccaffrey? The dragons of Pern ..etc? It's pretty cool as well. =)yuhhuihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08686649407044019910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-81159879741700819442008-10-21T18:33:00.000+08:002008-10-21T18:33:00.000+08:00Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A.Heinlein. I...Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A.Heinlein. <BR/><BR/>I must say, it was a totally weird book and gave me a new perspective on fantasy/sci-fic genre. plus lots of themes that were worth a-thinking abt. my mind was in a topsy-turvy afew days after finishing it haha! Explores religion, social norms (sexual hedonism anyone?), politics, morals etc.<BR/><BR/>and i dislike ppl that judge ppl who read the genre just becoz they are too shallow to even <I>try</I> it. they sure dont know what they are missing out on.Zzzyunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04647270985951112828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-10046631587513342352008-10-21T17:27:00.000+08:002008-10-21T17:27:00.000+08:00Neil Gaiman is all the fantasy reading I do lately...Neil Gaiman is all the fantasy reading I do lately, not by conscious choice, but I do agree that fantasy/sci-fi readers tend to have slimmer pickings as opposed to the overlauded classics of the world, because like you said many choose to recycle their material without adding anything new to it. Or that the language of the mystical is that much harder to master.<BR/><BR/>I feel fortunate that my formative years were spent exploring fantasy/sci-fi literature, but I think it is a matter of taste really. Imagination is not defined by the fantastical, and neither is escapism...... it is just as likely, for me, to indulge in escapism with stark-realistic settings. Not sure if I make sense, but this is worth exploring indeed, if just to further develop the arguments I may command for speculative fiction. There was never any question as to the value of fantasy/sci-fi/graphic literature imo, and comments by people who have staved off any possible encounters with the genre in a closed frame of mind(I assume your friend is one of them) simply do not register, though I understand your indignance and admire your efforts to convert them. What I'd like to hear is if people having immersed themselves in fantastical elements gradually progressed into different genres of literature, would make any argument about the merits of one over another. That is perhaps more worthy of our time to consider.<BR/><BR/>What about Gregory Maguire? His style of prose is very different I feel, and the penchant for not-nicely-wrapped-up endings gave me this lingering sense of unease that I quite relished. I tend to gravitate towards fairy tales retold because I enjoy delving into different perspectives of the same story. Another author that comes to mind is Donna Jo Napoli.<BR/>I consider His Dark Materials a classic, but I never watched the movie, quite afraid that it would be detrimental to the reading experience.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately I have yet to solve the riddle of this great fantasy novel I read when I was 12 that involved much ado about a fiddle, the heroine banished from her kingdom, a hermit with whom she seeked counsel, this village where couples blend into each other as ONE when you observe them closely enough........I cannot remember either the NAME or AUTHOR and it was one of the greatest fantasy novels I have ever read(admittedly limited), haihhhh wtf. if only I could do sth abt the library fines accumulated by someone else on my account I'd have my paws on some of the titles you mentionedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-64070490115885358862008-10-21T07:33:00.000+08:002008-10-21T07:33:00.000+08:00sorry about the many typos. haven't gotten much sl...sorry about the many typos. haven't gotten much sleep lately and it's pretty late now. but i'm sure y'all are smart enough to decipher my unintelligiblity xD <BR/><BR/>off to bed i go~Terrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10372283910910514463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246194140200675056.post-53981756062092202332008-10-21T07:32:00.000+08:002008-10-21T07:32:00.000+08:00Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Re...Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Really funny and awesome as well :D It's about Free Will and all that.<BR/><BR/>Will definitely give the Earthsea series a try sometime in the unforeseeable future, when I actually will have TIME to indulge in leisure reading T^T<BR/><BR/>Have yoy read Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead? It isn't strictly fantasy - even less so that The Picture of Dorian Gray. Still as awesome book though. It changed my life xD And to my amusement, we're studying Ayn Rand's philosophy in Philosophy class!!! HAH. Take that, anti-fiction-bigoted-people xDTerrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10372283910910514463noreply@blogger.com