Russell Kirkpatrick's Journal
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Quote of the Month
29-Jun-2006
I've had a discouraging day, reading reviews of my work and of those who, like me, write epic fantasy. So many people out there are comfortable with writing off anything that does not have (in their judgment) originality. But I read the following on the Tor website:
"Epic fantasy ... produces its effects not so much by the novelty of its invention as by its depth of insight and strength of execution."
This makes sense to me. I'm sure I'll rant at some point about originality. Suffice to say at this point that it is possible to entertain, instruct and enrich without being original, even in the narrow sense in which critics often mean it.
Comments
What annoys me is the assumption that writing epic fantasy is a souless exercise written purely for money... and that it's easy ie all/any writer could do if they wanted to and get published and make lots of money.
Yeah.
Right.
Kylie
Yeah.
Right.
Kylie
And this is perpetuated by some of the writers *Eddings* who claim they only do it for the money. I suspect they actually did it (at least at the beginning) for the pleasure of it, but changed their tune when they learned how much they get disrespected by the critics. 'Hey, I could be writing literary fiction, but I'm doing this Big Fat Fantasy stuff because I want the wedge.'
Mmm Hmm.
And underneath it all is the assumption that readers are saps who will read absolutely anything as long as it's thick enough and packaged correctly. Oooh, I'm foaming at the mouth. Better stop arrgle fmm blort
Mmm Hmm.
And underneath it all is the assumption that readers are saps who will read absolutely anything as long as it's thick enough and packaged correctly. Oooh, I'm foaming at the mouth. Better stop arrgle fmm blort
Some people will always be comfortable slagging off anything they personally don't enjoy, with particular emphasis on the idiocy and irrelevency of those folk who do enjoy it. To which I say, sit on a pointy object why don't you, and rotate. Intellectual arrogance is really intellectual paucity in disguise. Phooey to the lot of 'em.