In the words of Brandon Sanderson on fantasy in literature... "Science Fiction and Fantasy can do everything any other genre can do. You will find science fiction and fantasy with the literary styling of great classic literatures. You read Ursala Le Guin, or you read Gene Wolfe. You read some of these people who are known for their literary styling. You'll find a romance in SFF that can be every bit as powerful as the best romantic fiction. You'll find mystery, you'll find adventure These genres are not bounded by what they can contain, in fact they are the only genres that are not bounded by what they contain. The reason I write, read and love SFF is because it's the genre where you can do all of this stuff. You can be literary, you can have action adventure, you can do all of these things, plus you can have dragons. So why not? 'Why not?' is my opinion. Why not write the genre where you can include anything that you want to, where you can be whatever you want to be."
@@MrHaganenoEdward Sure! I transcribed the quote from one of his youtube lectures. Watch "Brandon Sanderson - 318R - #1 (Course Overview) " and he'll say it a little after 18 minutes and 30 seconds into the video. :)
@@elizabethlin_9879 Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.” ― Lloyd Alexander I wrote a whole dialogue between two characters talking about this.
Escapism is such a healthy reason to read though. I suffer from bouts of clinical depression and people ask how I deal with it and I always tell them I read. It helps when you've got feelings of "my life sucks" to read something completely insane
I used video games and books to escape during a pretty big chunk of my childhood. It gave my vocabulary a boost, and it helped me excel in my other safe place. School.
My top three reasons: 1. The world-building, once immersed into, is the best getaway a fantasy genre fan can enjoy. 2. The magic, conflict, and system provides color to the story where thought-provoking moments engage the readers into considering all angles of the story. 3. Booktubers I can relate with and consider as my virtual friends, like Elliot Brooks. 🤓
I was just thinking about how sometimes booktube makes me weirdly sad, because I can’t just go hang out with so many of the cool people in the community. But hey, virtual friendships are fun too! And yay fantasy! 😄
Elliot Brooks I’ve never read a book so fast. It took me three weeks to read the Stand but only three days to read The Way of Kings. It’s just a beautiful story.
Fiama Puccini I’m lucky that the fourth book is almost here on that front. I’ve been trying to avoid any y’all of the books until I finish the one being discussed.
I hope you love it! I actually wasn’t that into it until the second book, then from there I was in love. I hope you love it right from the start though!
Short answer: Fantastic situations make for interesting characters. Long answer: I think fantasy allows for really incredible character studies in a way that a lot of other mediums and genres don't. Particularly because we can see a character go through such wildly different experiences to ourselves, but also tackle such immensely different situations from chapter to chapter. How does a noble's bastard daughter grow up hopeful when she is constantly belittled and shown to be less than? How does that effect her going forward? How does a coward who let his best friend die when he was young cope when he is placed in a similar situation as an adult and there's a sword at hand? How does a veteran warrior feel in the heat of a sword fight? What if he's over-matched or outnumbered or injured? What if he's fighting against a wizard and his skills feel meaningless? Or zombies? Or orcs? Or orc-zombies? What if a dragon turns up? People always (rightfully) look at the world and the plot possibilities of fantasy and sci-fi, but, for me, my favourite characters are always in fantasy, because the opportunity to reveal that true self is so present because there are so many possibilities to strip away the pretence of luxury or comfort or familiarity. You can fall in love with these complex moral reprobates like the Bloody Nine or Jaime Lannister, or criminal miscreants like Locke Lamora, or a murderous child like Arya or Fitzchivalry, in a way that I rarely find you can in other fiction. And that's partially because the worlds are just alien enough for their reactions to feel real at the moment. And that allows an incredible latitude in exploring both human behaviour and concepts of morality in extremely engaging ways without it feeling preachy or ham-fisted (usually).
I know this is a con for some people, but lots of characters! In most YA fantasy or even adult “non-fantasy” you get maybe 3 POVs at most. Whereas I really like having an “ensemble cast” of 6+ characters that you all get to know really well. No matter how interesting the main protagonist is, I always find myself wondering “but what’s THAT character going through?” and I feel like adult fantasy usually does a great job at delivering on that.
To quote Ursula Le Guin: " As for the charge of escapism, what does escape mean? Escape from real life, responsibility, order, duty, piety, is what the charge implies. But nobody, except the most criminally irresponsible or pitifully incompetent, escapes toward jail. The direction of escape is toward freedom. So what is "escapism" an acusation of?"
Abercrombie has some beautiful prose here and there. His choice of words in some places is amazing. It depends on what he wants to convey. He's not like Rothfuss, who picks his words very carefully most of the time, but Abercrombie is quite good at it, too.
I honestly think that can be applied to most fantasy writers though. Not all, but many write fairly direct with beautiful moments here and there. Which I like, and I think that serves fantasy books well. But I’d never describe his prose as beautiful on average, or act like it’s more stunning than most things in the rest of YA and Adult fantasy 🤷🏻♀️
The language has to fit the world, characters and story. Abercrombie is amazing in writing direct to the point, which fits the brutal world of First Law. Had he tried to use big words, flowery language, it wouldn't fit. Exactly the opposite is true for Rothfuss. He has a story where Names and Words have Meaning, and writing in direct simple way would defeat the purpose.
As an 18 year old myself, I actually could relate to Vin more than the characters from Six of Crows, and I think it’s because of the way they TALK. Vin is mature, but she still sounds like an 18 year old, but Kaz just can’t be 17 and speak to people like he’s 30.
You mentioned something dealing important at the end: The things other people aren’t aren’t better than what you are reading. If you enjoy it then you enjoy it. Also, escapism...I agree, nothing wrong with it at all. If someone wants to just escape for a bit then why not? People tend to assume that someone may have a rough life because they are trying to “escape.” Most times it’s probably not the case. Books have a way of triggering different emotions and if that’s what you like then that fine as well.
I agree! That’s why I said first that it’s still great if you enjoy it with a good life, and if your life isn’t great and “escaping” helps, why not? To me it’s no different than listening to great music or enjoying a fun videogame :)
@@ebnovels If you haven't I highly recommend reading an essay by Tolkien called 'On Fairy Stories', in which he addresses the idea of escapism. Here's one passage about it: "I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since I do not disapprove of them, it is plain that I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which “Escape” is now so often used: a tone for which the uses of the word outside literary criticism give no warrant at all. In what the misusers are fond of calling Real Life, Escape is evidently as a rule very practical, and may even be heroic. In real life it is difficult to blame it, unless it fails; in criticism it would seem to be the worse the better it succeeds. Evidently we are faced by a misuse of words, and also by a confusion of thought. Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if, when he cannot do so, he thinks and talks about other topics than jailers and prison-walls? The world outside has not become less real because the prisoner cannot see it. In using escape in this way the critics have chosen the wrong word, and, what is more, they are confusing, not always by sincere error, the Escape of the Prisoner with the Flight of the Deserter. Just so a Party-spokesman might have labelled departure from the misery of the Führer's or any other Reich and even criticism of it as treachery. In the same way these critics, to make confusion worse, and so to bring into contempt their opponents, stick their label of scorn not only on to Desertion, but on to real Escape, and what are often its companions, Disgust, Anger, Condemnation, and Revolt. Not only do they confound the escape of the prisoner with the flight of the deserter; but they would seem to prefer the acquiescence of the “quisling” to the resistance of the patriot. To such thinking you have only to say “the land you loved is doomed” to excuse any treachery, indeed to glorify it." Here's a link to an online PDF of the whole thing although the essay has been published in paperback form too. I'd say it's an essential read for any writer of fantasy out there, young or old: coolcalvary.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/on-fairy-stories1.pdf
I always miss those instagram story thing lol 😆 Nonetheless, the reason fantasy books are awesome to me because they give you a sense of belonging. The energy, emotional rollercoaster they take you from page to page such a euphoric feeling. I feel like im being included on an epic adventure that's created just for me. Lately the book covers are the best. I'm a huge fan of art and i love when fantasy books get creative with art styles. Anyways hope you have a great weekend Elliot 💜
I agree with everything you said! Especially when you have the really strong connection to the story-it really does feel like the author was writing just to you 😄
It blows my mind that some people will look down on SFF and deem it somehow stupider/more immature than literary fiction: you can explore themes, ideas as deeply in both (super)genres. And both genres can be extremely shallow as well. Or offer plain good fun, escapism, whatever. Like you said, only non-fiction (outside of memoirs/biographies, I guess) can be legitimately pointed to as being read to seek knowledge/being just, specifically, "serious" (and even then great non-fiction books will often include humour/cheekiness with their serious content!). But on a purely personal level, I do tend to find SFF "superior" in that it tends to offer, consistently and reliably (most of the time anyway), BOTH great amounts of food for thought AND escapism (as well as feeling, etc...)! 😊
I'm glad you mentioned the beginning of The Way of Kings being a bit slow or hard to grasp immediately. I wanted to read The Mistborn series to get into one of your most favorite authors, but I only got my hands on The Way of Kings and I was afraid about how difficult for me to want to turn the pages at first. It got me thinking that maybe I won't like it and I was sad 😂😂💔 I'm planning to go through it on the month of May and hopefully will enjoy and finish it soon 👌
An additional thought about escapism: it's so awesome when one of your motivations is to escape by immersing in a fantasy world, but when you get to the end you realize just how applicable to our world and lives the story is (it can even happen along the way, but I love being left thinking like that after "The End." Great video, Elliot. So nice to see such positive content on a Friday morning. Cheers!
I think a big part of why I love Brandon Sanderson so much is *because* his writing is straightforward. I don't think my brain can handle beautiful, flowery prose AND well-developed worlds in the same book.
Everytime I hear you mentioning the stormlight archive, I feel the urge to read all the cosmere books. I discovered Sanderson from your videos (yeah I know you've got like a million of 'em, but we want more).
I promise you, you'll enjoy it even if you never sell a single book. The best way to learn to write fantasy is to read lots of fantasy; after that, you can filter out the bad advice (and there's heaps of bad advice out there). Oh, and Brandon Sanderson is the all-knowing.
Fantasy books are awesome because they take us to a place that someone created in their mind. Good writers are able to construct such wonderful worlds and characters for us to enjoy and not think about the real world for a while. Even when it's dark and depressing like the world of Mistborn or super grimdark like First law, we can find enjoyment in these completely make-believe worlds and get lost in them. I think pretty much every kid grows up being interested in far away places, magic, dragons and these authors just take that and present it to a more adult audience. I'm of course specifically referring to adult fantasy, but I love that as a 29 year old man, I can read so many fantastic books about knights, wizards, dragons, Allomancy, and everything else that comes with.
I think maturity of the characters depend on the world and society they live in and the way they grew up you can't really compare teenagers in real life with teenagers for example in six of crows even in our real life history in the past i'm sure people had to mature much faster when they had to go to war at 13 or were forced to get married even today it's about circumstances
Omg! I could not agree more with the last 200 pages of the Way of Kings. I basically read all day to finish them. I could not stop!!!! So much agree with you. And love your videos they're great 🙂🙂🙂👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
My favorite writers right now are Brandon Sanderson because of his plots and I love his world building, magic systems and simple writing style. I also read ship of magic by Robin Hobb it was so character driven like there was one dialogue then like half page of how the character is feeling their emotions and everything it bugged me at start but by the end I connected to the characters so much so I really think you should read this one u don’t need to complete Farseer trilogy
I think it’s acceptable to have mature teenagers in adult fantasy because they’re usually living in a world where they’ve struggled or is violent etc. they’ve been through a lot so have different priorities.
Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can! J.R.R. Tolkien
All fiction is escapist - which genre you prefer is just a detail. And like someone else mentioned, *all* hobbies are escapism in one way or another. What I love most about SFF is that _this_ is where human imagination reaches the peaks I find most appealing. The 'what if..' to it's fullest potential. Humans are the storytelling apes, everything we know is a story, everything we are is a story.
You're so right about the prose in fantasy. People complain that the prose are too simple, but fantasy thrives on the ideas it puts forth. The purpose of the prose should be to portray the ideas in a way that is engaging but also makes the ideas feel real, not to blow the minds of reader with an onslaught of similes and lush description. Beautiful, poetic prose are a bonus, not a necessity.
I completely agree on your points regarding reading to escape. I wish readers would judge each other less over what we like to read, especially when it comes to kids/teens reading because the way I see it, at least they're reading!
I'm really grateful you mentioned the escapism.I had been through so many things 2 years ago and that was when I find reading books specially fantasy calming.I was drawn to it without realizing why.and my family has been warning me since to not read too much amd how good it will do to you.now that you mentioned it I realized just how much I needed books back then and I'm happy that I finally found my true friend.
I tend to prefer the simpler writing style in general. If I want something more lyrical, I'll go read some poetry 🤷♀️ And I totally agree with your opinion on escapism. These beautiful magical stories(in whatever format) saved and helped me so many times that I've lost count a long time ago. For a video idea, how about comparing western fantasy vs fantasy in manga/anime/jrpgs? 🤔 I think it would be really cool to compare the protagonists, antagonists, worlds, themes explored, etc. 😁
Faulkner said 'The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself,' and both science fiction and fantasy offer unique levers and lenses on that. A complex AI or spirit companion struggling with their own subjectivity in conversation with a human character offers a path to thinking about "what it means to be human" that's hard to find in other genres.
Tolkien's prose is objectively beautiful in my opinion but yeah outside of his writing the fantasy genre is not at all replete with mesmerizing prose and in my opinion that's because most of the craft, artistry, finesse and effort that would normally go into it goes into the worldbuilding and/or plotting. It's like authors use up all their aesthetic fuel imagining their world and story but then leave none for the writing of the story which is a shame. One other author who does come close to Tolkien in my opinion is Philip Pullman. His Dark Materials is very beautifully written and the final book the Amber Spyglass is one of a mere handful of books that have made me openly weep. I'm currently working on my own fantasy epic and this is one aspect I'm focusing heavily on. I don't simply want to create an attractive world, I want to create attractive prose that can stand on its own from a literary perspective.
Large epic fantasy books can be intimidating but they are my favorite because I read fast and I want to stay in the world as long as possible! 💙 There are so many unique ideas and characters in fantasy...a sentient sword that always wants to destroy evil? Love it!
I've got to say you should try reading *The* *Dragonbone* *Chair* by Tad Williams (it is book one of a trilogy). Not only is it one of the better realised fantasy realms out there, it is also a prime example of how Fantasy can actually have exceptional prose and still do all that you say you're expecting of the genre. This trilogy also influenced some of the more modern genre writers (including GRRM, despite the fact there are *_no_* *_similarities_* in tone or style between Williams' and Martin's worlds or prose). Sure, this book is a couple (few) decades old at this point, but it is incredibly important in the development of the contemporary Fantasy genre. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tad_Williams
ruclips.net/video/mXLKVTx4iPQ/видео.html Let me quickly address one of the complaints put forth in this review: yes, the narrative of this novel does indeed cut away from the primary story on a number of occasions, but the storyline that it cuts away to becomes a larger part of the grand narrative of the overall trilogy as a whole in the subsequent two books, something Daniel could not know after only reading the one book. As to his other complaint, about the magic system: Fantasy, at least good literature in a Fantasy setting, should not be about the magic system, but about the characters, plot and themes. Not about some new-fangled idea for how magic could work; just as good literature in Science Fiction shouldn't be about some new crazy scientific idea, but about those aforementioned characters, plots and themes. I love Sanderson's stuff, but his over-reliance on creating a new magic system for every series is an inherent weakness in his work, when more focus could be better spent on those other three elements of good literature I mentioned. (This is why our favorite genres tend to be belittled so much by non-genre readers: the focus on science, magic, aliens, robots, dwarves and elves)
Ooh, I've loved fantasy for so long. Starting with LOTR, Barsoom series, Wizard of Earthsea, and Once and Future King. Perhaps I might be earning more money now or be running a country by now, but as far as I'm concerned I spent my time very wisely by reading instead of doing. Every dream inspires another, you might say. Oh, and I've just come across "Kill the Queen". Yay, another one for the to-read mountain.
Have you ever considered reading the Drenai saga by David Gemmell? I think his stories are awesome and the world he builds is very detailed, even if his books are quite short. I would say he is my favorite of the classic fantasy authors
I agree about the escapism part, being able to leave the world we live in and dive into an imaginative and fantastic world that is just being discovered for the first time when you open a new book (or go back to visit an old one you miss). I remember I kept rereading Narnia and Lord of the Rings, and waiting to read the newest Harry potter book when it first came out when I was a kid, and just being thankful for those books that I and other people could lose themselves in, even if it's just for a little while to get away from whatever is going on in your life.
Yes, this whole statement is lovely! Although it’s an anime, I often find myself wanting to rewatch FMA, or replay the video games Final Fantasy or Horizon Zero Dawn. Sometimes real life gets in the way of our imaginations 😆
@@ebnovels Very much agree with TV/anime and video games too! Being a writer, I can completely relate to real life getting in the way of our imaginations too!
I also hate it when people look down on escapism reading! Honestly I think everyone does something for escapism, but maybe they don’t always call it by its name 🧐 I mean, people who spend like 4 hours at the gym... you’re going to tell me that’s not a form of escapism?! Lol.
I'm such a character focused reader that my contemporary/realism loving friends don't always get why I love fantasy so much. I remember 7 year old me trying to explain to an aunt why Percy Jackson was more meaningful than her Indian dramas because it was about friendship and loyalty and sacrifice in a way that contemporary fiction doesn't capture, I actually love how the sort of extreme of fantasy circumstances shapes characters and makes me care about them. Also escapism.
Non fiction is often escapist too. I love to learn about history and animals and space. much more interesting than day to day life and I even learn something new.
For the part about simplistic writing, while I would like to see more varied writing styles, it's not sth that bothers me too much because that's just the author's writing style. Simplistic/straightforward writing styles aren't bad writing😅
Totally agree about escapism. I have to live under the same roof as someone who makes my life a living hell (just last night I slept with my door locked because I didn't feel safe), every time I see her or hear her voice my heart starts pounding, and my stress and anxiety levels skyrocket (started hearing her bitching at my mom while I was writing this, yay). Anyone who thinks escapism is bad clearly hasn't had to live in hell before. Especially with this damn quarantine going on, all I can do is hide in my room and try to pretend she doesn't exist. If I want to escape into another world for a while, who can blame me? You would too.
Honestly, while I do like pretty writing, in the end I just want a good story. If the story I'm experiencing in a book is good, I can die satisfied. That's not to say that writing style in Fantasy is bad, I'm okay with it, that's just my preference. In the end my goal is always to experience a good story.
Could you start reviewing manga or anime, please! (you could read or watch Death Note, that is a great story that requires thinking a lot and Light Yagami is one of the best protagonists I have ever seen) ITS AWESOME!!
Also, if you want something that feels VERY much like high fantasy you could try Attack on Titan (in my opinion this one you should watch the anime), the premise is great, the action is BOMBASTIC, the characters are really good and the magc system is very instresting and unique. ITS GREAT! Also, Daniel Greene is watching it so you two could do a video together or something like that.
One of the best things in epic fantasy is: "When you made it trough 700-800 pages and the payoff at the end was WROTH IT and the book is finished" :P because any more pages and it would take me another 3 weeks to finish it :P
I read the Mistborn trilogy and I didn't like it bc thecharacters were too bland and I like stories that focus more on characters... Should I still try and read the way of kings?
My response to finishing Way of Kings was: "Finally! I liked it, but that was way too long for my tastes." My favorite adult fantasy book was 220 pages of story. Also how was it action packed, I mean sure it had action, but it was mostly people talking.
'Ah shoot!' Haha that made me laugh. I totally agree with the profanities in adult fantasy. It's always something that annoyed me in an Anime I'm watching... 'Darn the world is ending!' Uhm... I think that deserves more than just a darn xD
"...And whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things." - 'The Sound of Music'
there's a lot of fantasy that has pretty writing, what are you talking about?? i get so frustrated every time someone says fantasy doesn't have nice writing or even that the main point of fantasy isn't to have pretty writing, but that it's something else (which, sure, okay), but there are literally so many works that have beautiful prose. and it automatically makes it better, especially if it already has a great plot and great characters.
Okay, I just want to say that leading armies is not incredibly fot a 19 yo especially if that person is of noble blood or (obviously) is a prodigy. I think people are often confused about how teenagers act and how mature they are. The fact is that majy of them are incredibly mature and some of them are equally mature (or even more mature) than adults. And then there are those in the middle.
I personally don't like "flowery" and complex writing. A book becomes just boring due to them imo. I read books for entertainment, exploring different psychological, political, scientific and philosophical ideas, not "beautiful" writing. Straightforward written books which has great plot, characters, etc is way-way and way better than the one with complex and "beautiful" writing. Thank you.
Yes! I comnpletely agree. I don't like that theres this idea that some types of fiction are more literary, smarter, more complex, and others, like fantasy, are considered lesser fiction, sillier and imature. This is nonsense to me, I think all fiction is a window to somewhere else, no matter what the view looks like
I think you can learn a lot even from fantasy books. And if one person reads only literature books, well... They also can be an escape. I truly get angry when people make fantasy (or scifi) looks like trash.
I guess I like straight forward writing? I hate it when I have to read 10+ lines describing stuff. I honestly skim those parts at some point 🙈. Like yeah yeah, I get it! You got me super excited for way of kings! I am just starting hero of ages! After I finish that I will go to way of king.
It really isn't all that action packed, sure it has action, and has a fight scene at the start, but it's mostly people talking or thinking to themselves.
It's okay to say that teenagers are stupid. They are just entering adulthood so they will make more stupid mistakes and risks. Also they are more hormonal.
@@ebnovels True... maybe teens being more stupid isn't the right phrase. Them lacking maturity and life experience is probably better suited, generally speaking.
Teenagers could be very mature in difficult situation. Just look at children from countries that are in constant conflicts or sometimes simply the poorest part of some developing countries. You'd be surprised how mature and practical they are comparing to the typical teenagers in rich western countries.
Although it’s not quite what you said, my own father group up in absolute poverty. At one time as a child he lived in an abandoned train car with his mom and four siblings, and they lived in hay barns too. He was definitely much more “grown up” at a young age than most people!
I don’t think negatively of them. There are only a few individuals out there that “shame” fantasy readers or try to talk above them, but that’s a small minority. My hubby reads literary fiction all the time and loves it, which I think is great. He also loves comic books, manga, and crime fiction, and I like historical fiction and fantasy, and occasionally we read something the other likes. I wish that could be how more bookworms acted-respecting what others like :)
I gotta disagree on the point that there isn't beautiful prose frequently in fantasy. Yes a lot of modern fantasy features more straightforward prose, but there are just as many "literary" style fantasy works out there. The Last Unicorn(really anything by Peter S Beagle), Lord of the Rings + the Hobbit, anything by Rothfuss, Once and Future King, Wheel of Time has some beautiful passages, Broken Earth Trilogy, to name a few. It's certainly more common in classic fantasy, but there is modern that has those literary qualities as well.
"Vin doesn't act her age" I'd like to corect that a little bit by saying that children that live the type of life and suffer the type of trauma she does, a LOT of them do act exactly like that, because trauma tends to "force" people into maturing and a lot of that is on the outside, because children and teenagers are still what they are and their cognitive development permits them what it does, but they lose a lot of what makes them well... kids... this is precisely why I actually love Sanderson (many other reasons but this one's a biggie) he makes characters with major psychological issues feel incredibly real and fleshed out, which makes the moment they overcome their difficulties that much more rewarding.
My father grew up in extreme poverty-I know very well that he was definitely more of an adult at 12 than most people I know nowadays in their 20’s! But on average, we look at YA characters also going through difficult times and say they act too old, but then value that in the young characters in adult fantasy. I was more commenting on that 😊
@@ebnovels I guess we do all have very biased opinions when it comes to what we value in different forms of literature, personally, I love very real and complex characters in fantastical settings, if it makes sense for the kid to be acting like an adult in the context of the book, then it's good writing from where I stand :D. Anyways love your channel and that bookshelf of yours. Mine is just starting to grow haha.
In the words of Brandon Sanderson on fantasy in literature...
"Science Fiction and Fantasy can do everything any other genre can do. You will find science fiction and fantasy
with the literary styling of great classic literatures. You read Ursala Le Guin, or you read Gene Wolfe. You read some of these people who are known for their literary styling. You'll find a romance in SFF that can be every bit as powerful as the best romantic fiction. You'll find mystery, you'll find adventure These genres are not bounded by what they can contain, in fact they are the only genres that are not bounded by what they contain. The reason I write, read and love SFF is because it's the genre where you can do all of this stuff.
You can be literary, you can have action adventure, you can do all of these things, plus you can have dragons.
So why not? 'Why not?' is my opinion. Why not write the genre where you can include anything that you want to, where you can be whatever you want to be."
Yes, I’ve seen that quote 😄 Good stuff!
Do you have a source for this quote? I would love to share it on FB, but can't find it.
@@MrHaganenoEdward Sure! I transcribed the quote from one of his youtube lectures.
Watch "Brandon Sanderson - 318R - #1 (Course Overview)
" and he'll say it a little after 18 minutes and 30 seconds into the video. :)
Great quote!
Not true
"Fantasy is escapist, and that is it's glory." - J. R. R. Tolkien
*its ( I'm sorry! >.< )
Fantasy is not an escape from reality. It’s a way of helping you understand it.
@@GreatOldOne9866Nah, it can be anything we want it to be.
@@elizabethlin_9879 Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.”
― Lloyd Alexander
I wrote a whole dialogue between two characters talking about this.
Escapism is such a healthy reason to read though. I suffer from bouts of clinical depression and people ask how I deal with it and I always tell them I read. It helps when you've got feelings of "my life sucks" to read something completely insane
Exactly. And who is anyone else to tell you to try reading something else they deem “better” when you enjoy what you read? I don’t understand 😅
I used video games and books to escape during a pretty big chunk of my childhood. It gave my vocabulary a boost, and it helped me excel in my other safe place. School.
My top three reasons:
1. The world-building, once immersed into, is the best getaway a fantasy genre fan can enjoy.
2. The magic, conflict, and system provides color to the story where thought-provoking moments engage the readers into considering all angles of the story.
3. Booktubers I can relate with and consider as my virtual friends, like Elliot Brooks. 🤓
I was just thinking about how sometimes booktube makes me weirdly sad, because I can’t just go hang out with so many of the cool people in the community. But hey, virtual friendships are fun too! And yay fantasy! 😄
I literally just finished The Way of Kings, and oh my God.
Right?!? So good!!!
Elliot Brooks I’ve never read a book so fast. It took me three weeks to read the Stand but only three days to read The Way of Kings. It’s just a beautiful story.
Ty Young I know I finished words of radiance yesterday so I can’t wait to see how u would reAct at that
I remember taking WoK on holiday to Italy and being distracted by it a lot.
Fiama Puccini I’m lucky that the fourth book is almost here on that front. I’ve been trying to avoid any y’all of the books until I finish the one being discussed.
I just received a copy of Mistborn!!! I am looking forward to exploring this world for the first time!!!!
I hope you love it! I actually wasn’t that into it until the second book, then from there I was in love. I hope you love it right from the start though!
@@ebnovels I feel like I'm in the vast minority for liking The Final Empire the most.
I did too! I was told it was a good place to start with Sanderson. I’m so excited
ropecrewman36 your in for a treat! 👍
Short answer: Fantastic situations make for interesting characters.
Long answer:
I think fantasy allows for really incredible character studies in a way that a lot of other mediums and genres don't. Particularly because we can see a character go through such wildly different experiences to ourselves, but also tackle such immensely different situations from chapter to chapter.
How does a noble's bastard daughter grow up hopeful when she is constantly belittled and shown to be less than? How does that effect her going forward?
How does a coward who let his best friend die when he was young cope when he is placed in a similar situation as an adult and there's a sword at hand?
How does a veteran warrior feel in the heat of a sword fight? What if he's over-matched or outnumbered or injured? What if he's fighting against a wizard and his skills feel meaningless? Or zombies? Or orcs? Or orc-zombies?
What if a dragon turns up?
People always (rightfully) look at the world and the plot possibilities of fantasy and sci-fi, but, for me, my favourite characters are always in fantasy, because the opportunity to reveal that true self is so present because there are so many possibilities to strip away the pretence of luxury or comfort or familiarity.
You can fall in love with these complex moral reprobates like the Bloody Nine or Jaime Lannister, or criminal miscreants like Locke Lamora, or a murderous child like Arya or Fitzchivalry, in a way that I rarely find you can in other fiction. And that's partially because the worlds are just alien enough for their reactions to feel real at the moment. And that allows an incredible latitude in exploring both human behaviour and concepts of morality in extremely engaging ways without it feeling preachy or ham-fisted (usually).
For me it's can be summed up as "Haha, sword/axe goes swish/slash/chok!"
I know this is a con for some people, but lots of characters! In most YA fantasy or even adult “non-fantasy” you get maybe 3 POVs at most. Whereas I really like having an “ensemble cast” of 6+ characters that you all get to know really well. No matter how interesting the main protagonist is, I always find myself wondering “but what’s THAT character going through?” and I feel like adult fantasy usually does a great job at delivering on that.
I think that’s true! You’re right that it can be a con for some people, but a good ensemble cast sets up such amazing dynamics 😄
To quote Ursula Le Guin: " As for the charge of escapism, what does escape mean? Escape from real life, responsibility, order, duty, piety, is what the charge implies. But nobody, except the most criminally irresponsible or pitifully incompetent, escapes toward jail. The direction of escape is toward freedom. So what is "escapism" an acusation of?"
Underrated quote and underrated comment
I have to say, I love this farmhouse style background! 🙂
Oh, thank you so much! That’s very encouraging 😄
I always felt that Vin had to grow up fast bc of her environment. I just assumed she acted older bc she had no choice, she had to protect herself.
I think so too, I just think it’s funny that people don’t extend that same thinking to the characters in Six of Crows 😅
I kinda wish Obi-Wan Kenobi had been more like Kelsier. A sort of focused eccentricity.
Abercrombie has some beautiful prose here and there. His choice of words in some places is amazing. It depends on what he wants to convey. He's not like Rothfuss, who picks his words very carefully most of the time, but Abercrombie is quite good at it, too.
I honestly think that can be applied to most fantasy writers though. Not all, but many write fairly direct with beautiful moments here and there. Which I like, and I think that serves fantasy books well. But I’d never describe his prose as beautiful on average, or act like it’s more stunning than most things in the rest of YA and Adult fantasy 🤷🏻♀️
The language has to fit the world, characters and story. Abercrombie is amazing in writing direct to the point, which fits the brutal world of First Law. Had he tried to use big words, flowery language, it wouldn't fit.
Exactly the opposite is true for Rothfuss. He has a story where Names and Words have Meaning, and writing in direct simple way would defeat the purpose.
As an 18 year old myself, I actually could relate to Vin more than the characters from Six of Crows, and I think it’s because of the way they TALK. Vin is mature, but she still sounds like an 18 year old, but Kaz just can’t be 17 and speak to people like he’s 30.
I know a friend of mine that what you said is exactly why he likes kaz
You mentioned something dealing important at the end:
The things other people aren’t aren’t better than what you are reading. If you enjoy it then you enjoy it.
Also, escapism...I agree, nothing wrong with it at all. If someone wants to just escape for a bit then why not? People tend to assume that someone may have a rough life because they are trying to “escape.” Most times it’s probably not the case. Books have a way of triggering different emotions and if that’s what you like then that fine as well.
I agree! That’s why I said first that it’s still great if you enjoy it with a good life, and if your life isn’t great and “escaping” helps, why not? To me it’s no different than listening to great music or enjoying a fun videogame :)
@@ebnovels If you haven't I highly recommend reading an essay by Tolkien called 'On Fairy Stories', in which he addresses the idea of escapism. Here's one passage about it:
"I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since I do not
disapprove of them, it is plain that I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which “Escape” is now so often used: a tone for which the uses of the word outside literary criticism give no warrant at all. In what the misusers are fond of calling Real Life, Escape is evidently as a rule very practical, and may even be heroic. In real life it is difficult to blame it, unless it fails; in criticism it would seem to be the worse the better it succeeds. Evidently we are faced by a misuse of words, and also by a confusion of thought. Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if, when he cannot do so, he thinks and talks about other topics than jailers and prison-walls? The world outside has not become less real because the prisoner cannot see it. In using escape in this way the critics have chosen the wrong word, and, what is more, they are confusing, not always by sincere error, the Escape of the Prisoner with the Flight of the Deserter. Just so a Party-spokesman might have labelled departure from the
misery of the Führer's or any other Reich and even criticism of it as treachery. In the same way
these critics, to make confusion worse, and so to bring into contempt their opponents, stick their label of scorn not only on to Desertion, but on to real Escape, and what are often its companions, Disgust, Anger, Condemnation, and Revolt. Not only do they confound the escape of the prisoner with the flight of the deserter; but they would seem to prefer the acquiescence of the “quisling” to the resistance of the patriot. To such thinking you have only to say “the land you loved is doomed” to excuse any treachery, indeed to glorify it."
Here's a link to an online PDF of the whole thing although the essay has been published in paperback form too. I'd say it's an essential read for any writer of fantasy out there, young or old: coolcalvary.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/on-fairy-stories1.pdf
I always miss those instagram story thing lol 😆 Nonetheless, the reason fantasy books are awesome to me because they give you a sense of belonging. The energy, emotional rollercoaster they take you from page to page such a euphoric feeling. I feel like im being included on an epic adventure that's created just for me. Lately the book covers are the best. I'm a huge fan of art and i love when fantasy books get creative with art styles. Anyways hope you have a great weekend Elliot 💜
I agree with everything you said! Especially when you have the really strong connection to the story-it really does feel like the author was writing just to you 😄
It blows my mind that some people will look down on SFF and deem it somehow stupider/more immature than literary fiction: you can explore themes, ideas as deeply in both (super)genres. And both genres can be extremely shallow as well. Or offer plain good fun, escapism, whatever. Like you said, only non-fiction (outside of memoirs/biographies, I guess) can be legitimately pointed to as being read to seek knowledge/being just, specifically, "serious" (and even then great non-fiction books will often include humour/cheekiness with their serious content!).
But on a purely personal level, I do tend to find SFF "superior" in that it tends to offer, consistently and reliably (most of the time anyway), BOTH great amounts of food for thought AND escapism (as well as feeling, etc...)! 😊
I'm glad you mentioned the beginning of The Way of Kings being a bit slow or hard to grasp immediately. I wanted to read The Mistborn series to get into one of your most favorite authors, but I only got my hands on The Way of Kings and I was afraid about how difficult for me to want to turn the pages at first. It got me thinking that maybe I won't like it and I was sad 😂😂💔 I'm planning to go through it on the month of May and hopefully will enjoy and finish it soon 👌
Did you go through with it?
An additional thought about escapism: it's so awesome when one of your motivations is to escape by immersing in a fantasy world, but when you get to the end you realize just how applicable to our world and lives the story is (it can even happen along the way, but I love being left thinking like that after "The End." Great video, Elliot. So nice to see such positive content on a Friday morning. Cheers!
You hair looks great like this!!
Ahaha, thank you! I told my husband while editing this that the middle part maybe wasn’t for me, cuz I looked like I had a pig face 🤣
Elliot Brooks hahahaha nooooo
Honestly I prefer the curls. This does look great, but when she curls the ends, it looks superrrr nice 😍. Maybe I am biased because I have curly hair?
I think a big part of why I love Brandon Sanderson so much is *because* his writing is straightforward. I don't think my brain can handle beautiful, flowery prose AND well-developed worlds in the same book.
Everytime I hear you mentioning the stormlight archive, I feel the urge to read all the cosmere books. I discovered Sanderson from your videos (yeah I know you've got like a million of 'em, but we want more).
Watching this video makes me so excited to read my fantasy books now😍
Oh yay! Hopefully they’re ones you’ll love 😊
Because I want to write fantasy. It is one of my favourite genres. Fantasy is great.
Fantasy is awesome!
I promise you, you'll enjoy it even if you never sell a single book. The best way to learn to write fantasy is to read lots of fantasy; after that, you can filter out the bad advice (and there's heaps of bad advice out there). Oh, and Brandon Sanderson is the all-knowing.
Fantasy books are awesome because they take us to a place that someone created in their mind. Good writers are able to construct such wonderful worlds and characters for us to enjoy and not think about the real world for a while. Even when it's dark and depressing like the world of Mistborn or super grimdark like First law, we can find enjoyment in these completely make-believe worlds and get lost in them. I think pretty much every kid grows up being interested in far away places, magic, dragons and these authors just take that and present it to a more adult audience. I'm of course specifically referring to adult fantasy, but I love that as a 29 year old man, I can read so many fantastic books about knights, wizards, dragons, Allomancy, and everything else that comes with.
Hi I hope ur dad doing better??? I luv YA fantasy and Adult fantasy.. keep safe and happy reading to u!! 📖💙😊
Happy reading to you! He’s recovering from surgery right now 💖
Elliot Brooks I wish him the best of health
I think maturity of the characters depend on the world and society they live in and the way they grew up you can't really compare teenagers in real life with teenagers for example in six of crows even in our real life history in the past i'm sure people had to mature much faster when they had to go to war at 13 or were forced to get married even today it's about circumstances
Agreed. My own father is a perfect example of that. Grew up in complete poverty-was far more grown up as a child than most people my own age now 😆
Omg! I could not agree more with the last 200 pages of the Way of Kings. I basically read all day to finish them. I could not stop!!!! So much agree with you. And love your videos they're great 🙂🙂🙂👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
My favorite writers right now are Brandon Sanderson because of his plots and I love his world building, magic systems and simple writing style. I also read ship of magic by Robin Hobb it was so character driven like there was one dialogue then like half page of how the character is feeling their emotions and everything it bugged me at start but by the end I connected to the characters so much so I really think you should read this one u don’t need to complete Farseer trilogy
I think it’s acceptable to have mature teenagers in adult fantasy because they’re usually living in a world where they’ve struggled or is violent etc. they’ve been through a lot so have different priorities.
Something no seems to have mentioned: you have bragging rights after having read 1250 pages! Lol
I agree about Way of Kings, it was a little slow to get into at first but once it got going i was HOOKED!
Same! I love my boy Kaladin so much 😄
@@ebnovels same! Hes my favorite
7:51
One of the most true, adorable and non subjective descriptions of Sanderson.
Hahaha, Syl is perfection 💙
Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!
J.R.R. Tolkien
Lovely quote 😊
All fiction is escapist - which genre you prefer is just a detail. And like someone else mentioned, *all* hobbies are escapism in one way or another.
What I love most about SFF is that _this_ is where human imagination reaches the peaks I find most appealing. The 'what if..' to it's fullest potential.
Humans are the storytelling apes, everything we know is a story, everything we are is a story.
You're so right about the prose in fantasy. People complain that the prose are too simple, but fantasy thrives on the ideas it puts forth. The purpose of the prose should be to portray the ideas in a way that is engaging but also makes the ideas feel real, not to blow the minds of reader with an onslaught of similes and lush description. Beautiful, poetic prose are a bonus, not a necessity.
Loved the videooo❤
Well thanks 😄
I completely agree on your points regarding reading to escape. I wish readers would judge each other less over what we like to read, especially when it comes to kids/teens reading because the way I see it, at least they're reading!
I'm really grateful you mentioned the escapism.I had been through so many things 2 years ago and that was when I find reading books specially fantasy calming.I was drawn to it without realizing why.and my family has been warning me since to not read too much amd how good it will do to you.now that you mentioned it I realized just how much I needed books back then and I'm happy that I finally found my true friend.
I tend to prefer the simpler writing style in general. If I want something more lyrical, I'll go read some poetry 🤷♀️ And I totally agree with your opinion on escapism. These beautiful magical stories(in whatever format) saved and helped me so many times that I've lost count a long time ago.
For a video idea, how about comparing western fantasy vs fantasy in manga/anime/jrpgs? 🤔 I think it would be really cool to compare the protagonists, antagonists, worlds, themes explored, etc. 😁
Faulkner said 'The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself,' and both science fiction and fantasy offer unique levers and lenses on that. A complex AI or spirit companion struggling with their own subjectivity in conversation with a human character offers a path to thinking about "what it means to be human" that's hard to find in other genres.
Tolkien's prose is objectively beautiful in my opinion but yeah outside of his writing the fantasy genre is not at all replete with mesmerizing prose and in my opinion that's because most of the craft, artistry, finesse and effort that would normally go into it goes into the worldbuilding and/or plotting. It's like authors use up all their aesthetic fuel imagining their world and story but then leave none for the writing of the story which is a shame. One other author who does come close to Tolkien in my opinion is Philip Pullman. His Dark Materials is very beautifully written and the final book the Amber Spyglass is one of a mere handful of books that have made me openly weep. I'm currently working on my own fantasy epic and this is one aspect I'm focusing heavily on. I don't simply want to create an attractive world, I want to create attractive prose that can stand on its own from a literary perspective.
girl I just finished the chapter that you refrenced in the first law! What a coincidence i absolutely loved it
West is awesome
Large epic fantasy books can be intimidating but they are my favorite because I read fast and I want to stay in the world as long as possible! 💙 There are so many unique ideas and characters in fantasy...a sentient sword that always wants to destroy evil? Love it!
I love the escapism of fantasy
Just bought your book so excited to read it.
I've got to say you should try reading *The* *Dragonbone* *Chair* by Tad Williams (it is book one of a trilogy). Not only is it one of the better realised fantasy realms out there, it is also a prime example of how Fantasy can actually have exceptional prose and still do all that you say you're expecting of the genre. This trilogy also influenced some of the more modern genre writers (including GRRM, despite the fact there are *_no_* *_similarities_* in tone or style between Williams' and Martin's worlds or prose). Sure, this book is a couple (few) decades old at this point, but it is incredibly important in the development of the contemporary Fantasy genre. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tad_Williams
ruclips.net/video/mXLKVTx4iPQ/видео.html
Let me quickly address one of the complaints put forth in this review: yes, the narrative of this novel does indeed cut away from the primary story on a number of occasions, but the storyline that it cuts away to becomes a larger part of the grand narrative of the overall trilogy as a whole in the subsequent two books, something Daniel could not know after only reading the one book. As to his other complaint, about the magic system: Fantasy, at least good literature in a Fantasy setting, should not be about the magic system, but about the characters, plot and themes. Not about some new-fangled idea for how magic could work; just as good literature in Science Fiction shouldn't be about some new crazy scientific idea, but about those aforementioned characters, plots and themes. I love Sanderson's stuff, but his over-reliance on creating a new magic system for every series is an inherent weakness in his work, when more focus could be better spent on those other three elements of good literature I mentioned. (This is why our favorite genres tend to be belittled so much by non-genre readers: the focus on science, magic, aliens, robots, dwarves and elves)
Ooh, I've loved fantasy for so long. Starting with LOTR, Barsoom series, Wizard of Earthsea, and Once and Future King. Perhaps I might be earning more money now or be running a country by now, but as far as I'm concerned I spent my time very wisely by reading instead of doing. Every dream inspires another, you might say. Oh, and I've just come across "Kill the Queen". Yay, another one for the to-read mountain.
Just finished Words of Radiance, imo is better than WoK, which I didn't think was possible. Started Oathbringer today.
Have you ever considered reading the Drenai saga by David Gemmell? I think his stories are awesome and the world he builds is very detailed, even if his books are quite short. I would say he is my favorite of the classic fantasy authors
I agree about the escapism part, being able to leave the world we live in and dive into an imaginative and fantastic world that is just being discovered for the first time when you open a new book (or go back to visit an old one you miss). I remember I kept rereading Narnia and Lord of the Rings, and waiting to read the newest Harry potter book when it first came out when I was a kid, and just being thankful for those books that I and other people could lose themselves in, even if it's just for a little while to get away from whatever is going on in your life.
Yes, this whole statement is lovely! Although it’s an anime, I often find myself wanting to rewatch FMA, or replay the video games Final
Fantasy or Horizon Zero Dawn. Sometimes real life gets in the way of our imaginations 😆
@@ebnovels Very much agree with TV/anime and video games too! Being a writer, I can completely relate to real life getting in the way of our imaginations too!
I recommend Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce if you like some decent intrigue.
"and also teenagers aren't stupid" y did i feel so represented lol 🤣
I also hate it when people look down on escapism reading! Honestly I think everyone does something for escapism, but maybe they don’t always call it by its name 🧐 I mean, people who spend like 4 hours at the gym... you’re going to tell me that’s not a form of escapism?! Lol.
Escapism!!!! I totally agree!! Hugs from Argentina!!
Hugs from America! 😄
Can’t wait to add mine to this group of books, once it’s finished 🙂
Congrats in advance 😊
I'm such a character focused reader that my contemporary/realism loving friends don't always get why I love fantasy so much. I remember 7 year old me trying to explain to an aunt why Percy Jackson was more meaningful than her Indian dramas because it was about friendship and loyalty and sacrifice in a way that contemporary fiction doesn't capture, I actually love how the sort of extreme of fantasy circumstances shapes characters and makes me care about them. Also escapism.
Non fiction is often escapist too. I love to learn about history and animals and space. much more interesting than day to day life and I even learn something new.
For the part about simplistic writing, while I would like to see more varied writing styles, it's not sth that bothers me too much because that's just the author's writing style. Simplistic/straightforward writing styles aren't bad writing😅
I just love stories and getting lost in a good story. Fantasy books are full of wonder and really spark up imagination which really drags me in.
Same 😄
because they're better than real life XD
Hahaha, if only fantasy books had fantasy video games 😆
@@ebnovels this comment!!! so true!!!
Totally agree about escapism. I have to live under the same roof as someone who makes my life a living hell (just last night I slept with my door locked because I didn't feel safe), every time I see her or hear her voice my heart starts pounding, and my stress and anxiety levels skyrocket (started hearing her bitching at my mom while I was writing this, yay). Anyone who thinks escapism is bad clearly hasn't had to live in hell before. Especially with this damn quarantine going on, all I can do is hide in my room and try to pretend she doesn't exist. If I want to escape into another world for a while, who can blame me? You would too.
Honestly, while I do like pretty writing, in the end I just want a good story. If the story I'm experiencing in a book is good, I can die satisfied. That's not to say that writing style in Fantasy is bad, I'm okay with it, that's just my preference. In the end my goal is always to experience a good story.
I don't know if it's that lustrous hair or the unvarnished passion for the subject matter, but, my oh my, this one had some spice to it!
Could you start reviewing manga or anime, please! (you could read or watch Death Note, that is a great story that requires thinking a lot and Light Yagami is one of the best protagonists I have ever seen) ITS AWESOME!!
Also, if you want something that feels VERY much like high fantasy you could try Attack on Titan (in my opinion this one you should watch the anime), the premise is great, the action is BOMBASTIC, the characters are really good and the magc system is very instresting and unique. ITS GREAT! Also, Daniel Greene is watching it so you two could do a video together or something like that.
@@joaoalves9330 Attack on Titan is on my list of top 10 favorite fantasy settings of all time.
Maybe! I love FMA-I’m always looking for the next thing to love as much as that 😄
Random person: shit, fuck, damn it!
Me, an intellectual: Stormfather, Lord Ruler, STORM IT!
One of the best things in epic fantasy is: "When you made it trough 700-800 pages and the payoff at the end was WROTH IT and the book is finished" :P because any more pages and it would take me another 3 weeks to finish it :P
I read the Mistborn trilogy and I didn't like it bc thecharacters were too bland and I like stories that focus more on characters... Should I still try and read the way of kings?
What you seem to be saying is that sometimes people can enjoy gorgeous writing and sometimes people can enjoy gorgeous worlds.
Yes! There are so many different things to appreciate about books 😄
Do you have goodreads? I really want to check out your fantasy reads. I might find my next fantasy read from your list 😊
My response to finishing Way of Kings was: "Finally! I liked it, but that was way too long for my tastes." My favorite adult fantasy book was 220 pages of story. Also how was it action packed, I mean sure it had action, but it was mostly people talking.
'Ah shoot!' Haha that made me laugh. I totally agree with the profanities in adult fantasy. It's always something that annoyed me in an Anime I'm watching... 'Darn the world is ending!' Uhm... I think that deserves more than just a darn xD
With the characters acting their age what is your thoughts on mark Lawrence's Jorg? He's 14 if I remember rightly at the start of the broken empire!
I got started reading Fantasy with Tolkien and Robert E Howard in the mid 1970s and there are too many reasons it resonated with me to list
Man being able to grow up reading Robert E. Howard must have been awesome.
@@malcomalexander9437 I was about 14 and it was the Frazetta book covers that got me to pick them up
"...And whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things."
- 'The Sound of Music'
🎵 🎶 🎵
there's a lot of fantasy that has pretty writing, what are you talking about?? i get so frustrated every time someone says fantasy doesn't have nice writing or even that the main point of fantasy isn't to have pretty writing, but that it's something else (which, sure, okay), but there are literally so many works that have beautiful prose. and it automatically makes it better, especially if it already has a great plot and great characters.
Okay, I just want to say that leading armies is not incredibly fot a 19 yo especially if that person is of noble blood or (obviously) is a prodigy. I think people are often confused about how teenagers act and how mature they are. The fact is that majy of them are incredibly mature and some of them are equally mature (or even more mature) than adults. And then there are those in the middle.
Have you ever read "The Enchantment Emporium" by Tanya Huff? Sorry, if you have. I am a quite recent subscriber.
It just soooo much fun.
I am gonna start way of kings today...
The end of fantasy books are always the best because that’s where things actually happen 😂
Hahahaha, as opposed to the 300 pages of set up 😆
‘You can stick with Cormac McCarthy’ 😂 That got a definite bark of laughter from me.
Haha, my hubby has really enjoyed his works, and I think from what I’ve seen he has amazing books, but man do they not sound like my thing 😆
I personally don't like "flowery" and complex writing. A book becomes just boring due to them imo. I read books for entertainment, exploring different psychological, political, scientific and philosophical ideas, not "beautiful" writing. Straightforward written books which has great plot, characters, etc is way-way and way better than the one with complex and "beautiful" writing.
Thank you.
When you've read over 1600 pages, and the plot still hasn't advanced an inch :P
Hahaha, I hope he gets the third one out soon for all the fans who’ve been waiting 😊
I gave up after 25% of the first book. Just... didn't grab me.
Hard agree with everything!
If you owned a town it should be called Story Brooks hehe
Yes! I comnpletely agree. I don't like that theres this idea that some types of fiction are more literary, smarter, more complex, and others, like fantasy, are considered lesser fiction, sillier and imature. This is nonsense to me, I think all fiction is a window to somewhere else, no matter what the view looks like
Yes indeed! You said it more eloquently than I did 😅
I think you can learn a lot even from fantasy books. And if one person reads only literature books, well... They also can be an escape. I truly get angry when people make fantasy (or scifi) looks like trash.
I like me some dragons, too!!!!
I like fantasy the most because they drive my imagination crazy and its amazing
I think fantasy sentences are beautiful in their own merit. They are really well written after taking a college level grammar glass.
I simply tell people that fantasy authors are just the best storytellers.
Yeah, you know what, I don't think calling it "adult fantasy" exactly gives people the right idea 😅
I guess I like straight forward writing? I hate it when I have to read 10+ lines describing stuff. I honestly skim those parts at some point 🙈. Like yeah yeah, I get it!
You got me super excited for way of kings! I am just starting hero of ages! After I finish that I will go to way of king.
It really isn't all that action packed, sure it has action, and has a fight scene at the start, but it's mostly people talking or thinking to themselves.
It's okay to say that teenagers are stupid. They are just entering adulthood so they will make more stupid mistakes and risks. Also they are more hormonal.
I’ve met plenty of adults who are worse than teenagers 😆
@@ebnovels True... maybe teens being more stupid isn't the right phrase. Them lacking maturity and life experience is probably better suited, generally speaking.
Teenagers could be very mature in difficult situation. Just look at children from countries that are in constant conflicts or sometimes simply the poorest part of some developing countries. You'd be surprised how mature and practical they are comparing to the typical teenagers in rich western countries.
Although it’s not quite what you said, my own father group up in absolute poverty. At one time as a child he lived in an abandoned train car with his mom and four siblings, and they lived in hay barns too. He was definitely much more “grown up” at a young age than most people!
I honestly feel like that literary fiction is getting a bad rap among fantasy/SF fans. I love both literary and genre.
I don’t think negatively of them. There are only a few individuals out there that “shame”
fantasy readers or try to talk above them, but that’s a small minority. My hubby reads literary fiction all the time and loves it, which I think is great. He also loves comic books, manga, and crime fiction, and I like historical fiction and fantasy, and occasionally we read something the other likes. I wish that could be how more bookworms acted-respecting what others like :)
Rothfus proved that fantasy can be beautifuly written..
I’m pretty sure I said there is some beautifully written fantasy
I gotta disagree on the point that there isn't beautiful prose frequently in fantasy. Yes a lot of modern fantasy features more straightforward prose, but there are just as many "literary" style fantasy works out there.
The Last Unicorn(really anything by Peter S Beagle), Lord of the Rings + the Hobbit, anything by Rothfuss, Once and Future King, Wheel of Time has some beautiful passages, Broken Earth Trilogy, to name a few. It's certainly more common in classic fantasy, but there is modern that has those literary qualities as well.
I still think that beautiful prose are far less common in fantasy than other genres.
"Vin doesn't act her age" I'd like to corect that a little bit by saying that children that live the type of life and suffer the type of trauma she does, a LOT of them do act exactly like that, because trauma tends to "force" people into maturing and a lot of that is on the outside, because children and teenagers are still what they are and their cognitive development permits them what it does, but they lose a lot of what makes them well... kids... this is precisely why I actually love Sanderson (many other reasons but this one's a biggie) he makes characters with major psychological issues feel incredibly real and fleshed out, which makes the moment they overcome their difficulties that much more rewarding.
My father grew up in extreme poverty-I know very well that he was definitely more of an adult at 12 than most people I know nowadays in their 20’s! But on average, we look at YA characters also going through difficult times and say they act too old, but then value that in the young characters in adult fantasy. I was more commenting on that 😊
@@ebnovels I guess we do all have very biased opinions when it comes to what we value in different forms of literature, personally, I love very real and complex characters in fantastical settings, if it makes sense for the kid to be acting like an adult in the context of the book, then it's good writing from where I stand :D. Anyways love your channel and that bookshelf of yours. Mine is just starting to grow haha.