- Escapism. Sometimes it gets a little old to be constantly immersed in business, economics, and world crises. A 12-year old decapitating Medusa off the New Jersey turnpike makes for a nice change of pace.
- Clear good guys and bad guys. A good fantasy may have false trails and such in the middle, but at the end, the hero wins, the bad guy is defeated (at least until the next book) and I can sleep well. All is right with the world.
- Inspiration. Yes, it is fiction, but if a kid can confront Hades and sacrifice his own desires for the greater good, what is stopping me? Ender's Game is one of my favorite novels of all time for exactly this reason.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Why read fantasy?
I just finished reading Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief. It took me about four hours total, and I enjoyed it greatly. Why did I enjoy a mass market adolescent fantasy novel?
3 comments:
Steer clear of George R R Martin. Some of the best fantasy I've ever read... but you will never be able to pick up another clear cut "good vs bad" fantasy book again without feeling cheep. :)
Ryan - I'm not sure about those gray-area books. If I wanted gray, I don't need to escape. But you've still tempted me, and I will blame any resultant lack of sleep on you.
I adore fantasy fiction for reasons 1 and 2, however, I don't know that I've ever been inspired.
You are definitely an over-achiever. ;)
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