Why do you like fantasy books?

Gsmoove

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Hi everyone, unfortunately the world have just lost a fantastic author recently, and I've just been reading a bunch of my old books. Most of them are Phillip Pullman, Robert Jordan, George R. R. Martin and other great authors.

I'm not sure why I'm drawn to this particular genre. I suppose that I enjoy the adventure aspect and the escapism that good world building can provide. Since none of my friends in everyday life are interested in talking about fantasy books, I just wanted to throw this topic out there.

Also if there any recent fantasy books that you have read that you enjoyed, then I would appreciate any recommendations. Any new authors out there that are doing new things with the genre?
 

Queen Michael

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I'm not interested in fantasy as a whole. Sure, I read Tolkien, Pratchett, Abercrombie and Rowling, but that's because I like those particular writers Not because of any love for the genre.
 

JoJo

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I like the mystical and magic elements of fantasy, something has always drawn me to that, indeed even almost everything I write has to involve that kind of thing somehow, otherwise I get bored fast. I like fictional worlds, countries and histories too if they're done in an interesting way, fantasy or otherwise. Geeky things like maps, dates and lists are nectar to me.
 

BloatedGuppy

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Given I prefer "low" or "gritty" fantasy that bleeds most of the fantastical elements out of it, one does wonder why it tends to be my go-to genre.
 

Lilani

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I like seeing different takes on magic and mythology, and seeing what sorts of stories and characters arise from the circumstances certain mystical mechanics create. I also like stories which are divorced for the reality I live in. I've read a few stories which go for "magic realism," but for some reason I just prefer stories which take place in places I don't now of. I couldn't tell you why that is, it's just what I prefer. I guess one thing I've noticed is that stories which mix magic with the real world always seem a bit samey to me. There's always a checkbox of things they have to clear up: is the rest of the world aware of the magic or is it a hidden thing like Harry Potter? Has it shaped different people and places differently throughout history? Is it being used to explain mysteries like Stonehenge or UFOs? Is it based on certain religions or cultures? How do religious figures feel about magic? It just feels so done and overdone, I'd rather be someplace new. Even if it's similar to the real world or meant to represent something from it, at least it isn't bound up by certain historical or cultural constants.

Like yeah I still consider magic realism or magic based in the real world to be "fantasy," but those aren't the things I pursue in the genre or the first things I think of when imagining it as a whole.
 

Demetirus

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For me, it's a lot like why I like fantasy games. I like finding a character I can kind of relate to or at least like the ~look~ (relying heavily on my own imagination in the case of some weaker writers) of, and then just mentally slip myself into their shoes as they make their way through these fantastical worlds, seeing things that I will only ever see through them and wishing oh-so-much that it was my story, as opposed to theirs. It's not *just* fantasy that I do this with, but most of the time I find that this is the case. Sci-Fi can sometimes pull me in as well I suppose, but I don't find that it happens as often as it does with Fantasy.
 

Johnny Novgorod

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I don't. I like Tolkien and the world he created, which exceeds the narrative needs of each book. He created Middle Earth from outside-in, not inside-out. The Silmarillion makes a great "bible", and every other character-driven story set in Middle Earth feels like you're homing in from a realm of numerous yet finite possibilities. He created a very grounded fantasy world, if that makes sense.

I think it's a case of starting with the best of the best for me, and not having anywhere else to go after that. What little I've tried reading within the genre after that has been pretty mediocre.
 

Sniper Team 4

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I don't really like fantasy books. I've really only read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, I do prefer fantasy games over science fiction.

The reason being that fantasy games, and stories in general, still have that sense of magic to it. The idea of gods, of powers so far beyond understanding, and just that sense of wonder still exists in fantasy stories a lot more than sci-fi. In sci-fi, that sense of wonder is often replaced with a since of dread. Fear of tech and the unknown tends to be bigger in sci-fi, and a lot of the times, even at the end, it still feels like a downer. Fantasy games and stories don't have that as often. It still feels like a triumph, it still has fun in it.
 

Cowabungaa

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I'm not sure, really. A sense of mystique maybe? Ancient heroism, like the epics of old? Not that GoT has that, but I still like it. I don't really know. I read quite a few fantasy books, but it's quite a mystery why now that I think about it.
 

NeutralDrow

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Low fantasy feels like historical or realistic fiction with a built-in excuse to get creative. High fantasy provides its own built-in stimulus for suspension of disbelief. Both are tied not to realism, but merely to internal consistency, and therefore easier for me to get absorbed in.

It's why I created so many more Magic heroes in City of Heroes than Science ones. It's magic, I don't have to explain it...but it always heightens the fun when I can.
 

FalloutJack

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I just have a penchant for new and different worlds with strange things happening within them.
 

Ishal

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FalloutJack said:
I just have a penchant for new and different worlds with strange things happening within them.
Pretty much my reasoning as well. It's why I liked Wheel of Time a lot and a great many Brandon Sanderson stories. It's the world and happenings I'm interested in, everything comes as a bonus.
 

Thaluikhain

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Depends what you mean by "fantasy".

Tolkien style fantasy is almost always either people who've read Tolkien and think they are the next Tolkien, or that they are the anti-Tolkien which is even better, because they have rape in their stories. He is arguably a terrible thing to have happened to fantasy, because it got dominated by crap imitations of him.

Urban fantasy is about angry women that wear leather and fight/have sex with vampire and werewolves, generally set in something like the real world and written by someone that didn't bother wiki-ing it.

OTOH, that means if someone does something reasonable new or inventive, or just puts thought and research into it, they can really stand out.
 

Fieldy409_v1legacy

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I dont tend to think much about why I like things, I just like them. Why do I think Mangos are awesome when my friend is digusted by them?
 

Julius Terrell

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All I read is fantasy. I like having a blank slate where anything is possible. I often times tend to like universes where magic can exist, or comes to being. I'm currently still reading the saga of recluce. Damn long series, but it's been a good read. It doesn't seem longer than "The Wheel of Time", but few series are ever that long. I think nonfiction is boring.
 

FirstNameLastName

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Because the real world has a rather egregious lack of dragons ...

On a serious note, I tend to basically only read sci-fi and fantasy, since I like reading about worlds with new mythologies that are far from our own.

Sure, I've never been to plenty of places on this planet (I've never even left my country), but as interesting as other countries and cultures are, they aren't all that much different from our own reality.
 

CpT_x_Killsteal

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Gsmoove said:
Hi everyone, unfortunately the world have just lost a fantastic author recently, and I've just been reading a bunch of my old books. Most of them are Phillip Pullman, Robert Jordan, George R. R. Martin and other great authors.

I'm not sure why I'm drawn to this particular genre. I suppose that I enjoy the adventure aspect and the escapism that good world building can provide. Since none of my friends in everyday life are interested in talking about fantasy books, I just wanted to throw this topic out there.

Also if there any recent fantasy books that you have read that you enjoyed, then I would appreciate any recommendations. Any new authors out there that are doing new things with the genre?
I would recommend you search for "The kingkiller chronicle" and "The Tamuli". Both are wonderful.

I fucking love fantasy. A whole new world, new rules of nature, strange and exotic things, etc. It allows people to be fully creative as opposed to other books where "it needs to be able to happen in our world".
Fantasy series are the best there is, I get bored reading anything else.
 

Elfgore

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Because in my real life I can't pick up a sword and go on a quest full of adventure and action. Fantasy books let me see life from someone who lives that life. Some are joyful others depressing, but either way I enjoy reading them.
 

Redlin5_v1legacy

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I love what magic can do in fantasy, how skill with a sword can be overwhelmed by imaginative tricks, the journeys through a new literary landscape and the odd characters who inhabit it.

Damn, I need to read another Xanth novel now.