[ SECRET POST #2882 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2882 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 061 secrets from Secret Submission Post #412.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

you hit the nail right on the head. I was thinking about this the other day when I was contemplating looking for recs much the same - that the problem with fantasy books is that they copied the surface embellishments of Tolkien when they should have been looking at what made his books resonate with so many people - the worldbuilding, the sense of wonder, the unpredictability of the plot despite it following the Hero's Journey theme...

I'm like OP, I don't want any more elves and dwarves and castles and England. I want other mythologies, other cultures/time periods, and most of all the ability to not know where the story is going after page 2. Thankfully, every time someone brings up this topic, f!s is full of recs and I eat them all up. So thank you for adding a few. ;)

[cbrachyrhynchos]

Interestingly, the only fantasy novel I've read in the last year with elves was steampunk political fantasy (The Goblin Emperor).

[xenomantid]

You're welcome. The principle you've observed is true of almost every author whose work gathers a sizable following—see also Lovecraft "pastiches" that use tentacle monsters and cipher narrators while discarding the originals' intricate atmospheric details, alienated tone, and sometimes hallucinogenic aesthetic. Speaking of hallucinogenic aesthetics, Clark Ashton Smith's work is famous for them; Penguin recently leased a collection of a fraction of his output (The Dark Eidolon and Other Fantasies). You might be interested to know that The Arabian Nights and Theosophy used to be much more influential among fantasy writers, especially American fantasy writers, before Lord of the Rings descended on the scene. Pre-LotR fantasy has many problems with it, as a general rule, but I like it more than much of what came later.

P. S. I can't believe I forgot about the Anglo-Irish fantasy master Lord Dunsany. He penned some achingly beautiful vignettes.

[cushlamochree]

Is there anything more annoying than a poorly-executed pastiche?

Also, speaking of Clark Ashton Smith, and also hallucinogenic aesthetics, did you ever read Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber (who, lbr, should probably have been mentioned in this thread already)? Really fun, interesting book, and references Smith in interesting ways without being totally a pastiche. If kind of overly 70s at times.

Also also, James Branch Cabell, if we're talking about pre-LotR American fantasy.

[xenomantid]

For the purposes of this conversation, nothing is more annoying than a poorly executed pastiche.

I haven't read Our Lady of Darkness, but I have read Conjure Wife and Swords and Deviltry. Datedness doesn't necessarily detract from my enjoyment of a work of fiction, as long as said work is comprehensible.

Which James Branch Cabell book do you recommend reading first? I have Figures of Earth, The High Place, The Cream of the Jest, and Domnei.

(Lastly, I meant "Penguin recently released" up there, not "Penguin recently leased.")

[cushlamochree]

It's hard to say which Cabell you should read first, and I'm not sure it matters all that much - I feel like he's one of those writers where it's as much about his distinct style as it is about anything else.

That said, Cream of the Jest is probably my favorite of his books, so I would default to recommending that.