[ SECRET POST #2652 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2652 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 041 secrets from Secret Submission Post #379.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 1 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

06. http://i.imgur.com/WtSV6Jh.jpg

[forgottenjester]

See, I came across daemons and had the exact opposite reaction from you. I was like, "Yes, I need this. Fuck the story. Tell me more of these creatures."

But, um, good luck.

[inkdust]

I love them too.

[(Anonymous)]

I always had mixed feelings about daemons, even as a kid. The idea initially seemed cool, but it really bugged me that people just went around with their soul bared, so to speak. It came off intrusive and too personal. But hell if it doesn't make great fusion fic.

[elaminator]

IA, the daemons were the most interesting part of HDM and the main reason I liked the books. (The ones that I read, anyway. I never did finish the last one...)

[(Anonymous)]

To be fair, His Dark Materials are meant to be children's books. I'd recommend you try the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson, or Under Heaven/The Lions of Al-Rassan/Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay.

[(Anonymous)]

YES YES MALAZAN YES ALL THE RECS FOR MALAZAN

[(Anonymous)]

So you want...realistic fantasy? I assume that means you like grimdark, stuff, but maybe that isn't what you mean? Have you read ASoIaF?

[(Anonymous)]

This comment reminds me, if you want to a rec about fantasy, I think OP may want to look into Michael Crichton's Timeline. Basically it starts as a sci-fi thriller but at least 2/3 of the book is set in actual medieval France. Grant it, not a whole lot of fantasy elements, but may that can get you back into fantasy.

[weaselbee]

That sucks. My suspension of disbelief has taken a few hits over the years too.

[(Anonymous)]

I like the design.
On the other note, how is it possible to take a 5 year break. It's more like stopping something... too long to call it a break.
Also many books seem stupider the older you get, imo.

OP

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah I always thought of it as a break, because I'd be aware of books I wanted to read, but I put them on the mental shelf marked "for when I'm better or have the time", and I ended up doing that for several years. And thank you, I did put some work into the design.

[(Anonymous)]

Not sure exactly what you're asking for recommendations for

but if what you're looking for is fantasy that might appeal to you more, a book I like a lot is Little, Big by John Crowley. It's my favorite novel ever, it's about a couple generations of a family in upstate New York and their (very indirect) relationship with Faerie, it's more akin to magical realism than mainstream fantasy, and it's absolutely great.

Also could check out Charles De Lint or James Blaylock or Michael Bishop. Somewhat more contemporary type fantasy and pretty solid stuff.

[(Anonymous)]

Little, Big is my desert island book. SO BEAUTIFUL.

(Honestly, though, the OP comes off as . . . maybe not quite ready for it.)

[(Anonymous)]

Did you read all of His Dark Materials? Right near the end of the first book, the concept of a daemon as being like you described is basically outright disassembled.

[(Anonymous)]

That's what I was wondering. HDM does not seem like the best example of a book that could be called "childish fantasy."

[(Anonymous)]

I totally hear you, OP. I wish I could have some of that same...I don't know, mind-space as I did when I was a teenager. I have a lot harder time just enjoying good escapist, fantasy fiction now that I'm in my mid-30s.

[ketita]

I kind of get you, OP, because I've also gotten a lot pickier about my reading lately, and I find myself unable to get into a lot of fantasy because it annoys me. But I think that the solution is simply looking for more adult stuff. There's plenty of adult fantasy out there.
Though I would just ask that you please not become one of those people who thinks that grimdark=mature, because that's really not true -_-

As for recs, I'd second books by Guy Gavriel Kay. Also check out Lois McMaster Bujold (writes sci-fi too, but is awesome in general). I think that Graham Joyce is pretty well thought of in terms of adult fantasy, even though I personally don't relate to his books so much. Charles DeLint is another author you might want to check out.
I mentioned The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon yesterday and I'll do it again, because I think it's an excellent trilogy.
Roger Zelazny is older, but he writes fascinating fantasy books, and definitely pushes the boundaries of the genre.
China Mieville also writes some really cool stuff that is definitely not your "standard" fantasy fare, and definitely geared towards adults.

[ibbity]

You could try Tamora Pierce's "Circle of Magic/Circle Opens" books (it's two sets of 4 books about the same characters. There's also a standalone novel that comes after the second set, and there will be at least one more standalone following that one.) It technically begins as children's novels (the main characters are 10/11 in the first set) but the books mature as the characters do, and even the first set deals with some surprisingly dark/mature stuff.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm not a fan of fantasy so I'm not speaking as a defensive fan or something but, honestly, your secret doesn't sound like you "outgrew" fantasy so much as your interests changed and you think it's "below" you now, which I think sounds pretty immature. I get it because hard fantasy as I understand it is kind of what kids grow up on and therefore, I get an association with fantasy and children's play but I tend to think it indicates immaturity to dismiss a whole genre as kiddish. This probably comes off as really offensive so I apologize for that, it's just the first thing that comes to mind when I read your secret.

[(Anonymous)]

Try the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks? Good characters, good magic system, etc.

You can also try the webcomic Unsounded. The first chapter may seem a bit childish, but don't let that turn you off. It gets very compelling very quickly, and I have yet to find a webcomic with comparable art.

[elialshadowpine]

The Shadow (or whatever it's called, but all the books begin with Shadow something) books by Brent Weeks are excellent, too, and the trilogy is finished, whereas I think there's still another book coming yet in Lightbringer?

[nyxelestia]

Try the Iron Druid Chronicles? It's modern fantasy, and while it's meant to be more fun than serious, it definitely it requires much less suspension of disbelief than most fantasy I've run into - and a lot of the later books are events and choices from the previous books coming back to bite the main characters in the ass, so there is quite a bit of deconstruction going on, it just takes a while to appear sometimes. The magic is pretty cohesive and the regular ol' humans' magic tends to be highly dependent on the laws of nature (and there are serious problems when those laws are broken by other magical beings capable of doing so). And there is a lot of social deconstruction as well - people who are thousands of years old have different values and perspectives from those who are a few centuries old who in turns are still very different from 'modern' people - bronze age views, morality, etc. =/= those of the Iron age =/= those of the Industrial age =/= those of the digital age, etc.

[(Anonymous)]

Have you tried Marion Zimmer Bradley? Or is that too fantasy-ish for you? I always wrestled with her books as a young teen, but I enjoyed them because of the way her characters fit into both established mythology and established history, depending on which book we're discussing. And they were definitely fairly adult, I felt.

Wait, am i missing the point of the secret?

[(Anonymous)]

The only fantasy I read these days is rereading my Tanith Lee books. They're not for everyone, but I generally can't stand most fantasy and I love these books.

Also--Lord Dunsany. He was building worlds when Tolkien was a schoolboy, so his work isn't polluted by any Middle Earth (or, rather, D&D) tropes. You can pick up his stuff on Project Gutenberg, since it's all in the public domain by now.