this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2023
12 points (100.0% liked)

writing

21828 readers
1 users here now

"There's no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you"

-Maya Angelou

Welcome to c/writing!

This is a space for all kinds of discussion referring to writing. This could include the structure and style found in different types of writing, authors worth talking about, different genres, trends, etc.

This is also a space for users who wish to share their own writing for feedback. This could look like independently posting excerpts of poems/prose/plays or it could be replying to one of the writing prompt threads. Brainstorming and worldbuilding ideas are welcome too!

Ideally, this will be a community where we work together to become better writers and appreciators of writing in all its forms.

All that said, please note that Code of Conduct still applies here. Please apply content warnings where applicable and spoiler material that might be inappropriate.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Hi! I am looking to write fantasy, a kind of notoriously overdone genre. I am curious if there are any "hot takes" on it that look at it from a fresh perspective? I have a long plate of titles to read already but I would be happy to learn what titles you have read and would recommend for somebody who wants to see how other people did interesting fantasy novels.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The Second Apocalypse is two series by R Scott Bakker which is "philosophical fantasy" maybe hard to read but was really refreshing for me how it treats the genre.

I tend towards the mythological and symbolic aspect of fantasy moreso than entertainment and novelty. There's the usual worldbuilding and narrative tropes, like a conflict between magic systems or whatever, but it's not really this stuff which matters.

The whole story is actually a somewhat thinly veiled philosophical debate between schools of thought on the philosophy of mind and metaphysics at large. Really, it's a very fancy academic paper on philosophy, if you can interpret it correctly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I will put it on the list, but I don't think it will be reading it so fast. your description sounds very "too smart for hoi polloi" and my last interaction with philosophy only made me hate astrology

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe I should mention it is still an entertaining and decent work of fantasy in the "hoi polloi" sense too. I just think it's not remarkable in that way, and it isn't what the author intended either so the best experience does require some effort on the reader's part or maybe at least an interest in topics like free will

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I will read and judge it eventually, but I want to write broadly accessible stuff, so other things will have priority