At 03:17 PM 11/29/00, you wrote:
> >
> > Anyway, I don't agree with him. That is, he admits a number of things have
> > been pointed out to him, but he seems to want to strip the fantasy out of
> > fantasy and still call it fantasy. I think he's describing more a
> > misplaced historical fiction in an obviously fictional milieu.
> >
> > How much realism do you think Howard put into his worlds, and would more of
> > it have helped or hindered? Should anyone care that 20 peasants would have
> > supported every one of those guys the heroes kill in the stories?
> >
> > http://www.sfwa.org/writing/thud.htm
> >
>
>I recall the essay by Anderson that you mention. I tend to agree with him,
>in that a successful fantasy or scifi story must be rooted in a pretty
>believable world. This enhances the "willing suspension of disbelief."
Yes, believability is important, but does it have to hinge upon
realism. Is it necessary to have the hero notice every peasant or dwell on
the fact that the roads are terrible?
>I don't think he really meant to "to strip the fantasy out of
>fantasy and still call it fantasy." "Everything fantasy" is not great
>simply by virtue of its purported or attempted outrageousness, or pure
>butchery of the form. Xena, for instance, is absurd and unbelievable in
>every conceivable way, from the butchering of historical facts, figures, and
>time periods, to the ridiculous physics-defying action sequences (with
>cheese-ball sound effects) and the bad over-acting that makes Shatner look
>like Olivier. The fight sequences are ridiculous and impossible, beyond
>description, and how about that "armor?". And God, don't mention the
>writing and dialogue--probably the WORST to ever hit the airwaves.
>
>In fact, Xena stands as the perfect example for REALLY bad fantasy fiction.
>Please tell me it's not in print....
I like Xena, and, yes, it's in print. There are a growing number of Xena
novels. But then, Xena didn't set out to be believable fantasy. It set
out to be an Americanized version of the Hong Kong action flicks.
Xena is more like cheese fantasy than heroic fantasy, although they have
gotten into some interesting storylines.
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