In which our heroine responds to her boyfriend’s mocking of her favorite genre...
An embarrassing number of books on my bookshelves have pictures of dragons, elves, or sorceresses on the cover. I read a lot of fantasy, and even at 25, I still read a lot of fantasy intended for the Young Adult market. My boyfriend rolls his eyes, openly mocks, or quietly scoffs at this particular love of mine. Coming from a man who still routinely buys Star Wars novels, this is an especially low blow.
I became a serious fantasy reader in junior high school. I was an awkward, friendless preteen and had plenty of time to devour the expansive works of Anne McCaffrey, Terry Brooks, Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton, and Piers Anthony*. To be honest, each of these authors wrote fairly formulaic novels, but it’s a formula that appealed to me. In nearly every one, a normal girl (it was usually a girl, but if not actually a girl in the book, it morphed into a girl later in my head) suddenly discovered that she was a princess or sorceress or soldier in the fight for good. Each of these normal girls suddenly discovered she was extraordinary.
That is what I wanted to read about, because that is exactly what I wanted to happen to me. I eschewed “normal” preteen fare. I wasn’t interested in babysitting or getting a boyfriend or throwing tantrums caused by my parents divorce, and too many stories marketed to my age group focused only on those mundane issues.
Today, I read more adult-oriented fantasy writers. George R.R. Martin’s “Song of Fire and Ice” series is more about political backstabbing and intrigue than magic and elves. Lord of the Rings has moved out of the realm of genre and into the respectable “classics” category. Good books are good books, no matter how many dragons are pictured on the covers.
But mostly, I continue to read fantasy because it’s familiar and comforting. It’s the same reason I still like eating Kraft Macaroni ‘n Cheese, when I know I have more substantial and healthy offerings in my kitchen. It’s a homecoming. I am not ashamed.
*My first and only fan letter was written to Piers Anthony. He wrote a gracious and personal reply, and we began a brief correspondence. Eventually, I suggested a joke for his incredibly pun-laden Xanth series. He thanks me for it in the Author’s Notes of Zombie Lover. People consider him a hack, but he is a lovely and kind man, he honestly appreciates his fans, and I will defend him to the end.
1 comment:
I too felt a bit self conscious about revisiting this genre and reading Mr. Martin's series of fantasy novels. (What pushed me over the edge, however, was an article in the New York Times comparing him to Tolkien.). But, of course, you're correct in that these books are more about the intrigue and sinister machinations behind a kingdom than the traditional stereotypical sci-fi fantasy novels that one sees at the bookstores.
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