Poll

[limyaael]

There are two questions here, but that's just because one question can only include 15 options; the rants that are most popular will come first no matter which question they're listed on. I tried to respond to people in the suggestion post itself when I didn't think I had enough knowledge to talk about a subject or when the suggestion fit a rant I'

Comments

[rickgriffin]

Huh. Mind control, attitides towards killing and violence, and nonhumans are all main topics of the novel I'm writing.

[x_haphazard_x]

*please make mind control rant please make mindcontrol rant please make mind control rant are you listening limyaael?!*

*Cough*

[pico_the_great]

How do I shot web choose? I like all of them.

Using non-Western influence in fantasy

But this one especially I'm all about. In my time in studying Chinese language and culture, I've become ridiculously aware of how western-influenced the fantasy genre is. There's exceptions - Nancy Farmer, and Octavia Butler, and one of Lloyd Alexander's books, and a couple others - but I'd love to see more of this: of cultures from the eastern hemisphere, especially. (It would be so neat to see what I'm studying come up relevant in a fantasy novel. So neat.)

[veriest]

With relevant being the keyword. ;) Please, no more stories of princess Ling Ling who has a dragon-god-prince friend. Though, I suppose putting up objections to foot-binding would be a lot more sensible than putting up objections to pretty gowns.

I think the entire fantasy genre is almost homogeneously western, especially in terms of poorly written-in Author's Darling's narratives' values. It would be interesting to read fantasy fiction that displays the protagonists with Eastern values.

[pico_the_great]

Ohgod, it's almost as bad as those who write fantasy and have the north be the province of barbarians, and the south of tribesmen, and the east the inscrutable whatever-the-hell-they-are-people. And names that aren't checked out are great, too.

Though, I suppose putting up objections to foot-binding would be a lot more sensible than putting up objections to pretty gowns.

Hoyeah.

And it would, at that. It means study, if the author's from a Western/non-Eastern background, but it could be great to see a society like that.

[saltnester]

...little random, but Australasian authors are pretty good at less heavily western/mocktolkienian settings. The places The Etched City is set in, carry only eerie echoes of the familiar - the closest place I've been that reminds me of Ashamoil is Bangkok.

Monssons can be fun, too.

[alexmegami]

Can I put mad heavy votes in for prostitutes?

Whores!

[saltnester]

They are just difficult people to write. Really they are...hey, I wonder if we should have a rant on Drink! as well as Women! considering the part alcohol plays in our own world's history. (if it were not for the ritualised drinking in the Near East, the alcohol-as-status-symbol wouldn't have spread to Europe, the Europeans wouldn't have evolved a higher alcohol tolerance, native americans would not be at a diadvantage when plied with drink etc.) Most fantasy socities seem to have Generic Ale, or weak mead if you're lucky. Maybe red wine that for some reason even in a mediaeval setting doesn't need straning or Mysterious Clear Liquid. I think Prachett and Tolkein are the only fantasy authors that make much of cider...but if, say, land was scarce, you'd be more likely growing wheat than hops, no?
And why is it only protagonist's dads that become alcoholics?[ramblage]

Re: Whores!

[barbarienne]

I'm trying to understand how Europeans evolved a higher alcohol tolerance, when it's been pretty well demonstrated that people with lower alcohol tolerance are more likely to breed? (Think about it.)

Re: Drink!

[saltnester]

People with lower alcohol tolerance are more likely to breed only if they don't come in contact with alcohol. Then they're too pished/poisoned etc. Like rats and pesticide, only voluntary.

Think Russia and post-glacial northwestern Europe: they were burning it off efficiently for heat, which is why traditional drinks become more concentrated as you head towards the North Pole, and he who controlled the firewater would be a big chief with preferential access to females, and if he could retain his capacity for mating with all of them after three horns of mead...I think I'll stop thinking of Vikings like gorillas now. I have a very visual imagination.

Anyway - whores! I need that rant...

[silverwerecat]

Funny how the "prostitutes" rant is in the lead... heh.

[shadowvalkyrie]

Why funny?
*chants* The Internet's for porn, for pohohorn... *is thrown tomatoes at*
";-D

[silverwerecat]

Of course it is. How could I forget?

Saw your Vulcan, and raise you one Spock with kitty. ;)

[shadowvalkyrie]

Awww! Secret agent kitty icon! I have the matching tribble one. *shows off*

[anima_mecanique]

I put in votes for an Urban Fantasy rant, because...um, I really like the idea of modern fantasy, but so much of it is just taking the modern world as is and slapping some fairies or vampires on it. I'm all for fairies, but I really wish people would write books where the fantasy elements were actually MODERN instead of transplanted high-fantasy. Like Jim Butcher's leftover-pizza-eating brownie, or the RPG setting I just read where a group of burger-flippers saves the world by grilling magic sigils onto their sandwiches and the most powerful magic artifact in the world is a porno tape that depicts the ascension of its female star to godhood.

Modern fantasy. Not modern/fantasy.

That probably wasn't the subject of the rant you were thinking of, but it's a pet peeve of mine :D

[angelan]

Maybe you'd like Webmage by Kelly McCullough. Magic there is all computerised so there's programs instead of spells. To be honest, whilst the idea is neat, I wasn't really all that interested in the characters, but that might just be me - I've heard quite a few people say they liked it.

[anima_mecanique]

Awesome. I will be sure to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!