Fantasy Writing Parameters, or the lack thereof
In the comments discussion of last week’s UF vs Paranormal post, a question was brought up about parameters in fantasy writing, and I thought I’d go into my view on them.
One of my favorite things about writing fantasy-based stories is the actual lack of parameters. I can pretty much come up with my own magic system, my own take on classic fantastical creatures and beings and my own take on how they interact with the world. The only parameters that exist are the ones I put in place. Internal consistency.
Some of my favorite stories take classic mythos and turn them into something new. Like Scott Westerfeld’s Peeps. His vampires aren’t the undead. They are humans with a terrible virus. Or Mark Henry’s zombies. His go out to clubs and wear makeup and stilletos. Quite a contrast to the typical mindless roaming monsters. I know Diana Peterfreund’s new YA series coming out next year has her own version of unicorns…and they certainly aren’t the friendly creatures I usually have in mind when I hear that word.
I love the freedom in this because the only thing limiting your ideas is your own imagination. If you have a cool take on orcs, nothing really is stopping you from completely overhauling the classic view of them. In fact, it’d be pretty cool to see an alternative definition of these creatures.
Of course, like I said before, it’s important when world building to keep the story consistent. If you make a rule that vampires can’t have children, a few books later, a vampire shouldn’t suddenly be the father of a child…If you create a world where wizards are funny men who wear top hats and can only perform spells by wearing those funny top hats, they shouldn’t all of a sudden use incantations and spirits three books later to perform a spell. Unless, of course, there is a very good explanation for it.
I’d love to hear the thoughts of others on this. Do you believe in sticking to classic fantasy parameters or do you like it when the author stretches those and makes his own rules up about the world he is creating?
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Comments
Well, to be fair, my unicorns are actually *more* in keeping with traditional unicorn myths and legends than the 80s, Beagle-style versions. It’s a bit like how the modern incarnation of fairies are more like the old school scary fairies than the Tinkerbell type. I took those old unicorn stories, that had been perhaps submerged beneath the onslaught of fluffy happy gentle unicorns, and brought them to the forefront.
For me, if you use “traditional” creatures, you’re going to HAVE to do something fresh with them. I’m so tired of reading the same ol’ same ol’ when it comes to paranormal creatures. It’s one of the reason I really loved PEEPS, and why my favorite part of twilight was when Edward sparkled like a disco ball (talk about slapping Anne Rice in the face!) . If they are the same vampires I was watching on Buffy 10 years ago…
Otherwise, create your own, like CL Wilson, who has, not dragons, but giant, winged, fire breathing cats, or again, Scott Westerfeld, with his children born at midnight and the “darkling” monsters they battle in Midnighters.
For me, it depends on the fantasy creature we’re talking about. I don’t mind radically different spins on elves, faeries or dragons, but I have pretty narrow parameters on what I like in terms of vamps and werewolves. I like my vampires to be shadowy, skulky Nosferatu types, and I like my werewolves to be a little more “were” than “wolf.”
I also really like seeing authors playing with lesser known “creatures” from myth and folklore…which is why I love AMERICAN GODS and Mike Mignola’s HELLBOY.
Like Diana said, the traditional fantasy stock characters are getting pretty tired after all these years. You almost HAVE to find a way to re-invent them in order to get noticed, or at the very least start crossing genres, which has grown in popularity lately (eg, alt-histories using dragons as weapons during the Napoleonic wars, vampire pirates, etc.) There will always be traditionalists, but think the majority of modern readers are craving something new.
And like Dan, I’ve been thinking an awful lot about exploring the lesser known, “background” races and creatures for my own story ideas, as well. You get the benefit of using something people are already familiar with, but you also get more or less a blank page when creating their world.
Of course, there’s always something to be said for just making up your own, weird little beasties!
I’ve clearly been mulling this over in the back of my head, because (surprise!) I’ve got more to say.
I find it interesting that, with all of the authors out there finding success writing about mythological/magical beings, there seems to be very little written along the lines of “superhero fiction” (which just happens to be where I play). Sure, there’s Martin’s WILD CARDS series and some Marvel and DC tie-in stuff (some of the DC books are actually pretty good), but that’s pretty much it, as far as I know–I’m not counting anything that tries to deconstruct or get all meta on superheroes.
Is there a difference if your character has super strength because they’re a vampire or because they’re genetically different somehow? Is it easier to write about someone who hurls fireballs with magic versus someone who can do so naturally?
I think there’s a big market in “superhero” fiction right now. Off the top of my head, there’s the EVIL GENIUS series by Catherine Jinks, which is a YA about a boy at “supervillain” training school, there’s the Bigtime series by Jennifer Estep (3 books and counting), Jacki Kessler and Caitlyn Kittredge have a superhero book called BLACK AND WHITE coming out from Bantam Spectra next year, Gena Showalter had one out in 2006 called PLAYING WITH FIRE, Marianne Mancusi has one out right now (it’s futuristic, and the main character has been genetically enhanced by her father to become a Razor Girl like in the old cyberpunk books) and I’m sure there are others, but I haven’t had my tea yet.
With the popularity of superheroe’s in visual media (Heroes, and what? five or six ongoing superhero franchises in the movie theaters?) it’s only natural this translates to books as well.
Thanks, Diana. Given the success of super-heroes/comic-inspired properties in the movies and on TV, I was surprised that there wasn’t more out there. I guess there was more out there…I just wasn’t looking in the right place.
as long as the author does convincing, consistent world building, i’m all for stretching the boundaries. but everything does have to make sense in that world. like my editor told me during the last revision, you don’t want the reader to believe none of the story because she didn’t believe one part of it.
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