Fried Egg
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2006
- Messages
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What is it about most modern fantasy authors in that they feel the need to write endless epics? Why is it that many feel the need to over complicate their stories?
When you look back to early works of fantasy, they tended to be mainly in short story or single novel form. Even when stories were loosely connected in a series, they still stood on their own and could be read independently of the others. They did not feel the need to overly complicate their stories nor drag them out.
I suspect that Tolkien and the success of LOTR is to blame. Since the success of that has become apparent to publishers, they expect their authors to likewise churn out epics of vast proportions. Afterall, it's a good money spinner isn't it? Get people hooked into a series and see how far you can drag it out. Each book is just a continuation of the story that was begun in the first volume and the whole series has to be read in order for it to make any sense. Robert Jordan's "Wheel of time" series is a classic example of this.
Now I'm not saying that all modern authors are rubbish and I'm sure there are many counter examples to my sweeping generalisation. I have read and enjoyed many modern authors. But I find myself increasingly frustrated by modern works of fantasy with less and less patience for reading long series. Perhaps this has correspondended with my gradual discovery of classic works of fantasy and exposure to different writing styles.
Am I alone in this way of thinking or do others also feel this way?
When you look back to early works of fantasy, they tended to be mainly in short story or single novel form. Even when stories were loosely connected in a series, they still stood on their own and could be read independently of the others. They did not feel the need to overly complicate their stories nor drag them out.
I suspect that Tolkien and the success of LOTR is to blame. Since the success of that has become apparent to publishers, they expect their authors to likewise churn out epics of vast proportions. Afterall, it's a good money spinner isn't it? Get people hooked into a series and see how far you can drag it out. Each book is just a continuation of the story that was begun in the first volume and the whole series has to be read in order for it to make any sense. Robert Jordan's "Wheel of time" series is a classic example of this.
Now I'm not saying that all modern authors are rubbish and I'm sure there are many counter examples to my sweeping generalisation. I have read and enjoyed many modern authors. But I find myself increasingly frustrated by modern works of fantasy with less and less patience for reading long series. Perhaps this has correspondended with my gradual discovery of classic works of fantasy and exposure to different writing styles.
Am I alone in this way of thinking or do others also feel this way?