Chris Jags's Blog - Posts Tagged "slang"
Thoughts on Modern Slang in Fantasy
Would you want your favorite fantasy hero to call his archenemy a dumbass?
This is a polarizing topic for some. It seems that many readers want fantasy to match their impression of medieval dialogue. Modern colloquialisms are often frowned upon, as are 'modern' swear words (despite some of them having been in use for centuries). On multiple occasions I've seen or heard readers say that they'd immediately drop a fantasy book if it featured era-inappropriate language. I don't know how prevalent this line of thought is, but I've noticed it mentioned often enough to get me thinking.
To me, it's not a concern. Sure, you don't want your character using slang to reference concepts that don't actually exist in your fantasy world, but otherwise I don't see the problem. I think the issue lies with the perceived definition of 'fantasy'.
Many people, I feel, see fantasy as a term for 'fictionalized version of medieval Europe'. That's fine as far as it goes. If that's the kind of book you enjoy, by all means, be choosy about what you read! In my case, however, I see fantasy simply as a fully fictional or fictionalized world of any kind - therefore, not necessarily tied to any era, place, or style of language. Provided it adheres to its own rules, anything goes: the characters should be able to talk how they damn well please (again, provided it remains constant with how the world is presented). Fantasy, by its very definition, should be a place for imagination to fly free, not be bound to restrictive rules.
In my work, the characters talk using whatever slang I feel is appropriate to their natures and the nature of their world. Tourniquet inhabits Lemmereq - an entirely fictional world of fantasy - not Olde England. I am not bound to era-specific dialogue (or societal rules, or professions), 'cuz this ain't Earth.
Could a fantasy go overboard with modern slang? Well, possibly an overload might feel jarring, but unless the author is using terminology that describes concepts that don't exist in his or her fantasy world I can't see how it's harmful. Obviously, if you don't like modern slang in your fantasy, that's entirely your prerogative... but it shouldn't be on the grounds that 'that's not how they should talk'.
In short, fantasy is fantasy. Why adhere so strictly to rules in a genre which is designed to have rules bent or broken?
This is a polarizing topic for some. It seems that many readers want fantasy to match their impression of medieval dialogue. Modern colloquialisms are often frowned upon, as are 'modern' swear words (despite some of them having been in use for centuries). On multiple occasions I've seen or heard readers say that they'd immediately drop a fantasy book if it featured era-inappropriate language. I don't know how prevalent this line of thought is, but I've noticed it mentioned often enough to get me thinking.
To me, it's not a concern. Sure, you don't want your character using slang to reference concepts that don't actually exist in your fantasy world, but otherwise I don't see the problem. I think the issue lies with the perceived definition of 'fantasy'.
Many people, I feel, see fantasy as a term for 'fictionalized version of medieval Europe'. That's fine as far as it goes. If that's the kind of book you enjoy, by all means, be choosy about what you read! In my case, however, I see fantasy simply as a fully fictional or fictionalized world of any kind - therefore, not necessarily tied to any era, place, or style of language. Provided it adheres to its own rules, anything goes: the characters should be able to talk how they damn well please (again, provided it remains constant with how the world is presented). Fantasy, by its very definition, should be a place for imagination to fly free, not be bound to restrictive rules.
In my work, the characters talk using whatever slang I feel is appropriate to their natures and the nature of their world. Tourniquet inhabits Lemmereq - an entirely fictional world of fantasy - not Olde England. I am not bound to era-specific dialogue (or societal rules, or professions), 'cuz this ain't Earth.
Could a fantasy go overboard with modern slang? Well, possibly an overload might feel jarring, but unless the author is using terminology that describes concepts that don't exist in his or her fantasy world I can't see how it's harmful. Obviously, if you don't like modern slang in your fantasy, that's entirely your prerogative... but it shouldn't be on the grounds that 'that's not how they should talk'.
In short, fantasy is fantasy. Why adhere so strictly to rules in a genre which is designed to have rules bent or broken?
