It’s the first Wednesday of the month again, time for a post for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

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I was reading a book recently, a romance set in ancient China, by a Chinese American author. The author is well known, and the book was written very well, with sympathetic characters and a fast-moving plot. The narrative flowed, and the exotic locale added spice to the tale. The novel had all the ingredients of being a satisfying read. It should’ve been, but … I couldn’t finish it.

I know many readers who enjoy this author’s books. She has a large following, and deservedly so. I wanted to enjoy her book too, but it just didn’t work for me. While several readers mentioned the Chinese setting of her books as a huge plus, for me it was that same setting that put me off. It felt too alien, too outlandish. I became lost and confused, while I tried to navigate the foreign background and the peculiar (for me) mentality of the heroes. I found myself gravitating instead towards a familiar European-like setting in the books I read. I want the cities and towns I understand and the mental concepts and values I can relate to.  

Full disclosure: I’m a white 60+ woman with European roots and education. I emigrated to Canada from my home country 30 years ago. Maybe I’m too old and set in my ways to explore other lands through my reading?

Sure, I like speculative fiction, which by definition deviates from reality, but even in speculative fiction, I prefer stories set in quasi-European environs, and when I write my own stories, they are invariably happening in such places. Traditional Middle Earth ambience usually works for me, both as a reader and as a writer. A spaceship with a European vibe does too, while a book based on African or Asian mythology rarely does. No offense to all the wonderful writers whose stories don’t spring exclusively from Europe. It is just a personal preference. Sometimes, I could appreciate the brilliance of their writing, from a cerebral viewpoint (e.g., Aliette de Bodard), but those stories almost never touch my heart.

What about you? Do you prefer familiar or exotic? And how do you define exotic? For a writer from India or Japan, for instance, European cultural milieu might seem pretty exotic. Tell me in the comments.