Fantasy Aficionados discussion

Just picked up The Riddle-Master of Hed off my pile of "meaning to re-read/get around to". I vaguely remember reading book 1, but have all three and know I never finished all of them.

Really enjoying it and thoroughly engaged after only a few pages.

That is the first thing I've noticed, more than anything. More recently published fantasy just can't seem to hook me that quickly or at all. Part of me wonders that a book from the 70s is so much more engaging.

If I actually remembered much about the book, I would ascribe this to a familiarity/comfort factor. But since this old book is essentially "new" to me, I haven't quite put my finger on the difference yet.

It's not that I dislike all contemporary writing or contemporary fantasy in particular.

Some of it is striking the right balance between world building and backstory at the get-go and the confusion of throwing readers in the deep end in medias res. McKillip is balancing this well, where too many modern writers veer to one side of that balance or the other.

Well, that's all for now, as I'm just getting into this.

Chime in with your thoughts on my comments or any thoughts on the book in general. Just remember to use the < spoiler > tags, as needed.

I'd agree that many of the older fantasy/sci-fi works don't initially put in much world-building/backstory, which to me gives high-re-readability, because there is more to understand each time you erad. Andre Norton is a great on for the in media res set-up.

For me, it's a balance. Too little world building and you struggle to follow what's going on. Too much and you sit there going, "get to the story, already."

Ah.....this is my favorite comfort read.

Tastes differ. I liked it when I read it around 10 years ago, but now for the life of mine I cannot recall any detail from the series. It turns out to be completely forgettable for me.

Evgeny wrote: "Testes differ."

??? LOL

I read the first one recently because I never did when I was younger, and I thought it was pretty good. The characters are likeable. The settings enjoyable. The magic well placed.

Malrubius wrote: "Evgeny wrote: "Testes differ."

??? LOL

I read the first one recently because I never did when I was younger, and I thought it was pretty good. The characters are likeable. The settings enjoyabl..."

Oops!