[Wulfa_Jones]

I'm talking about in modern fantasy... I'm sure in myths and legends of the past there where 'farm boys' but I'm thinking post Tolkien.

While not farm hands of any sorts Bildo and Frodo where the typical farm boys.

But post them, who was the first farm boy that has become the staple of (some would say the lazy writers) fantasy?

I've read a fair bit of fantasy but I'm no master of the genre... so the oldest book I've read that uses the character type is Eddings and Garion.

I'm sure this is not the case though!

[Kanin]

Edding's Garion came to mind too, but I'm interested in finding out. Hopefully, someone can enlighten us.

[RAD]

Decent characters: Luke Skywalker and Clark Kent. To some extent, Neo of the Matrix movies (in terms of moving from innocence to becoming a hero and champion). I've rooted for all these guys.

Lame stereotypes: Rand al Thor (Wheel of Time), Richard Rahl (Sword of Truth series), the heroes in Terry Brooks' Shannara series. Those are series in which I actively want the bad guys to win, for no other reason than to shut these pathetic, whiney, preachy, cardboard cutout heroes up.

[Radone]

King Arthur from T.S. Elliot's [U]Once and Future King[/]. Not literally a farmboy, but a person of undistinguished standing, "destined" for greatness.

[Andrathion]

While not farm hands of any sorts Bildo and Frodo where the typical farm boys.


No, I don't think they were :) .


But post them, who was the first farm boy that has become the staple of (some would say the lazy writers) fantasy?


Dare I say it? The real farm boy seems to be Shea Ohmsford, the protagonist of Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara.

[Kanin]

Decent characters: Luke Skywalker and Clark Kent. To some extent, Neo of the Matrix movies (in terms of moving from innocence to becoming a hero and champion). I've rooted for all these guys.

Lame stereotypes: Rand al Thor (Wheel of Time), Richard Rahl (Sword of Truth series), the heroes in Terry Brooks' Shannara series. Those are series in which I actively want the bad guys to win, for no other reason than to shut these pathetic, whiney, preachy, cardboard cutout heroes up.

I think you didn't read the question. Wulfa asked who was the first farm boy in modern fantasy post Tolkien.

[Kaellyn]

What about Taran from the Prydain Chronicles? You can't get much more farmboy than that. Or did you mean more recent.

[RAD]

I think you didn't read the question. Wulfa asked who was the first farm boy in modern fantasy post Tolkien

That would be Skywalker or Kent. Once I started though, I just had to include Neo, then go to the other end of the spectrum and name some of the copycats.

I forgot about Taran. Yeah, he was good, but I don't think King Arthur counts as 'post-Tolkien.'

[Jack]

How about Feist's Pug? He's always the first character I think if when I consider the visibly-unremarkable-farm-boy-rises-to-power-learns-a-hitherto-unharnessed-powerful-form-of-magic-and-saves-the-world-from-certain-destruction. <exhale>

[Erfael]

Not to say they're the earliest, but earlier than most mentioned are Ged of Earthsea in LeGuin's Earthsea and Morgon of Hed in McKillip's Riddlemaster, from the '60s and '70s respectively, both agrarian/herder types who go on to have vast magical abilities.