[Peregrine]

I made the mistake of posting a question relating to a specific author last time. This time the question is author-neutral.

The Quest, I have noticed, seems to becoming less common a theme in newly published fantasy. I have even read a quote from an editor 'people do not want to read about quests any more.'

Are quests a tired theme?

What is your take on this?

Peregrine

[Bardos]

I like quest, if they have a point. Meaning, not "save the world, by becoming a great sorcerer, or finding an item of magic" again.

Another thing that has disapeared from fantasy lately, I think, is the barbarian hero. Why is that? http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif

[Sammie]

Because we all have the t-shirt.

[Bardos]

What t-shirt?

[Hobbit]

http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif
'we all have the t-shirt'

(In other words, Bardos, we've all been there, seen it, read it and got tired of it).

Does that help?

Hobbit

[Cadfael]

(In other words, Bardos, we've all been there, seen it, read it and got tired of it).

Well I am not tired of it http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif. But I do agree the heroic quest should never be the 'be all and end all' of fantasy.

[This message has been edited by dennizm (edited October 19, 2001).]

[Bardos]

<<'we all have the t-shirt'
(In other words, Bardos, we've all been there, seen it, read it and got tired of it).>>

Sorry, didn't know the expresion! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Penumbra]

The more thrilling the quest, the greater the story. If publishers are looking askance at it for now, they will change their minds again because you can't beat a man with a good plan, especially when money is involved. Survival demands a quest, one way or another. That, in itself, is the publisher's quest so let the irony of that unfold.

[Hobbit]

Happy to explain, Bardos! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Dennizm - I should point out that that isn't necessarily my view! - was just trying to help Bardos out!

More seriously - and trying to get back to the original point - the idea of the quest is one of the fundementals of Fantasy - Homer's Odyssey, Jason and the Argonauts, Lord of the Rings etc etc and as such clearly has a place in Fantasyland - it even comes up to date with Tad Williams' Otherland series for example! - so I can see why the usual repetition of the same cliches would suggest that the innovation behind the original idea is getting thinner. (Tad Williams's is NOT one of these, btw!)

However, as often pointed out here in this forum, it is not the attainment of the object that is the point of the story but the changes that occur along the way. This is a basic human need and as such there will always be a place for it in stories, Fantasy or otherwise, methinks!

Hobbit

[This message has been edited by Hobbit (edited October 18, 2001).]

[Sojourn]

Hobbit has made some very good points. The idea of 'the quest' is buried in the human psyche. And although 'the quest' idea may be very obvoius in some stories and not so obvious in others, the underlying theme in any tale in any genre is one of 'striving' for something, be it for change, victory, understanding, enlightenment, money, power, recognition, a higher ideal etc. So while the examples mentioned by Hobbit are very obvious 'quest' stories, I believe that the 'quest' theme is more universal than most people think. So in a sense, the 'quest' theme has not 'faded' or become 'tired', but merely camouflaged.