Medwyn
February 18th, 2002, 01:21 PM
Hi all! 1st post. I’m not always this long-winded . . .
I was wondering what opinions you all have on names? I know there was a Bad Names thread a few months ago, but I’m more interested in knowing what kind of names appeal to you, and how they affect your overall perception of the author and their fantasy world.
Of course, Tolkien did names very well, although the work that lies behind those names is not something we could expect from most authors (especially if they’re not linguists). By inventing languages, cultures, and histories for his world (and at the same time drawing from real-world sources), he gave his names a plausibility and naturalness that’s hard to find elsewhere. The names he uses underscore the hominess and cuteness of the hobbits (some might find it hard to take names like Bilbo, Pippin, etc. seriously, but they *do* fit), the earthiness of the dwarves (Fundin, Gloin, Gimli), and the elegance of the elves (Legolas, Galadriel). I find that this makes it easier to believe in Tolkien’s creation, and makes LotR a joy to read aloud.
So what’s an aspiring author (like myself) to do if they aren’t up to the task of inventing whole languages? I know many authors simply use real names (Welsh, Celtic, etc.), but what if that doesn’t fit the world you’re making?
A few opinions:
Irrespective of his overall skill as a writer, I think Eddings does a good job of creating names that are at once new and comfortable, while seeming to have some family resemblance to each other. True, some of the bad guy names are kind of cartoonish, like Zedar, ‘Zakath, and especially Torak, which is totally inappropriate for a god who’s supposed to be inconceivably handsome.
I’ve just read a little bit of Jordan, but his male names don’t really work for me. Rand, Tam, Mat, Dav, Lan, Bran . . . come on! I’m sure the contrast with the more elegant female names and group names (Aes Sedai, Myrddraal) is intentional, but it makes it harder for me to warm up to these characters. Also, their similarity to modern names (Randall, Matt, Dave) draws me out of the fantasy world a bit.
So what do you think? Do names influence your decision as to whether or not you want to read a given book? Is it important for names to seem related, rather than just random combinations of sounds that haven’t yet been used? Do the names become invisible after a while, or is an awkward name a distraction throughout the book?
Okay, I’ll let someone else talk now!
I was wondering what opinions you all have on names? I know there was a Bad Names thread a few months ago, but I’m more interested in knowing what kind of names appeal to you, and how they affect your overall perception of the author and their fantasy world.
Of course, Tolkien did names very well, although the work that lies behind those names is not something we could expect from most authors (especially if they’re not linguists). By inventing languages, cultures, and histories for his world (and at the same time drawing from real-world sources), he gave his names a plausibility and naturalness that’s hard to find elsewhere. The names he uses underscore the hominess and cuteness of the hobbits (some might find it hard to take names like Bilbo, Pippin, etc. seriously, but they *do* fit), the earthiness of the dwarves (Fundin, Gloin, Gimli), and the elegance of the elves (Legolas, Galadriel). I find that this makes it easier to believe in Tolkien’s creation, and makes LotR a joy to read aloud.
So what’s an aspiring author (like myself) to do if they aren’t up to the task of inventing whole languages? I know many authors simply use real names (Welsh, Celtic, etc.), but what if that doesn’t fit the world you’re making?
A few opinions:
Irrespective of his overall skill as a writer, I think Eddings does a good job of creating names that are at once new and comfortable, while seeming to have some family resemblance to each other. True, some of the bad guy names are kind of cartoonish, like Zedar, ‘Zakath, and especially Torak, which is totally inappropriate for a god who’s supposed to be inconceivably handsome.
I’ve just read a little bit of Jordan, but his male names don’t really work for me. Rand, Tam, Mat, Dav, Lan, Bran . . . come on! I’m sure the contrast with the more elegant female names and group names (Aes Sedai, Myrddraal) is intentional, but it makes it harder for me to warm up to these characters. Also, their similarity to modern names (Randall, Matt, Dave) draws me out of the fantasy world a bit.
So what do you think? Do names influence your decision as to whether or not you want to read a given book? Is it important for names to seem related, rather than just random combinations of sounds that haven’t yet been used? Do the names become invisible after a while, or is an awkward name a distraction throughout the book?
Okay, I’ll let someone else talk now!