[Jon Shannow]

I just finished another Fantasy book that finish's with all the magic fading away and all the magical creatures dying off.
This seems to be a recurrant theme in fantasy at least a large minority of Authors seem tobe compelled to do away with magic at the end of there storys.

Its something I find very depressing

Has anybody else noticed this
Any thoughts on why Fantasy Authors seem compelled to do this to me...

[Cygnus]

Good topic Jon.. this is something that I've wondered about also. In many cases they tie in a loss of magic with a loss of the other fantasy races and the resulting dominance of humans. Depressing indeed!

I'm trying to think of other authors besides Tolkein that do this, but no names are coming to mind. But, I know that many others have had this sort of ending. In many cases I think that they are trying to allude that this is what our own planet has gone through (in a alternate history sort of way). I think that many authors like to have a romantic vision that these cool things could be a part of our own past. It makes it more.. approachable or something. Also cooler than coming from apes!

[allanon]

Yes, this is unpleasant...Especially in SoT...

[Jon Shannow]

Magic goes Away Larry Niven
City of Fire Jerry Pourenelle
Dark Prince David Gemmell
Last Sword of Power David Gemmell
Kedrigern Series John Morressy
Sword of Truth Series Terry Goodkind
Beyond the Blue Moon Simon R Green
Swordman Trilogy Dave Duncan

Off the top of my head there are no doubt dozens more.
It got to a point in the eighty's that I winced if in the book I was reading the world had one large moon. Because sure enough at the end after the hero had sadly banished magic from the world they would find out that the country they were in is called England. Or the Hero had a name that can be mispronouced as Jesus or something.

I think you are write Fantasy Authors like to pretend they are writing Historical Fiction.

[sci-fi_fantasy_fanatic]

I would love to agree with Cygnus on this one. Unfortunatly, I believe that it may have more to do with the laziness of many authors. When you take a moment to think about it, the ending of magic cuts the reader off from that realm. This cuts off pleas from readers who desire to read another story based in that world. Forcing them to rely upon fan fiction.

Now forgive me if I am wrong, but try to imagine another book based in Tolkien's world, a few hundred years later. Without elves, rings, and other objects of magic, the epic scale would be ruined. All you would be left with is a remarkably well written renaissance fair, and that is not what good fantasy is all about.

[Princess of Darkness]

I think its a way of showing what the human race is doing to THIS world - slowly killing every beautiful thing off until all that is left will be hatred, boredom, and no trees. People will stop living in their own worlds, and imagination will die.

Its a subconcious message being given out by these authors, from some higher entity that can see what we are doing to ourselves.

Sorry to be depressing.
Maybe it won't happen if we all keep believing in faeries etc. Please try.
Thankyou xxxx

[ezchaos]

I agree with most everything everybody has had to say so far on this topic.

One reason I think authors 'end the magic' is because it brings some finality to their story. It's a denfinite end, unless the author goes back and writes stories in their world's past.

Not to say that it's good to feel sad or depressed, but it can be good when a book leaves you feeling SOMETHING at the end (other than anger because you wasted your time reading it). Whenever I go back and read the LotR I feel a little sad at the end. But, I think it's cool when the author can stoke those feelins in you. How many books have you read and you don't feeling a thing when you finish the last page.

[This message has been edited by ezchaos (edited May 04, 2002).]

[Loque]

I agree with PoD and would add the Orcs books by Stan nicholls as being a similar idea, although this has a different sort of ending.

[allanon]

The most disgusting thing is that SoT continues, however that is without faerie creatures.

[Qin]

Correct me if I'm misinterpreting your comments PoD, but your post indicates that a world without magic is a terrible world, which I think we can all agree as being untrue. Or were you speaking metaphorically, in which case, I misreading your post. And were you talking about trees as magical beings in a metaphorical sense as well?