Why do you read Fantasy novels?

One word: Escape.

Mostly to escape from the so called "joys" of high school, along with the other pressures and problems of life.
 
I agree with pretty much all of the above, but an important part for me is also the ability to vicariously fight in battles, slay dragons, and play a part in a grander fight (eg. good vs evil). In our everyday lives we don't get to do this, so fantasy allows us almost to experience these things through the characters in the books.

For me, doing a lot of hard-core reading of a not-always-enjoyable kind, fantasy also provides something completely different from my usual reading material, something I don't have to take notes while reading, and can just get lost in different times, places and worlds. Having said that, I also like reading so-called serious literature, but it takes much more effort and I find fantasy more enjoyable (and usually just as rewarding).
 
I'm working on a paper for a graduate class in genre fiction. It's for a library degree and the philosophy of the course is that if we understand why people read certain types of fiction, as librarians we'll be better able to serve our patron's needs. I love fantasy, so I've chosen that for my term paper.

I've already learned a lot from this site and this thread, but I'd like to learn more. So, I'm bumping this thread back to the top to ask again, "Why do you read fantasy novels?"

And if you have any stories about how libraries have (or haven't) helped your fantasy reading needs, that would be helpful as well. Thanks.
 
Agree with basically everybody here on how its a escape from reality. There are basically no boundaries in the fantasy genre and their are a ton of original fantasy books out there. Personally I find pretty much any book outside fantasy/sci-fi boring (Enjoy history books a tad though). All my friends joke around and call me a geek for reading fantasy but I love it and without the genre I probably wouldn't be reading.
 
No escapism here - I just enjoy reading, and I've become attached to the flexibility of the fantasy genre; I also have enough experience in it to keep finding work of quality to read. I'm branching out, however, into sci-fi and general fiction.
 
Melewen said:
I'm working on a paper for a graduate class in genre fiction. It's for a library degree and the philosophy of the course is that if we understand why people read certain types of fiction, as librarians we'll be better able to serve our patron's needs. I love fantasy, so I've chosen that for my term paper.

I've already learned a lot from this site and this thread, but I'd like to learn more. So, I'm bumping this thread back to the top to ask again, "Why do you read fantasy novels?"

And if you have any stories about how libraries have (or haven't) helped your fantasy reading needs, that would be helpful as well. Thanks.
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Well, I read for escapism, but it needn't necessarily be fantasy: I went through a phase of crime novels, another one of historical novels, and so on. I read fantasy (and to a lesser extent SF) because it's the imagination and worldbuilding I value. I like reading books that examine things that aren't possible in normal life: not just magic, but the effect of magic on people, dragons, etc etc. I care far less about experiments with narrative styles, etc. and more about worldbuilding: which is why I quite like the deathgate cycle, for example, which was poorly written, but imaginatively created...

Libraries? Well, after I moved from the "young adult" section to the "adult" section, I had to start somewhere, and because our library had a "fantasy / SF" section, I started there. I pretty much worked my way through all the books they had in that section before branching out. Being able to order books was good - didn't have much money in those days so I'd the latest releases...
I've noticed that because they'd often not have a complete series, I'd frequently pick up volume 2 in a trilogy, say and start reading there: I quite enjoyed trying to work out what was going on. Then I'd order book one later...
I always thought, by the way, that libraries should keep a record of all the books you've borrowed - that way you'd be able to find them again. I find myself struggling to rememeber books I'd like to re-read, but can't remember the author / title.....

JJ
 
I read for the entertainment.
And well in fantasy there can be things that just wont happen in reality. I mean dragons, dwarves and great magicians. The list goes on....
I also read for the sense of escapism. I tend to get caught up in a story. Read a bit. Think about it in bed. Read another bit. Think some more about. Weekend comes. Read loads :cool: . You just cant escape into a realworld story, it doesnt work. Also, in fantasy there is a whole sense of exploration. I mean, I've been a huge fan of Feists' for the past few months and I still have consult the map of Midkemia regularly.
And finally my last point. As you can see from my name I am an aspiring chief of a great army and my dream job would be a brave warrior saving the innocent free and slaying the evil ones.
Anyway gotta go.
Bye Bye
 
Hello peoples. My first post on here. :o

Anyways, on to why I read fantasy. I love history and reading about different cultures. I just love reading about things that are different from our present time. With that said, reading a fantasy book is like looking into a whole new world. I get so excited reading about the different cultures and histories for the world the author has created. I also love Classical and Medieval warfare. So, with most fantasy taking place in Medieval like worlds, reading about the warfare is just icing on the cake for me.
 
Fantasy is one of the genres i read the most thats why im at sffworld lol. Anyway back to the point fantasy just gives you pure enjoyment.(if you can get into the story, hard with some fantasys ive read). Fantasy gives you freedom to think what you want thats why i read it :)
 
jbcohen said:
I would like to hear from some of the female fantasy readers. My wife says that she does not read fantasy literature because she would rather read about people and places that she is likely to encounter. How do you ladies feel about the matter?
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I read it for escapism.
My mother intoduced me into Fantasy with Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradly and books by Katherine Kurtz. These authors, if you are not familiar with them, emphasize feminism. That appealed to me as a teenager. (now I only dream that I could stay home a raise children instead of work!)

My sister's husband also reads Fantasy. We learned that we had read very few of the same books. Why? He reads books that stress strategy and politics. I read books that deal more with the emotions of a character. I love Mercedes Lackey because she takes an abused, misunderstood, underdog and makes them a hero of the country. 1 person's story. Roy likes authors like Robert Jordan because it is many people's story and armies. (I also like Jordan but that is not the norm for me)

Thanks for listening to my rambling! :)
 
Hey guys!

This discussion is as old as the genre itself, but somehow it always finds a way to creep up again, year in and year out. Even after all these years, speculative fiction is still looked down at, or frowned upon at the best of times.

Having been a fan of the genre for two decades now, I will be the first to admit that once upon a time, it was true that "good" authors in the field were not that numerous. But that is no longer the case. Personally, I feel that the last couple of years have been great for speculative fiction. And with the many sub-genres, I now feel like there is something for everyone.

Fantasy used to be enjoyed by a relatively marginal number of readers. I can still remember when the fantasy/scifi section of a book store was a mere 4 feet x 4 feet. For both genres! But nowadays, those sections are among the most popular in any bookstore. Since the early 90s, fantasy has begun to sell more and more, and today it really is incredible to see just how many fantasy authors make it to the NYT list in 2005.

Now, if memory serves me right, there has never been such a high number of speculative fiction authors on the charts in any one year. And there are countless quality writers such as Erikson, Bakker, Miéville, Kay, who have never been on top of the charts.

Altough its detractors will never consider it "true" literature, I feel that speculative fiction has never been in better shape. And the future looks quite bright, with the coming of authors such as Susanna Clarke.

Fantasy and its myriad sub-genres, as well as scifi, will likely never get the respect they deserve. But with the immense success of series like Jordan's WoT and Rowling's HP, and with an influx of fans caused by the success of the LoTR movies, I think it's safe to assume that the coming years should be good ones for us readers.

And for those who cannot appreciate such "literature" because they simply lack the imagination to do so, I honestly feel sorry for them. Because for me, having the possibility to escape to another universe, albeit for just a few hours, is the greatest thing on earth. I'm in the Law field, and you won't catch me dead with a Grisham novel. And I think that fantasy authors, with their hability to whisk us away to new worlds, are veritable magicians.

They never will get the credit they deserve, unfortunately. Yet somehow, with the way things are at the moment, I get the feeling that it is irrelevant. Speculative fiction is here to stay. Many fantasy writers outsell "real" authors. And the more it sells, the more it gives authors a chance to showcase their talent, and perhaps one day transcend the genre. :D

Patrick

P. S. Sorry about the rant, guys! But the Cowboys lost another one, so I may not be held accountable for this post! ;)
 
You speak for me too

jbcohen said:
Me I read to get away from the real world and visit people with far worse problems than I.
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Life in fantasy worlds has purpose . Fantasy problems are real, but have clear boundaries. Real world problems like poverty, war, abuse of power, greed, adultery, prejudice and mortality are ill-defined and repeat themselves forever, and their solutions are always partial and temporary.

In fantasy, problems have solutions. The solutions are clearly defined. Even when evil can't be defeated forever, decisive temporary victories are possible. You know when you have won. In the real world you have to turn up for work on Monday.

Fantasy worlds also have a certain completeness that the real world lacks. Gods, heros, monsters, peasants etc. all have natural and enduring relationships with each other. They make sense, even in a wierd way. The real world is so complicated it is like a carpet frayed on four sides.

I guess I like to escape into Fantasy because it reflects the real world but is more emotionally rewarding.
 
Remember when you were a little kid and your mom or dad read you all the fairy tales out there? You were taken away to a different land where the princess always got the prince, you knew who the evil witch was and she always bit it at the end. Life is more simple in fantasy. Not that they don't go through hell, but life is a little more black and white. Life is too gray sometimes and we just want it just a little more black and white.
BTW I am a woman and I just love fantasy. And I hate those "female" books that women are supposed to read. You know the ones, recommended by Oprah? When I read I want to go somewhere else that doesn't remotely resemble where I am. It is to escape and how can you do that in the same place you are?
 
I've seen a lot of mentions of escapism. it may be true, for some readers, but there's more to this fantasy genre. A more correct question would be "why would an author choose this form of expression?" just to make a fast buck in a growing market? i think not - it offers them a freedom of expression and it helps us expand our horizons.
I read fantasy because it "opens the doors of perception" - Jim Morrison used chemicals to explore new territories of the mind. Fantasy authors rely on imagination. In the space age there are no more white spots on the maps of the Earth, the only unexplored countries are inside our minds. SF goes the Milky Way and the science way, Fantasy goes the dream way, but the purpose is to discover our human limits, to explore our posibilities. Another topic mentioned the desacralisation of modern society. We may "escape" from it in a fantasy realm, but when we come back to reality, we come back richer in tolerance/ethics/whatever...
 
sic's mom said:
Life is more simple in fantasy. Not that they don't go through hell, but life is a little more black and white. Life is too gray sometimes and we just want it just a little more black and white.
BTW I am a woman and I just love fantasy. And I hate those "female" books that women are supposed to read. You know the ones, recommended by Oprah? When I read I want to go somewhere else that doesn't remotely resemble where I am. It is to escape and how can you do that in the same place you are?
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I look at the poor abused heros of the fantasy story when they face impossible odds and the total annialation of their country is at stake . Somehow my problems like an annoying coworker doesn't seen quite so bad.
I agree with the above female comment above too. :D
 
How does one feel then about "real" fantasy. What I mean is the incorporation of the politics/poverty/starvation into fantasy...Bakker/Erikson/Martin etc. This part of fantasy seems to be growing in importance and the old high or semi high less "real" fantasy of Tolkien/Eddings/Feist/Goodkind/Jordan declining.

Where's the escapism there?
 
The fantasy that I read is mostly YA fantasy, so this isn't as applicable as others, but -

I like fantasy because the very idea of creating a completely new world of your own awes me. It's like saying, 'Hello, I'm going to expand your vision beyond this world and show you all the seemingly-infinite possibilities.' The imagination can go where reality can't.

Another reason is that at least some problems are solved by the end of a book. There might still be some complex problems that are an echo of real problems in this world, but at least the book has proved that the characters can do something. Sometimes, when I feel that nothing I do makes any difference, reading fantasy helps me feel better in general.
 
Because sci fi is dead, to put it bluntly. Shop shelves are only showing bizarre nanotech and cyber neural transmogrification of the body and who knows what else. Packed with halfwit military tactics, unprouncible names, pathetic finales and drivel characterisation. The jewels are just too rare to find, and 2yrs ago I packed my bags and explored fantasy.

Wasn't much better, but I'll Sith Lord myself before I'll read a cliche dragon/elf/dwarf book. The genuine fair are rare to find too, but fortunately I'm becoming increasingly conversant on a growing list to avoid. If they can label a kid's book YA that would be most helpful; I'm not spending hard gold on a mere teen-prosed book they try tricking you into buying, and have succeeded to often.

Sure, sci fi is a broad genre of diversified subdivisions, but all I'm seeing are wacky stories that make for interesting reading plotwise---say, like planet-sized ships---but don't come with the credible depth to support it; or cliche supercorporations trashing worlds and superenhanced heroes or cyberheaded people that are about as human to you as professorial fleas. I'd like to read a serious, mature space opera book for once, like the old days.

I'll rectify the lack of proper space opera soon enough.
 
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I read fantasy because there is no other genre like it. it sparks your imagination and builds whole new worlds. i also read it because i am realities biggest reject, but hey, i got my books so leave me alone! heh.
Fantasy novels are different to each person. i have a good question, What do you look for and get from a fantasy novel?
 
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