But fantasy isn't about simpler times, at least not if done well. And can be rustic or not, depending on the specific book. And has as its concerns very much the idea of getting beyond one's own life and into the larger world.
It's not concerned with the literal details of the world beyond our own--fantasy works through metaphor, not through extrapolated specifics from our own world. But affinity for fantasy--as reader or writer--definitely doesn't mean a lack of caring about what's over our own heads, in my experience.
And there's the urban fantasies which are quite popular these days, such as SMOKE AND SHADOWS which I just finished, or STAYING DEAD, URBAN SHAMAN, the Harry Dresden series, etc. These aren't rustic settings or simpler times, yet they are still fantasy.
I know there are lots of reasons why people read and enjoy fantasy novels, but I can only speak for myself. As a reader, I like character driven stories. I don't need magic or quests, I'm not looking for FTL drives or quantum theory. I want characters, and these days the genre that most often caters to my tastes is fantasy.
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Date: 2005-08-09 07:34 pm (UTC)It's not concerned with the literal details of the world beyond our own--fantasy works through metaphor, not through extrapolated specifics from our own world. But affinity for fantasy--as reader or writer--definitely doesn't mean a lack of caring about what's over our own heads, in my experience.
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Date: 2005-08-09 07:43 pm (UTC)I know there are lots of reasons why people read and enjoy fantasy novels, but I can only speak for myself. As a reader, I like character driven stories. I don't need magic or quests, I'm not looking for FTL drives or quantum theory. I want characters, and these days the genre that most often caters to my tastes is fantasy.