The remedy is a read through the delightful little book: The Tough Guide to Fantasy Land by Diana Wynne Jones. This is a must-read for anyone who is tired of the usual fantasy stereotypes and is looking for a little fun with their fantasy. The Guide is just that - a guide of the usual fantasy subjects. The reader takes on the persona of a tourist who is undertaking a guided tour through fantasy. This little book is the guide. You are provided with a map and a helpful set of definitions of the various people (Minions of the Dark Lord) and places (Citadels) you might encounter in Fantasy Land, what you might eat (Stew), what you might wear (Boots), and what you might do for fun (Fights) (Scurvy) (Incident).
Now, I'm not always one for humour in my fantasy, but Wynne Jones very nicely deflates some of the pomposity surrounding the usual fantasy tropes with her definitions. In short, she really "takes the piss" out of some of the tired traditions of fantasy novels. The definitions are quite clever and the book is very interesting to flip through. At times, her references to Management (who is running your tour of Fantasy Land) put in mind of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next universe and I couldn't help but think of tours running in the behind-the-scenes of some of my favourite fantasy novels, and some of the classics (like Lord of the Rings).
It is clear that Wynne Jones loves fantasy, and loves to poke fun at it. What kind of genre is it that can't poke fun at itself? This is a good browse for those of you who are tired of fantasy and for those of us who love it despite itself.
"... those of us who love it despite itself" - LOL!! I love that line.
ReplyDeleteI would still put myself in the other category, but I did finally receive my copy of the new Jasper Fforde -yay! Have you started it yet?
I have started it - have you? What do you think? I love it so far - just when I thought Fforde couldn't get any weirder, he turns the whole idea on its head. I can't wait to see what happens next.
ReplyDelete