tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post1140646417862370641..comments2024-03-15T09:26:02.796-05:00Comments on PROJECT MAYHEM: Fantasy Sub-Genres, by Matthew MacNishProject Mayhemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05154342399869089664noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-18942779166123996822015-02-18T05:33:40.837-06:002015-02-18T05:33:40.837-06:00You're welcome, Don!You're welcome, Don!Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-51542941957426173862015-02-18T05:33:27.122-06:002015-02-18T05:33:27.122-06:00You're welcome, Caroline! I wasn't sure a ...You're welcome, Caroline! I wasn't sure a MG blog was the best place to put it, but I think it worked out okay.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-33203826734897691342015-02-17T18:19:46.095-06:002015-02-17T18:19:46.095-06:00Not a big reader of Fantasy...but I found this bre...Not a big reader of Fantasy...but I found this breakdown fascinating! Thanks. :)DL Hammonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02007260062331783715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-41469584181464040892015-02-14T11:00:32.415-06:002015-02-14T11:00:32.415-06:00This is brilliant, Matt. Thanks for this!This is brilliant, Matt. Thanks for this!Caroline Starr Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04597510685273079757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-1705355356454618092015-02-14T11:00:26.934-06:002015-02-14T11:00:26.934-06:00This is brilliant, Matt. Thanks for this!This is brilliant, Matt. Thanks for this!Caroline Starr Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04597510685273079757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-6157335069316638362015-02-11T22:50:54.272-06:002015-02-11T22:50:54.272-06:00You're welcome, Jamie!You're welcome, Jamie!Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-75013086398325915282015-02-11T19:39:19.054-06:002015-02-11T19:39:19.054-06:00Very informative! Thanks for sharing :-)Very informative! Thanks for sharing :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-49157420567789084352015-02-11T12:52:36.539-06:002015-02-11T12:52:36.539-06:00You're most welcome, Diana! And I do think it&...You're most welcome, Diana! And I do think it's fun to discuss the labels that are out there, even if too much labeling can be bad for authors and stories that are subverting the tropes.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-87052571842531099672015-02-11T12:50:01.544-06:002015-02-11T12:50:01.544-06:00This awesome. As a fantsy lover and author, it is ...This awesome. As a fantsy lover and author, it is wonderful to see it defined to beautifully. Great information. Love the term "grimdark." Thanks so much for taking the time to put it together. . Diana S. Zimmermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10429469153625119961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-27349729504068915882015-02-11T12:49:27.219-06:002015-02-11T12:49:27.219-06:00Me too! Thanks, Marissa.Me too! Thanks, Marissa.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-86395517165633066252015-02-11T12:49:12.175-06:002015-02-11T12:49:12.175-06:00I love it too! Wish I'd thought of it. ;)I love it too! Wish I'd thought of it. ;)Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-63896738735548693262015-02-11T12:48:31.924-06:002015-02-11T12:48:31.924-06:00He is. He even goes by @LordGrimdark on Twitter. H...He is. He even goes by @LordGrimdark on Twitter. He is one of the authors who embraces the label.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-81503664746302097392015-02-11T12:47:58.178-06:002015-02-11T12:47:58.178-06:00Glad it helps, Mike!Glad it helps, Mike!Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-16244412747682439972015-02-11T12:47:40.135-06:002015-02-11T12:47:40.135-06:00I too love character driven stories, often even mo...I too love character driven stories, often even more than commercial high concept plot based stuff. But also I think some of the terms could be updated. I like "Contemporary Fantasy," for example, better than "Low Fantasy," and other things like "Historical Fantasy," and so on are more specific.<br /><br />Love Ranger's Apprentice, BTW!Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-16474751984734863512015-02-11T12:31:09.866-06:002015-02-11T12:31:09.866-06:00Great post! Just reading about fantasy subgenres m...Great post! Just reading about fantasy subgenres makes me happy. :)Marissa Burthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13079821721448782710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-25330551263809562082015-02-11T11:51:38.718-06:002015-02-11T11:51:38.718-06:00Very informative, thank you for the nice break dow...Very informative, thank you for the nice break down. I've always wondered about how fantasy could be classified into so many categories. I'm loving the term "Grimdark" btw. Brendahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13260139292374478327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-39581725737327168462015-02-11T11:42:39.613-06:002015-02-11T11:42:39.613-06:00I imagine Joe Abercrombie is Grimdark fantasy.I imagine Joe Abercrombie is Grimdark fantasy.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-52282648867126961942015-02-11T10:50:47.741-06:002015-02-11T10:50:47.741-06:00Excellent, my friend. Well-written and informative...Excellent, my friend. Well-written and informative. You are my go-to guy when Fantasy is involved.Michael G-Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07947421844294471304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-37595126820683958362015-02-11T09:51:23.647-06:002015-02-11T09:51:23.647-06:00What a fun post! You've got me all riled up fo...What a fun post! You've got me all riled up for a good fantasy read now. I love this term "Grimdark" and admit it's a new one for me. I write fantasy but can see where I fit into the low-fantasy category you describe here. <br /><br />For me with reading or writing, it's all about the character. I can forgive much in a plot if I love the characters! And while I love the idea of setting as a character I love it is a secondary character that fuels on the main character. <br /><br />Other books that I love and see fitting into this low-fantasy and character-driven style? Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan and The False Prince (Ascendance Trilogy) by Jennifer Nielsen. <br /><br />Fantasy is such a wide open label where much falls (like paranormal). <br /><br /><br />DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-91697328405085566732015-02-11T08:42:31.225-06:002015-02-11T08:42:31.225-06:00LOL. Thanks, Steve! LOL. Thanks, Steve! Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-9423402232138772232015-02-11T08:42:03.824-06:002015-02-11T08:42:03.824-06:00I called my first manuscript Rural Fantasy, becaus...I called my first manuscript Rural Fantasy, because it was kind of like an Urban Fantasy, except it didn't take place in a city! Sticking with just plain Fantasy is fine though. FWIW I would probably refer to ATR as Low Fantasy, but I also don't really like the connotations that come with the word "low."Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-29247357936939877702015-02-11T08:41:00.215-06:002015-02-11T08:41:00.215-06:00Thanks for the insight on the history - didn't...Thanks for the insight on the history - didn't know much of that.<br /><br />Also, this would be great jacket copy: Think soldiers dying in the mud, faces blackened by soot and dried blood, and flawed, conniving kings and ambassadors spinning webs from within walled cities.Steve MChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15026970188928733645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-4179034054847331472015-02-11T08:40:46.972-06:002015-02-11T08:40:46.972-06:00I definitely think it's different in Juvenile ...I definitely think it's different in Juvenile fiction. And again, a lot of these distinctions are a bit muddy, but adult fantasy also considers world type as a sort of subset. So you'd have secondary world, portal fantasy, or world-within-a-world (like Harry Potter or Neverwhere), and those would be like a second way to categorize stories.<br /><br />It's also interesting because certain authors embrace the labels and others dislike them. I can see value to both sides. :)Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-57071659911774138792015-02-11T08:30:31.384-06:002015-02-11T08:30:31.384-06:00This is why I always just label my work Fantasy, b...This is why I always just label my work Fantasy, because it fits into almost all of these categories in one way or anotherSarah Ahiershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02795455714801965956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2173408054965817352.post-40903655407422851212015-02-11T08:30:01.716-06:002015-02-11T08:30:01.716-06:00Interesting breakdown! First, I had no idea that L...Interesting breakdown! First, I had no idea that Lloyd Alexander first coined the term "high fantasy." Secondly, it's interesting that these categories are defined primarily by their themes and the types of characters, as well as the moral characteristics of those characters. Fascinating!<br /><br />I suppose, since I mostly read and write MG/YA fantasy these days, I'm used to categorizing them by plot elements: portal fantasy, urban fantasy, steampunk, supernatural, paranormal.<br /><br />But remembering my days of reading the adult versions (ironically enough, when I was a teenager), I can see the application of your categories quite clearly.Dianne K. Salernihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16459839567235304842noreply@blogger.com