Eric Christensen lists 10 things he rather not see in new fantasy, such as The Chosen One (The Special), dark lords, limitless magic, and uniformity among races. I would add blind seers to this list. What do you think of these things? Would you add or subtract anything?
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Yes and yes. So tedious. And no more “giant battles” with humans versus rubbery creatures.
I sort of disagree with #4. I mean, sure, making good guys white and bad guys black is pretty cliche but so is making the bad guys white and the good guys black. In fact, that tends to be the most common problem with most modern stories for me.
I don’t think flipping cliches is a good way to conquer them. All it does is give them a new coat of paint.
Characterization that relies on individual traits would probably make for a better wish.
I noticed someone else took issue with that point on the list’s page, but he was clarifying the reference to Martin’s work. Generally, Eric is with you on deeper characters. That’s the gist of three or more points on the list.
To #6, I’d counter with Saving Science Fiction from Strong Female Characters.
And with #10, I heartily agree – Neal Stephenson skewers this one admirably in Reamde, where the fantasy world suffers an Apostropocalypse.
I only got partway through the list, since the guy’s understanding of cliches was so cliche. “Villains never think they are villains” is a silly overgeneralization. It’s something people tell themselves to avoid confronting their own villainy. Actually, you can find plenty of people who do admit to being villains, from Augustine or Chesterton over on the good side, to Ted Bundy on the bad side. Dean Koontz wrote a great novel with this as a theme, “Dark Rivers of the Heart”.
Great point, Nigel. Thanks.
I think I take these things at face value without much critical thought, so thanks for bringing up the back end like this.