/lit/ - Literature

>>2265473
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_fantasy

This is all and delightful, and I enjoyed the read, but wasn't quite what I was looking for.

What sort of fantasy do you even have in mind?
Fantasy doesn't mean "medieval setting".

>>2265492
Well going from the description I'm looking for a 'High Fantasy' with an immersive world, but it seems unless it has some recognizable trope it doesn't get published.

>>2265495
I think you have set your criteria to be unrealistic.
Everything except the most avant-garde / hipster works are full of tropes. Because that is what sells, indeed.

A Song of Ice and Fire series

>>2265499
I'm more talking about the fact that every fantasy book has a 'Quest' and needs to fulfill some 'Prophecy' and defeat the 'dark lord' or 'rising evil' or something along those lines. They've gotten to a point of being so distilled and stale that I physically gag when I see these particular things. Not looking for an work created by the gods. Just not Skyrim and a regurgitation of Tolkien.

I suppose WoW should be said also.

>>2265495
If you are just looking for an original world then you could try something like Dune. I haven't actually read much scifi so I don't know how original it is in that context. If you are tired of werstern mythology, then maybe there are fantasy stories based on other mythologies?

>>2265504

Every piece of high fantasy is a regurgitation of Tolkien. It's kind of the definition of the genre.

Name of the Wind

>>2265504
A Song of Ice and Fire really would fit this. It's not a bad series. I unfortunately stopped reading somewhere in the 3rd book and never picked it up again (why I have no clue, it was good...) but what I read was certainly better than the rehash stuff youre talking about.

>>2265506
I get what you're saying, but I don't know if I buy that. Is this kind of fantasy the end all be all of fantastic fiction? To tell tales of unassuming midgets with tall ZZtop wizards and the blog of doom?

There has to be a challenger to this notion. Is not fantasy only limited by imagination?

Are there any fantasy novels that don't use standard fare such as: quests, elves, dragons, faeries, magic, non-human races, evil overlords, black and white morality, undead, mentors, gods, chosen ones or otherwise illogical and unrealistic concepts?

>>2265513

Are you sure fantasy is what you're looking for?

OP yes, there are western canon books that are fantasy.

>>2265511

Well, yeah there's tons of fantasy that doesn't fit Tolkien, but you're not asking for that. You're asking for high fantasy, the genre directly descending from Tolkien.

>>2265515
It was a joke on OP.

chronicles of amber

>>2265515
That guy isn't me. >>2265513

I'm OP and these comments.
>>2265473

>>2265486
>>2265495
>>2265504
>>2265511

>>2265518
Well played, then.

>>2265523
>thinking that was well-played
o lawd

Saging a thread that's on the top? Well played.

>>2265527
>thinking that was well-played
o lawd

have you tried reading "Keeper of the Swords" by Nick Perumov. sure it uses some of the typical ingredients but with quite an original twist.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but...
fantasy tends to be, well, um... fantastic.

>>2265584
Its not the fantastic I have the issue with. It that the flavor of fantastic doesn't change.

There are plenty of ways to write a fantasy story without using the 'go to' creatures and plot. No seems to have the ability to though.

>>2265607

Do you want high fantasy, or just fantasy?

You're being very unclear about this.

>>2265610
are you trolling or are you serious?

I already mentioned High fantasy.

Of course not, they are tailored for children and mental midgets.

>>2265613
0/10

Troll is old hat at this point.

>>2265612

Then stop complaining about fantasy in general.

Gormenghast

The Prince of Nothing

>>2265619
Why? You gonna make me?

I'm tired of the mediocre crap passed off as a story when I know better work can be done with more imagination.

Maybe Borges? Lots of people have defined his stories as fantastic.

>>2265622

It's just confusing, is all. You say you want high fantasy, and then you go on to accuse all fantasy of having the problems of high fantasy. Which is just not true.

This one has more realistic garbage.

>>2265641
High fantasy has the problem of Tolkien's dick being stuck in its mouth. I can think of more interesting things to do fantasy about then elves, dragons, and hairy feet.

you're actually bothered by the cliches of the genre but people are making really good stories where you'll be surprised at how original they use a motif like faeries for example

Way of Kings for example take the spren there and how they affect the world in so many levels and take another story and compare


I really think you'll enjoy that story and world-building since it doesn't just say "there were pixies everywhere"

>>2265675
newsflash so did real authors and they wrote books about it, maybe you should read some and stop making generalisations

>>2265677
List two books.

The Shamer's Chronicles perhaps? I haven't read them, but I hear they were pretty good. Might be more directed towards a younger audience though.

>>2265678
besides the afforementioned way of kings book
first law series
black company chronicles
mistborn series - the only "cliche" motif are religions based around prophecies and it's very well handled
name of the wind -has a cliche in it again handled in an original way

The Alloy of Law? but I think you'll enjoy it more if you've read Mistborn trilogy before

A name of the wind

>Are their any fantasy novels that DON'T use standard fare, like quests, elves, dragons, faerie's and the like?
no

>Are their any fantasy novels that DON'T use standard fare, like quests, elves, dragons, faerie's and the like?

Yeah, you can find them in the generic fiction section. Also in the Crime, horror, classic etc

The lies of locke lamora is very good and original

Please don't make me say Game of Thrones.

It's a good book, I'd recommend it.

I realize that you're looking for books, but I'd recommend the computer game "geneforge", it does a good job of staying away from cliches while still creating an interesting world.
I'm only suggesting this because you mentioned skyrim and WoW.

The Dresden Files

You could try M John Harrison OP.

I haven't read his fantasy stiff like Virconium (sp?), but his later stuff like matters of the heart/Light is sort of weird sci-fi, fantastic stuff. Mundane yet creepy. Don't know if it is really what your looking for but worth a suggestion.

Mieville loves his dick, apparently.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Does Gormenghast count as fantasy? You can read that, it has none of those you mentioned. In fact, no magic at all or anything fantastic/out of the ordinary. Have fun.

His Dark Materials
Alvin Maker

>>2266241
that's got a shit load of elves and fairies

>>2266241
I don't mean top hijack this thread but I am 180 pages into the paperback of this novel and am bored stiff: The characters are at least up to now so thinly drawn that I can't imagine ever caring about them and the story is moving at roughly a snails pace. I feel more like I am reading a play than a book. The reason I haven't stopped reading is because it was on about 800 different best of lists when it was published; but I just don't get what's so great about it.

OP... I still don't understand what book you're looking for.
A fantasy book is a book that has some fantastic aspects.

One calls a book 'fantasy' if there is some kind of 'standard fare' typical for fantasy books.

Do you mean that once an elve comes in play it's not what you want, but if a dwarf is present, it's ok? Or what?

For examplehave a look at 'the neverending story'. Ok, Bastian had some quest. Strike it out.
Or... the earthsee series. Ah, dragons there. Strike that out...
Maybe... 'the land of laughs'? No, in the end it turns out that some of the story has been 'panned' before.
So let's think about ....

Under 'quests, elves, dragons, faerie's and the like?' I could enclose whole fantasy. So?

The Witcher book series

Master of the Five Magics.

I read it years ago and don't remember much but it definitely didn't have any elves or dragons. Just humans and five types of magic which the main character becomes the master of over the course of a long quest.

>>2265688
those books don't exactly sound interesting

What about stories with fantasy elements like Big Trouble in Little China? I know it's silly, but it's got an interesting other-worldly feel to it and there are no quests, elves, etc.

American Gods(Neil Gaiman is good in general about using folklore creatures that aren't fashionable anymore), a lot of the Discworld books, The Dresden Files

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell uses faeries but the old school kind of fairies and isn't really Tolkienesque in the slightest.

as people have said, it all depends how much different you want it. For example, if you consider wizards or sorcerers too cliche then you probably won't find anything. If you just want stuff that doesn't have elves, dwarfs, and dragons all stuffed together then there are tons of options.

Shadow & Claw: The First Half of 'The Book of the New Sun'

"The Shadow of the Torturer is the tale of young Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession -- showing mercy toward his victim."

>>2266519
It's big boy fantasy if there is such a thing...