Mythic Scribes Fantasy Survey Part 2

[Philip Overby]

Again, this is connected to Nihal's original post from Tumblr. http://mythicscribes.com/forums/chit-chat/10045-small-fantasy-survey.html

In this case the question is "What genres do you prefer to write?" This time, I'm going to give options to chose at least two genres as I know many combine genres or write different kinds. Please don't chose more than two for the purposes of this survey.

Also any additional comments about those who are writing your preferred genres and what you'd like to see more of from writers.

 

[Devor]

Even though I could pick two, I just picked Epic Fantasy. I like to use other elements, but they seem pale by comparison.

 

[buyjupiter]

I'd love to see more varied characters. I see a lot of archetypal characters, especially in high fantasy. I'd like to see fewer destiny stories and anything that features prophecy.

 

[Ankari]

Why is low fantasy linked with gritty fantasy? When I think of gritty, I'm thinking dark fantasy. As in grimdark.

 

[GeekDavid]

I'd love to see more varied characters. I see a lot of archetypal characters, especially in high fantasy. I'd like to see fewer destiny stories and anything that features prophecy.

I'm actually thinking of playing a game with the Heretic series... making it seem like the hero is The One They've Been Waiting For... only to have the Heretic (the wise old guy guiding the hero) laugh at the idea and then say something like, "you're at the right place at the right time, but that doesn't mean we've been waiting for you for generations."

 

[Philip Overby]

Low fantasy and gritty fantasy seem to be basically the same thing: low magic, more realistic world. Dark fantasy tends to include horror elements. At least that's my understanding.

 

[Feo Takahari]

I picked "dark fantasy," since there isn't an option for "grotesque." I find most archetypes and styles of character likable and interesting, so I often pick heroes who in a normal story would be enemy mooks (say, a mage whose spells revolve around reshaping flesh and bone, or a child who has a swarm of carnivorous beetles living under her skin.) I like to create the feeling of a world that's broken on a fundamental level, but I'm very optimistic about the possibility of making it less broken, and the aforementioned should-be-mooks tend to find themselves fixing it. (I like to say it's Clive Barker aesthetics and My Little Pony idealism.)

 

[Sparkie]

Hmm... I seem to be the only one so far who picked Mythic.

 

[Feo Takahari]

Hmm... I seem to be the only one so far who picked Mythic.

Myths are challenging. To write one, you need to unlearn a lot of the dictums taught in other genres, and not many people are willing to do that. (I have a lot of respect for writers who can write something that really feels like a myth.)

 

[Saigonnus]

I write fantasy and science fiction mostly, but I have always wanted to try my hand at urban.

 

[glutton]

I picked sword and sorcery and low fantasy - the low fantasy I do isn't necessarily more realistic though, but just less magical/mystical with the over-the-top physical abilities of badass warrior characters being played up.

 

[Xitra_Blud]

Dark fantasy. With it, I write a lot of horror as well, but my second choice would be alternate universe. You put dark fantasy with an alternate universe and you've got yourself a story right there!

 

[Ireth]

I chose high, epic, and historical fantasy. I write a lot about the Fae, but I've also created fantasy worlds of my own, and one of my WIPs is set in 14th century Scotland, with vampires.

 

[Darkblade]

I should have read all of these survey threads before voting...

Anyways I mostly write Urban Fantasy and Near Future Sci-Fi, often combined to some degree. I just think modern society has so many little crevices for magic, monsters and other assorted weirdness to be hiding just beyond our field of vision. That and I'm less likely to screw up something based on the present than the past.