Domi Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 If High Fantasy is the grand battles with the ancient Evil, mighty ancient artifacts (think Lord of the Rings) and Hedge Fantasy is the down to earth, low magic with lots of politics and making historical sense fantasy (think Martin), which one do you like more? Link to comment
Evaine Dian Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 I prefer (semi-) historical settings where magic doesn't exist or is something very special. Link to comment
jester Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 I like Arcanum for that reason. Also steampunk is one of my fav settings. High fantasy. I want everything big with extra fries. I want real drama and world shaking events. This is why the Sillmarillion is one of my favourites, tragedy on an epic scale. Link to comment
Theodur Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 I'll take the Hedge Fantasy, I can't stand the pathos the grand scale dramas are stuffed with. Link to comment
Kulyok Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 Heheheh. Tricky question! Well, my favourite ones are the ones written in "high fantasy genre" - i.e. with driving plot, tied with strong, grand events. I do, however, appreciate characters themselves written in "hedge fantasy genre" - missing slippers, real fears, and flaws. The catch: as the setting is highly unusual (we are talking a grand tale, yes?), "an ordinary guy in extraordinary situation" cliche won't work! An ordinary guy *cannot* behave ordinary in this situation, it will be cardboard and unrealistic. No, he will show depths, he will show sides... and I, the reader, will show interest. Link to comment
Domi Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 What Hedge has to offer: the characters who are not archetypes, fresh plots, plots that actually make sense, the freedom of a setting, and the freedom from the Ancient Evil that is stirring after 99,999 years of being imprisoned by those other good guys Link to comment
Domi Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 Oh, I forgot! The Hedge fantasy is hopefully relatively free from the the annoying young orphan protagonist that is embarking on the journey to self-discovery along with saving the world! Link to comment
Kulyok Posted November 18, 2005 Share Posted November 18, 2005 By the way, how is your completely ordinary story about a completely ordinary Moonblade Wielder at the hands of sahuagin (together with a completely ordinary lady) going on? (That was meant as a nasty nag, but I am actually waiting for the third part...) Link to comment
Domi Posted November 18, 2005 Author Share Posted November 18, 2005 (groans) it was a completly horribly ordinary week that left no room for fantasy, neither hedge nor high; appart from reading Jordan on the bus. I only started working on Kivan for the first time this week an hour ago, and well, that sheds the light on just how serious the situation is! Link to comment
Lord Ernie Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 Hedge fantasy. I like the politics, and worlds that make sense (not necessarily historically). Also, there's no uber mages running about, as magic should be little more than a tool. A powerful tool, but not the thing you tend to see in high fantasy (all really powerful characters are mages). And I really don't like the idea of an absolute, greater Evil as it's often represented in high fantasy. Link to comment
Gabrielle Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 I hate politics and crap like that. High for me. Link to comment
Western Paladin Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 Oh, I forgot! The Hedge fantasy is hopefully relatively free from the the annoying young orphan protagonist that is embarking on the journey to self-discovery along with saving the world! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I loathe that guy. David Gemmell uses him in every book. Link to comment
NiGHTMARE Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 My favourite fantasy author is Terry Pratchett, and seeing as his novels are generally a mixture of hedge and high (the plot usually resolves around some relatively epic event, but the story focuses on relationships, politics, and people just trying to deal with what's going on around them), I'll have to go with both/neither . Link to comment
Pekka Posted November 19, 2005 Share Posted November 19, 2005 A difficult choice, because both do have their merits. But I think I prefer high fantasy's truly epic adventures over the more mundane events of hedge fantasy. If I want to read about the petty squabbles of minor nobles and greedy politicians, I can always pick a real history book. They're full of stuff like that. Link to comment
Culain Mainframe Posted November 20, 2005 Share Posted November 20, 2005 If High Fantasy is the grand battles with the ancient Evil, mighty ancient artifacts (think Lord of the Rings) and Hedge Fantasy is the down to earth, low magic with lots of politics and making historical sense fantasy (think Martin), which one do you like more? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Phoe, very tough question. I like fantasy so much, that I enjoy both kinds of fantasy. While I see the flaws in both the works of Terry Goodkind and Jordan, I still enjoy reading them. But I worship reading the books of Martin and Steven Erikson, I truly love their work. I do agree with Kulyok, I think mostly the same way. I love politics and intrigue in these books the most. What I do find annoying in some high fantasy books, are the stereotype examples of good and evil. Give me grey!! How Martin does it is almost perfection. I want good guys doing bad things and bad guys doing good things. I want no clear lines on whois what., I want believable motivations for their actions. So, enough of my rant. So Domi, how are you holding up reading Jordan before Martin, isn’t it torture for yourself? Link to comment
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