Flights of fantasy

I'm not sure how to touch on this without offending some hard core fantasy addict out there but one of the things that wears on me is the lack of variety in the genre these days. I like a good fantasy anf even a cheap fantasy from time to time, but I'd give up net access for a week (well maybe not a whole week) for something that was skillfully differant.

So when my stories start forming in my mind, one of the things that comes up is a barrier to the standard format. Don't get me wrong Tolkien did wonderful things, and I have nothing but respect for his attempt to portray cultural and linguistic interactions that follow actual historical counterparts. Norse/celtic relations and languages are present and add depth to the mythical beings presented as factual entities. It was brilliant and genre changing. But it wasn't an excuse to stop being original.

When somebody walks into a room and says fantasy, it is almost reflexive to think Dwarves, elves and dragons. You might even get Hobbits or halflings mentioned. But they all have origins in regional folk traditions and mythologies.

Where are the centaurs and the Djinn. Honestly the cultures of the world are rich with tales of the mystic and none human.

But that is not all that has become formulaic and exagerated.

Cerce was no Wizard of some color robes. She had power and it was less hand waving and move methodical and subtle. Magic that truely impresses. A simple look at the practices and belief of cultures around the world can point us in the right direction.

If memory serves me, the inspiration for one of my novels in the future is not the traditional races and magic but some greco roman entities. Specifically Gorgons and their decendants and the Dactylois (dog headed beings of greek islands, beholden to either hepheastus or posiedon).

The magic of the gorgons gaze could be seen in the myths as hollywood versions of something that continues to this day. The Mingy (as always to count on the spelling of that). There is a tribe of people in africa who believe that those who master the skills of metal workers and smiths are tainted and live semi outcast lives. Sought and paid for their skill but their gaze is said to bestow a curse that brings death. Also among the mingy beliefs is is that those children born deformed, or who are crippled or imperfect through injuries are abandoned or sacrificed. The Term Miny means bad luck or cursed. This is all a little old info clinging to the inside of my brain so I may have scramble a detale or two, but the idea is what I'm trying to show.

Here we have a reasonable explanation of majic, cursed medusa and outcast and abandoned children. Ripe material for stories. The magic is subtle and not flash and miraculous, which to me makes it more powerful.

Source material is everywhere.

But if you also notice I have taken a greek idea and matched it to an african belief. These were neighboring cultures and perhaps the belief did come via that path, or they are common threads found in multiple cultures. That is an advantage.

Many cultures have myths that are very much alike, and there are some universal myths. These point to the feel of a story that make them strong and enjoyable. Tolkien did it.

I don't imagine I'm a new Tolkien. But I do want to do something a little more then the usual elf who doesn't fit in and spend his time with a dwarf. Throw in a theif and a wizard and some evil overlord with a magic device bend on world domination.

I think that will be a good place to start tomorrow. Overlords and the magic ...thing to dominate the world.

I'll try not to be so negative and deal more with what I'm trying to do.

Until then Take care of yourselves.
Roving Jack