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Dualist fatigue.
Nov. 16th, 2007 09:03 amI'm still reading City of Bones, and I'm getting slightly annoyed about a plot element, the way I have frequently in recent times, including at the marvellousness that is Preacher.
I'm sick of dualist mythologies. No more angels and demons, where the bad guys can always be told by their rotting flesh, sores, lazy eyes, horns, stench etc. I'm not a monotheist or duotheist. I'm not Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Zoroastrian. I'm a polytheist. I want complex worlds where, if you're lucky, an orc might help your party into the keep. Of course, he'll probably be executed by his tribe later as that was a terrible betrayal of his people, but that's the point. People, human or not, have a choice. They can be good or evil depending on our outlook, and depending on their own.
I know there doesn't seem to be much out there – angels and demons are very, very popular. Pratchett's done it, and Holly Black's fairies are (thankfully) amoral rather than PURE EVIL*. Most of Diana Wynne Jones's fantasies tend not to be dualist, too, probably because hers are people driven rather than creature driven. Gaiman's obviously done it – Stardust is just about People, but some might have pointy ears or glow a bit; Neverwhere is about People; Anansi Boys and American Gods are polytheist. I'm not sure I can think of anyone who's done it better than Pratchett or Gaiman, actually. (No wonder I love the pair.)
So. Please, please advise me. Recommend me authors and books. Give me fantasies, urban or otherwise, that have shades of grey†. Make them sexy. Make them cool. Above all, make them readable.
And meanwhile, I'll get back to my NaNoWriMo and its polytheistic 1930s London, where there's a herm on every street corner, and little niches to the household gods outside people's doors.
* One of the things that annoyed me about City of Bones is the fact that the fairies are tied into the Heaven/Hell fallen angel mythos. I almost threw the book, then remembered that this is a historical viewpoint; just admittedly one that I don't like very much.
†I'm not very big on European world fantasies and/or epic fantasies. The few I have liked have generally been at least a little ironic, self-referential or funny.
I'm sick of dualist mythologies. No more angels and demons, where the bad guys can always be told by their rotting flesh, sores, lazy eyes, horns, stench etc. I'm not a monotheist or duotheist. I'm not Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Zoroastrian. I'm a polytheist. I want complex worlds where, if you're lucky, an orc might help your party into the keep. Of course, he'll probably be executed by his tribe later as that was a terrible betrayal of his people, but that's the point. People, human or not, have a choice. They can be good or evil depending on our outlook, and depending on their own.
I know there doesn't seem to be much out there – angels and demons are very, very popular. Pratchett's done it, and Holly Black's fairies are (thankfully) amoral rather than PURE EVIL*. Most of Diana Wynne Jones's fantasies tend not to be dualist, too, probably because hers are people driven rather than creature driven. Gaiman's obviously done it – Stardust is just about People, but some might have pointy ears or glow a bit; Neverwhere is about People; Anansi Boys and American Gods are polytheist. I'm not sure I can think of anyone who's done it better than Pratchett or Gaiman, actually. (No wonder I love the pair.)
So. Please, please advise me. Recommend me authors and books. Give me fantasies, urban or otherwise, that have shades of grey†. Make them sexy. Make them cool. Above all, make them readable.
And meanwhile, I'll get back to my NaNoWriMo and its polytheistic 1930s London, where there's a herm on every street corner, and little niches to the household gods outside people's doors.
* One of the things that annoyed me about City of Bones is the fact that the fairies are tied into the Heaven/Hell fallen angel mythos. I almost threw the book, then remembered that this is a historical viewpoint; just admittedly one that I don't like very much.
†I'm not very big on European world fantasies and/or epic fantasies. The few I have liked have generally been at least a little ironic, self-referential or funny.
