<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>the somewhat over-simplified themes that often forms the main story of many fantasy novels seems to fascinate people.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Not me. The 'good-versus-evil' theme sickens me no end. It's been used so many quadrillion times that if I come across another 'good-versus-evil' story again I think I'll puke. Just can't understand, don't people ever get sick of this kind of story? What's the appeal in this kind of story? Things simply aren't that black-and-white in real life.
Come on, there's got to be some other kind of
motif that can be used to make a good story. How about, say,
the quest for happiness, for instance?
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>For instance, I am quite confident that the classic "good vs evil" theme present in Star Wars contributed to its success<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Why do you think I'm no Star Wars fan?
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>However, not all fantasy is based upon this formula<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sure glad that's so. Most of the fantasy stories written by Hans Andersen, Oscar Wilde and Hermann Hesse aren't. That's why I love them. (Well, that's not the
only reason why I love them...)
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>so-called "low fantasy" does exist, for instance Fritz Leiber's novels featuring the Grey Mouser and Fafhrd.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Not sure about the meaning of the term 'low fantasy', but if it's supposed to refer to any fantasy that doesn't employ the run-of-the-mill good-versus-evil theme, as opposed to 'high fantasy' presumably, then
I think the folks who came up with these terms must be a bunch of morons. As for Fafrd and the Gray Mouser, I don't really like them either: their stories seem to me to be just about two *******s wandering around in search of a beating.
There's one story I would consider the greatest fantasy story ever written, except it's not a fantasy story: the life of the Buddha. /~unreal/ubb/html/smile.gif
Incidentally, are you familiar with Heretic and Hexen?
Shake it, baby!