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I'm searching for a decent critique of fantasy as a genre. Google gives me random articles, but I want some serious academic work. Can you help my with my search?
My girlfriend reads a lot but it's mostly garbage fantasy, I tried talking to her about it and I had a bad time forming arguments. I know this could be generalized to the issue of poor taste, but I want to focus on modern fantasy itself. I'm having trouble talking about it because I can't tell what draws the line between good and bad fantasy work; I'd also like to hear some opinions on why we should avoid reading garbage hedonistic literature with little to none artistic value.
Looking at the bookshelf right next to me, here are some fantasy works I consider valuable (albeit not comparable to the classical western canon):
Clark - Strange and Norrell, Wynne Jones - Howl's moving castle, Tolkien - anything really, Petersen - Mouse guard (graphic novel), Beagle - The Last unicorn, Adams - Watership down, Jacques - Redwall, O'Brien - Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH
Few of the garbage ones:
Sapkowski - The Witcher, Butcher - Dresden files, Erikson - Malazan Book of the Fallen, Goodking - Sword of Truth, Rothfuss - Name of the Wind
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A subtle bump.
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In an actual fantasy world, magic would not be considered magic. It's part of their natural world, so it would be considered science. Most fantasy worlds act as if science and magic are totally separate, but if magic had always existed it would be part of the natural world and would fall under scientific study.
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>>9759902
Tbh this is the first thread I have ever seen Watership Down mentioned as fantasy. I guess from a world building standpoint it is: they have a culture, a language, their own folklore, heroes and enemies.
I'd throw in Adams' Shardik as definite fantasy. Its message is blatant but its study of worship is pretty neat the way it goes about it.
Bulgakov's Master and Margarita is top tier fantasy also
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>>9759902
There's plenty study on Tolkien, at least. Like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Master-Middle-Earth-Fiction-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0345465601
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>>9760192
These are better:
https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Road-to-Middle-earth-Tom-Shippey/9780261102750?redirected=true&utm_medium=Google&utm_campaign=Base3&utm_source=AU&utm_content=The-Road-to-Middle-earth&selectCurrency=AUD&w=AF45AU992NC7SCA80C1DA7V9&pdg=kwd-104398008339:cmp-680104063:adg-35441289072:crv-151945028117:pid-9780261102750:dev-c&gclid=Cj0KEQjw-qbLBRD79JWsjuXI784BEiQAftBCI0WBC06KsbUlnPUiM0FRYDs_88SmBThSgyXGHTEZ21QaAt-I8P8HAQ
https://www.amazon.com/Splintered-Light-Logos-Language-Tolkiens/dp/0873387449
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>insinuates that his gf is plenty
>can't even do a basic literature search, a core skill for any scholar
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>>9760144
This is a thing I hate as well:
>discover a manifestation of an uknown force
>somehow learn to control the force
>build school for people to learn it as well
>is taught like in a cooking course, wizards are complete retards just randomly making up spells
>it is not approached as a science; nobody is learning the principles and building upon them, creating another respected academical field
>IT'S MAGIC, I AIN'T GOTTA EXPLAIN SHIT
I'm Harry Potter ya'all.
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>>9760192
I respect Tolkien and I've read a lot on the matter. I'm looking in the opposite direction: poorly written fantasy.
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>>9760154
What is it then? A rabbit mythos?
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>>9759902
tolkien is nice, but im afraid it does not appeal to woman. His books are Judaeo-christian in its core despite the whole elf and wizardry stuff. Girls would be more insterested in George RR martin since they make sex and hobbits dont. We also have neil gaimen, that can appeal to both sexes. Im reading it now after watching the first season of american gods. I read sandman when i was a kid and some smaller works. but this book got me hooked.
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>>9760496
She read Tolkien and loved it. Not only LotR and Hobbit, but Silmarillion and Unfinished tales as well. I don't know why she started feeding on the trash that is Harry Dresden.
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