A solid good book, and I recommend it. I read it too young to understand what I was getting into the first time around! She doesn't often disappoint--when she does I assume it's me--and sometimes she breaks your heart, like "The Lady of Moge" and "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas". I'd say *Orsinian Tales* heavily informs what I do these days.
Need to check out this one! I'm making my way through the Earthsea Cycle at the moment. The Tombs of Atuan was a really good read, so excited to check out her other work!
I didn't realize it until your essay that a major theme of my latest serialized novel(la), "The Beacon," parallels UKLG's in "The Beginning Place," especially the facet of recognizing and overcoming the "inner shadow."
Re: your question at the end, I love how Terry Pratchett’s books up-end fantasy, poke fun at it, and make me think about real-world issues and personal struggles. Believing in yourself? The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic (I think of these two as one book). Authority and justice? Guards, Guards! Men at Arms. Gender inequality? Equal Rites. Religious belief? Small Gods. And Discworld is just a lot of rip-roaring fun, too!
The first couple of Windrider books by Rebecca Minor make fun of Christian fantasy tropes and hangups. I thought they were a hilarious lampoon, but if you haven't read a lot of Christian fantasy, you may not see it so much.
The other one is the duo of the Tough Guide to Fantasyland and The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones. Before TV Tropes, there was the Tough Guide to explain all the 60s-70s-80s fantasy tropes. If you read Derkholm and look up each trope as it appears (dragons, buxom bar maids, sorceresses, leathery-winged avians, magic swords, Dark Lords) the book becomes the most hilarious parody of fantasy I've ever read. And the book plays it completely, dead straight.
That's amazing. I almost wish I'd read more Christian fantasy to be able to appreciate the Minor books. But I do have TTGTF, and I'm excited to peruse it further!
I mean, I'd guess that most readers don't get Ulysses or The Brothers Karamazov or Aristotle's Poetics. Does that mean there's a problem with those books?
I had to skip over the section about the plot because you convince to give this book a read (it didn’t take much, as Le Guin is one of my favorites). This was a fabulous essay!
I don't know if you've ever read Diana Wynne Jones (if you haven't you've got a treat in store!) but she often poked fun at genre conventions. This was most obviously done in Dark Lord of Derkholm, in which the fantasy world is tired of hosting quests and pushes back. Its sequel, The Year of the Griffin, shows them rebuilding their world. DWJ also wrote The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, a travel guide (not a story) and a great piece of humor.
Thank you so much! Based on your review, I got The Beginning Place on my Kindle and read it today. What a wonderful book! I haven't read UKLG for a long time and enjoyed it so much. I imagine it was for her an exploration of her purpose for writing fantasy/sci fi. Thanks again for reconnecting me with an old friend.
Man, I've been meaning to read UKLG ever since I heard she had a book called "Left Hand of Darkness," and this just nudged me further towards doing so.
This is great, save that organized SF fandom (for values of organized) began in the late 30s. The first Worldcon had a costume parade, even including a... gasp...woman who didn't need rescuing!
But UKLG is the awesome, and Sanderson is a hack. How he can use so many words to say so little is amazing.
The Wikipedia articles on fandom and Worldcon are quite good. Which makes sense, since the internet was invented by nerds. The Hugos used to be mostly SF, though UKLG won with fantasy too. The past decade or so, fantasy is definitely on the ascent.
She was one of the rare writers who was perfect at both, but not in a showy way.
This essay made me late for work but I didn't mind in the slightest. I have never felt as validated for my love of sci-fi/fantasy than I have reading through these essays on Past the Dragon.
A solid good book, and I recommend it. I read it too young to understand what I was getting into the first time around! She doesn't often disappoint--when she does I assume it's me--and sometimes she breaks your heart, like "The Lady of Moge" and "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas". I'd say *Orsinian Tales* heavily informs what I do these days.
TOWWAFO I just read, and wow! That was indeed heart-breaking.
Absolute commentary on consumer society
Someone wrote a pretty good story in conversation with it recently.
"The Ones Who Walk Towards Omelas", free online somewhere. Also heartbreaking.
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kim_02_24/
That story was in my high school English textbook!
(I went to really good public schools)
You really did.
Coming across it at 15, you can imagine the impact. The whole class, boys-girls, jocks-nerds, popular-freaky was blown away.
If I ever get back in the lit classroom, I'm 100% going to use it.
That will be so good for the students. It's ever-more relevant.
I haven’t read this one yet so I scrolled past the spoilers. I love Le Guin and love it when you write about her work.
Thanks, Lisa!
Need to check out this one! I'm making my way through the Earthsea Cycle at the moment. The Tombs of Atuan was a really good read, so excited to check out her other work!
I've only read the first, and it's my biggest source of impostor syndrome.
The truly most disappointing fantasy novel ever was Wise Man’s Fear. What a stinker, especially after the delight that was The Name of the Wind.
IMO name of the wind was the same wish fulfillment, he got much worse at dressing it up in wise man's fear.
Need to read both of these!
I didn't realize it until your essay that a major theme of my latest serialized novel(la), "The Beacon," parallels UKLG's in "The Beginning Place," especially the facet of recognizing and overcoming the "inner shadow."
NICE! Yes, really good stuff. You can't go wrong with that theme.
Re: your question at the end, I love how Terry Pratchett’s books up-end fantasy, poke fun at it, and make me think about real-world issues and personal struggles. Believing in yourself? The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic (I think of these two as one book). Authority and justice? Guards, Guards! Men at Arms. Gender inequality? Equal Rites. Religious belief? Small Gods. And Discworld is just a lot of rip-roaring fun, too!
So true. And I love the made-for-TV movies too. I thought they did a really good, low budget job of capturing the intelligence and fun.
The first couple of Windrider books by Rebecca Minor make fun of Christian fantasy tropes and hangups. I thought they were a hilarious lampoon, but if you haven't read a lot of Christian fantasy, you may not see it so much.
The other one is the duo of the Tough Guide to Fantasyland and The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones. Before TV Tropes, there was the Tough Guide to explain all the 60s-70s-80s fantasy tropes. If you read Derkholm and look up each trope as it appears (dragons, buxom bar maids, sorceresses, leathery-winged avians, magic swords, Dark Lords) the book becomes the most hilarious parody of fantasy I've ever read. And the book plays it completely, dead straight.
That's amazing. I almost wish I'd read more Christian fantasy to be able to appreciate the Minor books. But I do have TTGTF, and I'm excited to peruse it further!
I treasure my hardback of Tough Guide. I will never not laugh at STEW.
Oh gosh, any time anyone in a fantasy novel eats stew, I go HEY!!
I like that interpretation of fantasy, as something that teaches us to be stronger. It feels much more meaningful than standard escapism.
And especially stronger through self-knowledge.
I bounced off it, hard. I may have been too young. But there is indeed a problem if most readers don't get what you're getting at.
I mean, I'd guess that most readers don't get Ulysses or The Brothers Karamazov or Aristotle's Poetics. Does that mean there's a problem with those books?
It's the very target audience that bounces off them here
BTW, have you ever read *The Phantom Tollbooth* by Norman Juster?
I have. As a kid. And I'm really excited to share it with my kids. (Partially selfishly for myself to read it again too.)
I had to skip over the section about the plot because you convince to give this book a read (it didn’t take much, as Le Guin is one of my favorites). This was a fabulous essay!
I'm glad you liked it! I hope the rest didn't ruin it for you.
I don't know if you've ever read Diana Wynne Jones (if you haven't you've got a treat in store!) but she often poked fun at genre conventions. This was most obviously done in Dark Lord of Derkholm, in which the fantasy world is tired of hosting quests and pushes back. Its sequel, The Year of the Griffin, shows them rebuilding their world. DWJ also wrote The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, a travel guide (not a story) and a great piece of humor.
Yeah, I've got TTGTF, but I the other one is on my wishlist. I really need to read it and move it up the TBR. Thanks for the motivation.
What are the boring parts of each stormlight book? Surely not navani experimenting with fabrials or shallan’s flash backs? Those are essential!
Haha, I have not read Stormlight--only 2.17 Mistborn books--but I assume this is sarcasm.
Thank you so much! Based on your review, I got The Beginning Place on my Kindle and read it today. What a wonderful book! I haven't read UKLG for a long time and enjoyed it so much. I imagine it was for her an exploration of her purpose for writing fantasy/sci fi. Thanks again for reconnecting me with an old friend.
Of course. And congrats on finding a great book to read. ;)
Man, I've been meaning to read UKLG ever since I heard she had a book called "Left Hand of Darkness," and this just nudged me further towards doing so.
That book is intellectually wild. Enjoy it!
This is great, save that organized SF fandom (for values of organized) began in the late 30s. The first Worldcon had a costume parade, even including a... gasp...woman who didn't need rescuing!
But UKLG is the awesome, and Sanderson is a hack. How he can use so many words to say so little is amazing.
That last sentence has me laughing. But good info overall. Thank you!
The Wikipedia articles on fandom and Worldcon are quite good. Which makes sense, since the internet was invented by nerds. The Hugos used to be mostly SF, though UKLG won with fantasy too. The past decade or so, fantasy is definitely on the ascent.
She was one of the rare writers who was perfect at both, but not in a showy way.
This essay made me late for work but I didn't mind in the slightest. I have never felt as validated for my love of sci-fi/fantasy than I have reading through these essays on Past the Dragon.
Aw, thanks, Emily. That's super nice of you. Tell your boss I'm sorry. haha