What are your opinions on the new, grittier R-rated wave of fantasy that has become very popular, probably spearheaded by GRRM, but with some very talented authors like Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch following down that path?
I am always pleased to see the genre grow to include new and different things. Growing up, I often felt that epic fantasy in particular had the potential to be a genre with far more variety than it displayed.
Each of those you mention above are great writers. I admire much about them, such as GRRM’s ability to characterize so powerfully in such a short time or Scott’s amazing use of language and wit.
That said, I personally prefer fiction of a less graphic nature. I stopped reading Game of Thrones after the first book, not because I wasn’t engaged, but because I felt cruddy after reading it. I agree that epic fantasy often had a problem being guys in white hats fighting guys in black, and shades of gray make for stronger stories. I like to think that can be done without extreme graphic content.
Then again, I’m kind of a boy scout, so take that as you will. In the end, I am glad the genre has room for both types of writers.
If you are viewing this on github.io, you can see that this site is open source. Please do not try to improve this page. It is auto-generated by a python script. If you have suggestions for improvements, please start a discussion on the github repo or the Discord.