The wrong kind of details: the components of wonder (aka lmp's rant)

[Birdland]

Very good summation of the problem, Kuruharan.

I, too, have not read any of the books you refer too Imp, but I know the type, and it is why I pretty much avoid fantasy genre these days. I gave up long ago searching for the next Tolkien.

Tolkien was able to suggest the vast history of Middle-Earth in his writing, without overly explaining or expecting people to remember "dates and names". Suggestion, not exposition, is the key to any great storytelling.

The other problem you seemed to be referring to, Imp, is trying to attach modern sensibilities and outlooks to characters in High Fantasy, while still working in the bells and whistles of "magic", apparently in a mistaken attempt to draw in a wider audience. Most of the time I find this extremely annoying and "precious". The nobler sentiments expressed in good fantasy are, I think, exactly what adds to its appeal. Also, it rings false that people who live in a world of Magic, vs. Technology, could possibly have the same degree of cynicism and "whatever" attitude that people in today's society have. Peter S. Beagle succeeded in combining the two in "The Last Unicorn", but he did it with such a gentle humor and genuine affection for his characters that no other author has been able to match it. (Even Beagle seems not to be able to duplicate it.)

Lastly:

there are brothels in fairyland...

Now that's just silly. As if an Elf would ever had to pay for "it" in his life. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]