Finchbearer
Istar
Has what we describe as medieval style fantasy, or maybe ‘classic fantasy’ had its day? Is it set to become chronically overworked? Particularly since the popularity of A Song of Ice and Fire series. Are we now in that strange place where only parodies of this genre are acceptable in the wider market?
(Whilst taking into account that this style of fantasy often also takes inspiration from time periods that fall outside of the medieval period give or take a few thousand years, and is usually set in the Western European part of the world, but can be inspired by other geographical or cultural influences.)
What I find discouraging is that it’s the style I find myself most drawn to both enjoy reading and writing most of the time but it would seem to me that agents and publishers in particular are actively avoiding this genre in favour of pretty much anything that isn’t medieval inspired fantasy. What I find discouraging isn’t that I can’t simply continue enjoying writing in this genre, but more that if I want anyone to actually read it, am I on a hopeless mission?
What are people’s thoughts on this?
I’d like to discourage the answers that are broadly, ‘as long as it’s a good story it doesn’t matter the genre’ or ‘it’s context dependent’.
And without the discussion turning too politically charged, what do we think of the industry being more currently favourable to underrepresented authors and therefore stories that are not set in Western Europe? As a white European person, this also discourages me. Do I even stand a chance?
(Whilst taking into account that this style of fantasy often also takes inspiration from time periods that fall outside of the medieval period give or take a few thousand years, and is usually set in the Western European part of the world, but can be inspired by other geographical or cultural influences.)
What I find discouraging is that it’s the style I find myself most drawn to both enjoy reading and writing most of the time but it would seem to me that agents and publishers in particular are actively avoiding this genre in favour of pretty much anything that isn’t medieval inspired fantasy. What I find discouraging isn’t that I can’t simply continue enjoying writing in this genre, but more that if I want anyone to actually read it, am I on a hopeless mission?
What are people’s thoughts on this?
I’d like to discourage the answers that are broadly, ‘as long as it’s a good story it doesn’t matter the genre’ or ‘it’s context dependent’.
And without the discussion turning too politically charged, what do we think of the industry being more currently favourable to underrepresented authors and therefore stories that are not set in Western Europe? As a white European person, this also discourages me. Do I even stand a chance?