tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post3103531982497799146..comments2023-11-02T06:50:17.503-07:00Comments on <ul>Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' Reviews</ul>: Emotional Payoffs-- What are Yours?SQThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04251030404220909306noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-13461686361228244262011-06-22T16:30:07.503-07:002011-06-22T16:30:07.503-07:00Devin-- That is an awesome post. So much better th...Devin-- <i>That</i> is an awesome post. So much better than the one I put us to start the conversation. I especially like the part about manhood. I've said before how I dislike the slacker/metrosexual thing that is so popular these days-- My main gripe about Seth Rogan as the Green Hornet stems from this phenomenon.SQThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04251030404220909306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-39665343307082631712011-06-21T17:17:25.360-07:002011-06-21T17:17:25.360-07:00I didn't think I was really into the Revenge/V...I didn't think I was really into the Revenge/Vengeance stories...until, while watching "X-Men: First Class," I realized I would happily watch an entire movie about Erik Lensherr hunting Nazis down, one by one. And now that I think of it, I got the same feeling from watching Liam Neeson in "Taken." So I guess I do like those stories, so long as the justification for seeking vengeance is suitably large-scale. To work for me, it needs to be more than "The gangster killed my girlfriend/fiancee, and now I want revenge." Apparently there need to be Nazis or Islamofascist sex-slave ringmasters... I guess I need for the end result to be more than just "I killed you for what you did and now I feel better;" it needs to be justice on a larger scale, the righting of a vast wrong; taking down a villain whose absence will make the world a better place. And if the protagonist is just as bad as the bad guys, I lose interest.<br /><br />Far more than that, though, fantasy has always connected with me. One of the real triggers for me is beauty; specifically the beauty of Creation. Everything from a wild, vast, even surreal fantasy landscape to the hidden, cryptic and mysterious secret places overlooked by most casual observers. There is so much beauty in this world that people take for granted; and when I find myself frustrated by the pettiness, fractiousness, and sinfulness of my fellow human beings, I find solace in these beautiful, awe-inspiring vistas that speak to me of a benevolent and masterful Artist-Creator. Elwin Ransom's ecstatic reactions to the alien worlds of Lewis's <i>Space Trilogy</i> perfectly resonated with me. One of my favorite comics series - <i>Thieves & Kings</i> - remains firmly cherished in my heart not so much for the somewhat convoluted story (though it certainly has its moments) but because of the beauty of the settings, from the towering city of Oceansend to the dangerous gardens of the dragon Cespinarve Rogue's dream. Miyazaki films (which <i>T&K</i> takes considerable inspiration from) do the same thing for me.<br /><br />Another trigger for me is manhood, and those things which remind me of what masculinity is ideally supposed to be. As a counter to what strikes me as emasculation, condemnation or outright mockery of traditional masculinity espoused by much of the politically-charged entertainment we see, reading or watching stories in which male characters exhibit and extol virtues such as honor, responsibility, sense of duty, humility in manner and self-perception but boldness in affirming what is right and true, piety and respect for that which is sacred, hope and the inspiration of hope in others, courage and valor speak to me. The scene in Jackson's "The Two Towers" where Théoden grips his sword once more after Gandalf breaks Saruman's grip on him never fails to move me.<br /><br />Speaking of that scene, another trigger for me is redemption. Knowing that there is hope for a person so long as they still draw breath - that a person can rise from their foolish mistakes, chronic vices, hurtful behavior, errors and wrong-headedness and become not just a decent fellow, but a hero and a leader of men - kindles hope in my heart for myself, and for others. I love stories in which fallen men and women find the strength or the opportunity to change their ways and become heroic. I like when the villain has a change of heart and becomes one of the good guys. Having said that, I'd like to see more stories where said penitent villains don't get killed off shortly after their conversion...Devin Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00944849659698291143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-40822331603856566482011-06-16T03:07:39.436-07:002011-06-16T03:07:39.436-07:00I think your tastes are perfectly normal and very ...I think your tastes are perfectly normal and very sweet!<br /><br />After I finish this Steven Pinker book on my Kindle, my next will be Something Borrowed, which is a total fantasy romance for chicks. But I was reading it on this girl's Nook and I got hooked!<br /><br />Truth is, I'm looking forward to a little romance. I miss my SATC!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-19696932020013456422011-06-15T11:57:30.218-07:002011-06-15T11:57:30.218-07:00I can relate to almost all of your observations he...I can relate to almost all of your observations here (with the exception that I don't really take part in writer's groups and I'm not female). But as someone who experienced more than my share of childhood tragedy, I can't for the life of me understood why some people consider it entertainment. <br /><br />I embraced fantasy as a child to get away from the real world. Like you, I don't want to watch a group of miserable people waiting to die. I want to see them fighting to live. I want to seem them overcoming the obstacles, striving against the system, doing whatever it takes to set things right. However, the fact that I don't like or understand it doesn't change the fact that it's a major market. Ironically, I always thought those people were probably the ones who'd had very sheltered lives and were experiencing some sort of vicarious emotional need by reading/watching fictional characters suffer. <br /><br />I suppose this would make an interesting study, if a person had the resources to do it.Jamie Sedgwick - Jeramy Gateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07309163739300635768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-32516944751044393742011-06-15T10:16:40.571-07:002011-06-15T10:16:40.571-07:00Can totally relate with you on this post. I was n...Can totally relate with you on this post. I was never one for the ultra mushy romance stories or personal journey stories all the time and I find it hard to relate to a lot of women because of that. I don't want my heart strings constantly tugged all the time! I don't like being emotional 24-7! LOL<br /><br />I'm drawn to stories that push the envelope of convention - whether it's an out of the norm fantasy story like Game of Thrones or a personal journey movie that has a weird element thrown in the mix, Like the Benjamin Button movie. I'm looking for things that make me think, analyze, and disect the social norms we see. I'm also a nut for the supernatural, fantasy, sci-fi stuff because it provides the escape I need from the real world!M. McGriffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14329175109358005355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-30447541560239270552011-06-15T10:16:03.386-07:002011-06-15T10:16:03.386-07:00I definitely relate to the same triggers you menti...I definitely relate to the same triggers you mentioned. Especially the Revenge and Comic Book Hero ones!<br /><br />I also like stories about women who become empowered. Like an underdog story but specifically about a woman. <br /><br />I personally hate "depressing" topics and anything too real-life. Maybe it's because we get enough of this in the news and in reality, I really don't need to spend my money on it either.Lisa (starmetal_oak)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13349861124082490323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-7970997557218291532011-06-15T08:05:26.244-07:002011-06-15T08:05:26.244-07:00Revenge and vindication are big ones for me. I kno...Revenge and vindication are big ones for me. I know that's because I feel pretty powerless in this huge world and there's not much I can do to fight it in reality. <br /><br />I also don't understand how folks want to read and watch, over and over, the personal journey story that you mentioned here, the dealing with cancer or that sort of thing. Living through such an experience once is enough not to ever want to revisit it.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-320302315788488362011-06-15T06:31:41.774-07:002011-06-15T06:31:41.774-07:00I tend to like an underdog story.
You should jo...I tend to like an underdog story. <br /><br />You should join or start a science fiction book club. I have a meeting at one tonight. We read Left Hand of Darkness. Slow moving story, but I bet the people in your women's book club would enjoy it.Buddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17142269413009487783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-59569817529767591952011-06-15T05:37:38.284-07:002011-06-15T05:37:38.284-07:00My mother reads what I like to call "Lifetime...My mother reads what I like to call "Lifetime" novels. Much like Lifetime movies, these novels feature abused/depressed/suicidal/ill/whatever women who overcome horrible situations or at least learn to cope with said situation.<br /><br />I can't stand them.<br /><br />To me, reading, movie watching, television, are all entertainment activities. I don't want to be depressed by real life atrocities while I'm being entertained. I want magic and mayhem, the crazy and beautiful. I want love and war and fire-breathing dragons.<br /><br />I want to escape.<br /><br />That's my emotional trigger: escape. Take me somewhere I've never been before, in the shoes of someone I could never be, and let me experience something impossible.Stephanie Loréehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03512485557711771802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55282503134540185.post-82604890679904132172011-06-15T02:25:24.823-07:002011-06-15T02:25:24.823-07:00I'm so glad you wrote this post, I could have ...I'm so glad you wrote this post, I could have done it myself. Gave me a bit of a shiver reading it actually, if that doesn't sound too strange.<br /><br />I made it my mission this year to read as widely as possible, just to get out of my fantasy bubble, as I thought I must be. But it's hard. I found, like you, that when I choose mainstream stuff it tends to be things with violence and vengeance, or even just violence for its own sake (which worries me a bit, I did a course recently and thought I'd try and do some real world writing, but everything ended up very violent. It was fun though). I feel like the black sheep in my writers' group as everyone else is into the tragic journeys as you call them. My stuff has a lot of tragic journeys too, it's just not this world.<br /><br />Apart from Pride & Prejudice (sorry I lost interest very quickly, everyone seemed so fricking BORED - sitting round playing cards and doing absolutely F all for most of the day) I heartily plump for all of your choices: impossible romance, comic book movies, vengeance (Kill Bill is awesome).<br /><br />I don't think there's anything WRONG with craving fantasy and sci-fi over real world settings. The way I see it, people need stories and the more like a story it is (i.e. the stories we first heard as children, or the myths and oral traditions passed down over time) the more enjoyment we will get out of it. I think it's weird to want to read about depressing things in this world, don't we have enough of that already? Fiction is supposed to be different from real life, a slightly altered version of it, and the more like real life it is (the crap parts anyway) the less interested in it I become.<br /><br />As for emotional switches, yes I think that is what keeps me locked into a book, emotional tension. It's not enough to have violence and plot and interesting characters. There's got to be some emotional investment, not necessarily something I've ever experienced in my life. I don't believe people read to remind themselves of things they've experienced or want to experience, they just want to enjoy the ride.Fran Terminiellohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02506269178716477521noreply@blogger.com