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Many people are major fans of fantasy fiction, but so much of it is sooo laden with cliches and they all seem way too similar. Science fiction, on the other hand, seems much more diverse.
But then I thought abotu several of Orson Scott Card works that are fantasy, such as Songmaster and the Alvin Maker series, or several of his short stories. His fantasy is original and he only uses cliches to make fun of them.
Surely more writers like him exist in the fantasy world. Do you know of any?
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I believe that one's personal preferences influence the choosing a genre the very most! I'm a fantasy lover, and find that Science Fiction is just crawling with cliches!
But, truthfully, every fantasy novel isn't about elves, wizards, and dwarves. And every SciFi novel isn't about an alien race trying to destroy the inhabitants of Earth, to use the planet for its own diabolical purposes.
Oh, and my recommended fantasy reading consists of the "Classics." Tolkien, Lewis, and Grimm. (Okay, I'll admit to an Anne McCaffrey now and then... And Madeleine L'Engle isn't just for kids!)
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Sometime ago I found a list of 10 great fantasy that novels OSC made for a book called How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction. Here it is:
quote:When J. R. R. Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS caught on with American college students in the 1960's, it spawned a host of imitators--and made fantasy a viable commercial category for booksellers. Those who know the romantic tradition, however, recognize that this is merely the lastest burst in an unbroken literary line that extends back to the Hellenistic era. Choosing the best of these since 1940 is not easy--but here's my attempt.
1. C. S. Lewis, TILL WE HAVE FACES 2. T. H. White, THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING 3. William Goldman, THE PRINCESS BRIDE 4. Peter S. Beagle, THE LAST UNICORN (also A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE) 5. Robert Holdstock, MYTHAGO WOOD 6. John Myers Myers, SILVERLOCK 7. George Orwell, ANIMAL FARM 8. John Crowley, THE DEEP 9. Patricia McKillip, THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD 10. Megan Lindholm, WIZARD OF THE PIGEONS.
posted
I'll have to admit, I find both Fantasy and SF ridiculously ridden with cliches. Also mystery, horror, romance, so called "literary fiction," humoristic, teen books, childrens books, and historical fiction.
Okay call me cynical.
It's not that everything sucks, it's that every genre has its fair share of hacks just copying the great ones.
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Are they cliche's or just a format for telling a story? Wizards dragons and elves all stem from the storys our ancestors have been telling for who-knows when. Today's fantasy is the new mythology. every greek hero can be traced hitting the same points. (I know a woman who did it) And pretty much all of them use the ultra-cliche Dues-Ex-Machina. Yet I'm sure the greek people loved hearing Heracles, Perseus, Achilles, Odyssyus, and Atalanta. I'm a fantasy writer, and I hope that I don't use cliche. I am also of the school of tolkein, I do at times use wizards N stuff. and I do think Sciffi has cliches up to wazoo. but it is more diverse because it has a looser rules. (in some places.)
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I'm a fantasy lover, and find that Science Fiction is just crawling with cliches! 
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