Non-monomyth fantasy?

AndrewH · 02-25-2012, 06:33 PM

I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for good fantasy novels/series which do not rely on the monomyth-style story.

Perhaps I just need to expand my horizons, but it seems all the fantasy I've read in the last 10 years (except Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell) falls into the basic Hero's Journey storyline; humble young person discovers great power and goes on to save the world.

jgaiser · 02-25-2012, 06:51 PM

You know, the only fantasy series *I* can think of that meets your requirements is the one I'm working on now. Joe Abercrombie's "The First Law" series

The Blade Itself
Before They Are Hanged
Last Arguments of Kings

and the standalone novels

Best Served Cold
The Heroes

I'm a bit more than half way through Before They Are Hanged and I can tell you there is no humble young person in the whole series.

DiapDealer · 02-25-2012, 06:57 PM

There's lots of it out there. You just need to step away from epic/high fantasy if you want to run into it more often.

Try some works by Gaiman, Barker, Mieville, or maybe Felix Gilman or Anthony Huso. Guy Gavriel Kay, Greg Keyes, Tim Powers.

speakingtohe · 02-25-2012, 07:14 PM

I like Simon R. Green and Glen Cook, but might not suit your taste.

Helen

DiapDealer · 02-25-2012, 07:21 PM

...forgot to add Charles de Lint.

xg4bx · 02-25-2012, 07:41 PM

i refuse to read about traditional 'heroes' anymore. i need my characters gritty.

there is 'epic' fantasy out there that doesn't involve snotnoses saving the world. off the top of my head-

The Conqueror's Shadow by Ari Marmell
The Half-Orcs by David Dalglish

AndrewH · 02-25-2012, 07:49 PM

@jgaiser: Joe Abercrombie is on my To Be Read list, I'll have to bump him up to a higher priority.

@DiapDealer: Powers, Keyes, and Gaiman are all on my To Be Read list. I really liked Mieville's Perdido Street Station, and really disliked everything else he's written. I'm a huge Guy Gavriel Kay fan, odd that he slipped my mind. I've enjoyed some Charles de Lint. I'll have to look into the rest of those suggestions!

@speakingtohe: Glen Cook is on my To Be Read list, I'll have to look into Simon R. Green.

@xg4bx: I think I prefer my fantasy gritty, thanks I'll take a look at those.

pwalker8 · 02-25-2012, 07:53 PM

Well, it has been said that there are only 5 basic plot lines in the history of story telling.

Belfaborac · 02-25-2012, 08:10 PM

Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. No hero's journey there (well, maybe one, kind of, in amongst a lot of other, much more interesting stuff). Not many clear-cut heroes at all, come to think of it.

jgaiser · 02-25-2012, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belfaborac

Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. No hero's journey there (well, maybe one, kind of, in amongst a lot of other, much more interesting stuff). Not many clear-cut heroes at all, come to think of it.

I was going to mention Malazan, but I hadn't read much of the series yet.

I like me some China Miéville, but I have a hard time putting him in the Epic Fantasy genre. He's sometimes considered to be part of the group of writers called New Weird.

DiapDealer · 02-25-2012, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgaiser

I like me some China Miéville, but I have a hard time putting him in the Epic Fantasy genre.

I certainly didn't mean to lump him in with epic fantasy. I was trying to give suggestions outside the traditional epic/high fantasy subgenre... where the heroes quest still tends to dominate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

i refuse to read about traditional 'heroes' anymore. i need my characters gritty.

I lean this way myself lately... but I'll still read just about anything that's written well. I'm not willing to entirely give up on whimsy just yet.

jgaiser · 02-25-2012, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I certainly didn't mean to lump him in with epic fantasy. I was trying to give suggestions outside the traditional epic/high fantasy subgenre... where the heroes quest still tends to dominate.

Fair enough. I read the request from OP as looking for something different than boy hero fantasy. As I said, China is a good alternative to the standard fantasy novel.

DiapDealer · 02-25-2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Fair enough. I read the request from OP as looking for something different than boy hero fantasy. As I said, China is a good alternative to the standard fantasy novel.

We're apparently in agreement then. Sorry for the confusion.

Belfaborac · 02-25-2012, 09:02 PM

Another vote for China Mièville from me. You can't get much further away from the stereotypes than his books.

AndrewH · 02-25-2012, 09:03 PM

I wasn't thinking of epic fantasy, necessarily.

I'm in the middle of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy and even though I'm enjoying it I can't help but be annoyed by yet another hero's journey tale.

To forestall the inevitable Game of Thrones recommendations, I've already read them.

To throw out a recommendation of my own, Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake.

02-25-2012, 06:33 PM	#1
AndrewH Fanatic Posts: 553 Karma: 1234566 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver, WA Device: Sony PRS-T1, & Kobo Mini	Non-monomyth fantasy? I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for good fantasy novels/series which do not rely on the monomyth-style story. Perhaps I just need to expand my horizons, but it seems all the fantasy I've read in the last 10 years (except Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell) falls into the basic Hero's Journey storyline; humble young person discovers great power and goes on to save the world.

02-25-2012, 08:10 PM	#9
Belfaborac Wizard Posts: 1,498 Karma: 5199835 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-950	Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. No hero's journey there (well, maybe one, kind of, in amongst a lot of other, much more interesting stuff). Not many clear-cut heroes at all, come to think of it. Last edited by Belfaborac; 02-25-2012 at 08:12 PM.

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02-25-2012, 06:51 PM	#2
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,281 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	You know, the only fantasy series I can think of that meets your requirements is the one I'm working on now. Joe Abercrombie's "The First Law" series The Blade Itself Before They Are Hanged Last Arguments of Kings and the standalone novels Best Served Cold The Heroes I'm a bit more than half way through Before They Are Hanged and I can tell you there is no humble young person in the whole series.

02-25-2012, 06:57 PM	#3
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,546 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	There's lots of it out there. You just need to step away from epic/high fantasy if you want to run into it more often. Try some works by Gaiman, Barker, Mieville, or maybe Felix Gilman or Anthony Huso. Guy Gavriel Kay, Greg Keyes, Tim Powers.

02-25-2012, 07:14 PM	#4
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	I like Simon R. Green and Glen Cook, but might not suit your taste. Helen

02-25-2012, 07:21 PM	#5
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,546 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	...forgot to add Charles de Lint.

02-25-2012, 07:41 PM	#6
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	i refuse to read about traditional 'heroes' anymore. i need my characters gritty. there is 'epic' fantasy out there that doesn't involve snotnoses saving the world. off the top of my head- The Conqueror's Shadow by Ari Marmell The Half-Orcs by David Dalglish

02-25-2012, 07:49 PM	#7
AndrewH Fanatic Posts: 553 Karma: 1234566 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver, WA Device: Sony PRS-T1, & Kobo Mini	@jgaiser: Joe Abercrombie is on my To Be Read list, I'll have to bump him up to a higher priority. @DiapDealer: Powers, Keyes, and Gaiman are all on my To Be Read list. I really liked Mieville's Perdido Street Station, and really disliked everything else he's written. I'm a huge Guy Gavriel Kay fan, odd that he slipped my mind. I've enjoyed some Charles de Lint. I'll have to look into the rest of those suggestions! @speakingtohe: Glen Cook is on my To Be Read list, I'll have to look into Simon R. Green. @xg4bx: I think I prefer my fantasy gritty, thanks I'll take a look at those.

02-25-2012, 07:53 PM	#8
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,195 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Well, it has been said that there are only 5 basic plot lines in the history of story telling.

02-25-2012, 09:02 PM	#14
Belfaborac Wizard Posts: 1,498 Karma: 5199835 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-950	Another vote for China Mièville from me. You can't get much further away from the stereotypes than his books.

02-25-2012, 09:03 PM	#15
AndrewH Fanatic Posts: 553 Karma: 1234566 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver, WA Device: Sony PRS-T1, & Kobo Mini	I wasn't thinking of epic fantasy, necessarily. I'm in the middle of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy and even though I'm enjoying it I can't help but be annoyed by yet another hero's journey tale. To forestall the inevitable Game of Thrones recommendations, I've already read them. To throw out a recommendation of my own, Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake.

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