![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matrilWith all of my stuffy, snobby talk about why fantasy and such is respectable and valid, I thought I should qualify - there's definitely a strong element of geekishness in there too. See, that's really what makes something worth my attention - it can be enjoyed on a number of layers.
1. The basic, simple top layer is sheer enjoyment. Is it fun? Never mind the deep themes, first of all. Can I smile and laugh while watching it, maybe even bounce around in my seat? (Yes, I did a lot of bouncing during Episodes I&II - they were new STAR WARS films, by George! Hey, that's a pretty silly pun...) That is a fundamental part of my liking for entertainment, in short: is it entertaining?
2. And then, of course, come the other, heavier layers. Do I keep thinking about it even after the initial glee has worn off? Do I puzzle out in my head some of the pressing question it raised? And, quite seriously, do I want to write fan fiction about it? Because for me, fan fiction is a way of exploring the themes and characterizations, using them to extrapolate situations and various conclusions. And of course, to have fun as well, but that goes back to the first layer.
3. Another layer: moral and/or philosophical statements. They don't need to be overt or directly stated; in fact, I much prefer it if they're not. Direct allegories and didactic work feels very limiting to me, so focused on only one interpretation. But on the other hand, I do think it needs to contain a thread of moral/philosophical thought - even (especially) if it's something that every viewer/reader can interpret differently. Really, it's something that ought to come out in the text just because it's inherent to the author's mindset - not that they're Saying Something, but because it's who they are.
4. And finally, though this will come off rather cheesy: Do I feel like it's made me a better person for watching/reading it? No, I don't mean some life-changing, transforming improvement. If it only widens my perception, just a little, of some truth or moral question. This isn't something I expect out of every single book or movie; quite the contrary. But those that have it, I love, and return to again and again.
1. So, for example...Harry Potter is marvelously fun; that's clear enough from the ten-year-old children who read these 700-page tomes in a matter of days. They're fun! Elements like Quidditch, the Weasely twins' stockpiles of magical gags, the absurd arrogance of Lockhart - they make me laugh and create an entertaining world that I love to visit. SW is visually delightful, with worlds and battles that are beyond stunning, aliens and costumes that are refreshingly unique, and storylines that draw you in with their intricacies. That's entertainment.
2. Next level - fan fiction, obviously, for SW. Tons of it. And if you'd talk to my husband, he'd tell you just how much I blather on about something the movies made me think about, some question it raised. (Fortunately, he likes to blather about it as well.) And JKR has devised so many mysteries woven throughout her books that I could spend an entire week just trying to chart it all out. Definitely not something you stop thinking about once you put the book down.
3. Moral/Philosophical statements? They abound in SW, and with plenty of ambiguities to leave the viewers to work out their own interpretations. How much good really was in Vader? Does his turn at the end of ROTJ really absolve him? Was Anakin and Padmé's choice to marry secretly foolish or wise? Harry Potter...what is the nature of racism and prejudice? How many different forms does evil come in? Is complacency and self-imposed ignorance as bad as directly supporting evil? Is it worth it to fight for good even if there's little chance of triumphing? And on, and on, and on...
4. And yes, I do feel I'm a better person for participating in these fandoms. It's stretched my imagination, it's improved my writing from all the practice I've had in fanfic, it's helped me get outside my own mind into other places and ideas. So, after starting off by saying that I've been too stuffy and snobbish, I'm ending with the same tone. This stuff is valid, and important, and I'll defend it till I'm blue in the face!
Also, it's just plain fun. ;)
1. The basic, simple top layer is sheer enjoyment. Is it fun? Never mind the deep themes, first of all. Can I smile and laugh while watching it, maybe even bounce around in my seat? (Yes, I did a lot of bouncing during Episodes I&II - they were new STAR WARS films, by George! Hey, that's a pretty silly pun...) That is a fundamental part of my liking for entertainment, in short: is it entertaining?
2. And then, of course, come the other, heavier layers. Do I keep thinking about it even after the initial glee has worn off? Do I puzzle out in my head some of the pressing question it raised? And, quite seriously, do I want to write fan fiction about it? Because for me, fan fiction is a way of exploring the themes and characterizations, using them to extrapolate situations and various conclusions. And of course, to have fun as well, but that goes back to the first layer.
3. Another layer: moral and/or philosophical statements. They don't need to be overt or directly stated; in fact, I much prefer it if they're not. Direct allegories and didactic work feels very limiting to me, so focused on only one interpretation. But on the other hand, I do think it needs to contain a thread of moral/philosophical thought - even (especially) if it's something that every viewer/reader can interpret differently. Really, it's something that ought to come out in the text just because it's inherent to the author's mindset - not that they're Saying Something, but because it's who they are.
4. And finally, though this will come off rather cheesy: Do I feel like it's made me a better person for watching/reading it? No, I don't mean some life-changing, transforming improvement. If it only widens my perception, just a little, of some truth or moral question. This isn't something I expect out of every single book or movie; quite the contrary. But those that have it, I love, and return to again and again.
1. So, for example...Harry Potter is marvelously fun; that's clear enough from the ten-year-old children who read these 700-page tomes in a matter of days. They're fun! Elements like Quidditch, the Weasely twins' stockpiles of magical gags, the absurd arrogance of Lockhart - they make me laugh and create an entertaining world that I love to visit. SW is visually delightful, with worlds and battles that are beyond stunning, aliens and costumes that are refreshingly unique, and storylines that draw you in with their intricacies. That's entertainment.
2. Next level - fan fiction, obviously, for SW. Tons of it. And if you'd talk to my husband, he'd tell you just how much I blather on about something the movies made me think about, some question it raised. (Fortunately, he likes to blather about it as well.) And JKR has devised so many mysteries woven throughout her books that I could spend an entire week just trying to chart it all out. Definitely not something you stop thinking about once you put the book down.
3. Moral/Philosophical statements? They abound in SW, and with plenty of ambiguities to leave the viewers to work out their own interpretations. How much good really was in Vader? Does his turn at the end of ROTJ really absolve him? Was Anakin and Padmé's choice to marry secretly foolish or wise? Harry Potter...what is the nature of racism and prejudice? How many different forms does evil come in? Is complacency and self-imposed ignorance as bad as directly supporting evil? Is it worth it to fight for good even if there's little chance of triumphing? And on, and on, and on...
4. And yes, I do feel I'm a better person for participating in these fandoms. It's stretched my imagination, it's improved my writing from all the practice I've had in fanfic, it's helped me get outside my own mind into other places and ideas. So, after starting off by saying that I've been too stuffy and snobbish, I'm ending with the same tone. This stuff is valid, and important, and I'll defend it till I'm blue in the face!
Also, it's just plain fun. ;)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-05-21 06:29 am (UTC)1) The Heritage Call Series is fun. I like the characters, and I think the history of the place is interesting
2) It posits some intersting questions: How did this society come about? How does it work? If Mithroks are cast out as babies, why don't they just kill them out right? Why don't they kill them as adults, instead of just casting them out again?
3) Sure. Is a person bound to do evil if they are made that way? How much can we change our destiny? Is choice really complete, or does fate step in and change what we are? What have we forgotten about that we need to seek? All good questions.
4) Hmm. Yeah, I think so. The Mithroks are on of the most changing elements, I think, as well as Aria. It's a similar question, I think: if you are born under a curse, are you bound to follow it, or can you choose your own path? Can great potential, intnded toward evil, be turned toward good? In effect, can you use bad tools for a good purpose? And, for that matter, is there such thing as an evil person? I think these questions make me a better person, as I deal with delinquent kids and such.
no subject
Date: 2004-05-21 07:09 am (UTC)1. The adventure in the Blight of the Dark series is practically non-stop. I always want to keep reading to find out what's going to happen next. And the main characters' interactions provide some extremely tense and intriging confrontations, like Spelldor's constant disapproval of Venture and Rygara's ambiguous feelings for her commander.
2. Questions abound: Who is this being that holds another person's body in thrall? Why is he so obsessed with elves and Venture in particular? What are they digging for underground? And that's just in the first book - the questions get more and more complex throughout the series.
3. Sure. How much did Rygara's upbringing repress her feminine side? Does the same thing happen with most men? Is it better to be an effective leader who doesn't get attached to his underlings, or a leader with compassion? And, as you were discussing in a recent post of yours, what is the nature of evil, and what does the Evil one really ultimately want? How can evil be combatted when it is so completely, relentlessly destructive?
4. Yes, I'm definitely a better person for reading it. The psychological meanings of "the Buried Realm" resonate with my own buried self/selves. Repression and/or multiple layers are something every person must deal with eventually, myself certainly included. I think it's somewhat cathartic to explore it metaphorically in the world of the Blight of the Dark.