tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post4348214074985667068..comments2023-04-12T06:15:02.968-04:00Comments on Fantasy Debut: Bring on the Men. And the Women.Tia Nevitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-19002231680616954682009-05-29T21:21:34.748-04:002009-05-29T21:21:34.748-04:00Sharon Shinn's Twelve Houses series features adult...Sharon Shinn's Twelve Houses series features adults of both sexes prominently. Watch the series, tho. Her other books tend to be either more towards science fction, or more towards younger characters. {Smile}<br /><br />Anne Elizabeth BaldwinAnnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05083766769757259822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-6217229780127299532009-05-21T12:57:51.328-04:002009-05-21T12:57:51.328-04:00L.E.Modisett had a troubling theme of boys in his ...L.E.Modisett had a troubling theme of boys in his Recluse Series until he did a total 180 and started writing grown up characters, and to be honest, it wasn't as thrilling as his novelizations about coming-of-age stories.<br /><br />I guess once you write a certain way for years (decades?) the transition to other-like characters can be hard.Patrick J.Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13212756469110900684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-50275568926081929032009-05-18T18:05:00.000-04:002009-05-18T18:05:00.000-04:00Tia, I'm really glad I could be of help! What a co...Tia, I'm really glad I could be of help! What a coincidence that I happened to mention that particular book. :)<br /><br />Chicory, meet another fan of Dragon Bones. I couldn't really get into the sequel, though.Ravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09792843423654460015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-62843541275047623402009-05-17T23:10:00.000-04:002009-05-17T23:10:00.000-04:00Grown men? I'm reading The Company, by KJ Parker,...Grown men? I'm reading The Company, by KJ Parker, in which the protagonist is 38. Grown women? Many of Ursula LeGuin's books either center on women (including the recent release Lavinia) or give equal billing to a man and a woman. Lois Bujold McMaster's Sharing Knife series starts with a very young woman, but still a woman.<br /><br />That should give you enough to chew on for a while.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04600030574995481267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-45556365907011476102009-05-17T19:52:00.000-04:002009-05-17T19:52:00.000-04:00Let me think... Stephen Lawhead's Paradise War tri...Let me think... Stephen Lawhead's Paradise War trilogy has a grown male protagonist. Then there's Terry Pratchett's Sam Vimes (my all-time favorite Discworld character). The hero of Patricia Brigg's `Dragon Bones' reads older than he actually is (about eighteen in the first book, but he reads in his twenties.) Incidentally, everyone should read `Dragon Bones.' It's just amazing.Chicorynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-19585833264056036582009-05-17T15:13:00.000-04:002009-05-17T15:13:00.000-04:00Wow, I wish I had been around to take part in this...Wow, I wish I had been around to take part in this conversation, but I had to go out of town a day sooner than I expected.<br /><br />Raven, thank you SO MUCH for telling me about Caught in Crystal! I read that book back when it was first published and I never could remember the title or the author. Too bad that was the last book in the series. I remember enjoying it very much. I'll have to look for it on my next trip to the used bookstore.<br /><br />Thanks for all the recommendations!Tia Nevitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05489109929908389257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-46197712928205095832009-05-16T23:55:00.000-04:002009-05-16T23:55:00.000-04:00I have to second Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion bo...I have to second Lois McMaster Bujold's Chalion books. They're some of my favorite books ever, and they feature adult, female leads.Patricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-57181794222995144282009-05-16T19:20:00.000-04:002009-05-16T19:20:00.000-04:00Robin McKinley has some female protagonists in tra...Robin McKinley has some female protagonists in traditional fantasy settings, although they tend to be young women, so in a sense their stories are also coming-of-age stories.<br /><br />Patricia C. Wrede's "Caught in Crystal" features a 40ish woman with two adolescent kids. Although I first read the book when I was a teenager myself, I remember that even then I found the character's age and the fact of her motherhood different and refreshing.Ravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09792843423654460015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-38790135961269677942009-05-16T12:36:00.000-04:002009-05-16T12:36:00.000-04:00I'm happy to read Middle Grade, Young Adult, or Ad...I'm happy to read Middle Grade, Young Adult, or Adult, Male or Female, black, white, green, feathered, furred, or scaled protagonists. I just want variety!Kimber Lihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-12804608332892594602009-05-16T12:01:00.000-04:002009-05-16T12:01:00.000-04:00I'll add L.E. Modesitt's name to the list. Many of...I'll add L.E. Modesitt's name to the list. Many of his books have an adult male (and first person) PoV character.Jeff Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00865412847796927368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-68676801108628649962009-05-15T16:17:00.000-04:002009-05-15T16:17:00.000-04:00Anything by Connie Willis. :)Anything by Connie Willis. :)Lori Devotihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12978991082814872229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-87187207760989135602009-05-15T15:53:00.000-04:002009-05-15T15:53:00.000-04:00I hit the argh-too-many-boy-povs feeling back when...I hit the argh-too-many-boy-povs feeling back when Kristen Britain's Green Rider first came out so I was ecstatic when I found that.<br /><br />I don't read very many straight up fantasy novels nowadays so not much comes to mind. Though Lisa Shearin's Raine Benares is a grown woman, no?<br /><br />As for favourite novel about grown-ups? Gosh, that's tough if you don't nail down a genre 'cause I can think of too many. I think the majority of novels I read have adult protags.Pissenlithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15652379987538733088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-32138308972747583532009-05-15T13:40:00.000-04:002009-05-15T13:40:00.000-04:00I prefer to read about adult characters so I can d...I prefer to read about adult characters so I can definitely feel your pain. Here some books with adult MCs:<br /><br />Several MCs:<br />I second Sanderson's Mistborn-series and Guy Gavriel Kay suggestions.<br />Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Recovery Man-series has several adult MCs. The first is the Disappeared. It's SF.<br /><br />One MC:<br />Jack Campbell's Dauntless the Lost Fleet. The MC is an experienced officer.<br />Dave Duncan's Ill Met in the Arena where the MC is in his 40s if I did my match correctly.<br />Warren Hammond's KOP and Ex-Kop have an older cop as the MC.<br />Roger Zelazny's Amber -series where the MC is thousands of years old.<br />Lois McMaster Bujold's Curse of Chalion where the MC is 35 and her Paladin of Souls where the MC is a dowager queen in her 40s.<br />Mercy Thompson in Patricia Briggs' UF series. The first is Moon Called.Mervihttp://mervih.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-2048415509969092952009-05-15T12:14:00.000-04:002009-05-15T12:14:00.000-04:00You are so spot on. I noticed that myself a while...You are so spot on. I noticed that myself a while back that the coming-of-age story just didn't move me the way it did when i was...well, coming of age. Good call.Garyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04770916340285635755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-64717173110622897882009-05-15T11:46:00.000-04:002009-05-15T11:46:00.000-04:00As a fellow blogging book reviewer, I feel your pa...As a fellow blogging book reviewer, I feel your pain. I'm still not over my "I'm so sick of Kick-butt Heroines who never get knocked up no matter how much wild nookie they have I could just scream!" phase.<br /><br />And remember, authors, just 'cause we're sick of something, it doens't mean we don't like you. There's no way you can control whether we've had too much of one thing before your book showed up. It's totally unfair to you because your book might just be excellent.Kimber Lihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-52693800680736433432009-05-15T11:34:00.000-04:002009-05-15T11:34:00.000-04:00Let me put in a plug for Brandon Sanderson's Mistb...Let me put in a plug for Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn. The main protagonist is a young woman, but the other protagonist is an ~35 year old man. I'm reading this now (on audio) and greatly enjoying it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-872721583563485502009-05-15T10:05:00.000-04:002009-05-15T10:05:00.000-04:00Very interesting post. I'd never consciously thou...Very interesting post. I'd never consciously thought about it before, but coming-of-age stories really are a prevalent theme in fantasy.<br /><br />As far as stories by and about men go, Guy Gavriel Kay springs instantly to mind. His SARANTINE MOSAIC, (SAILING TO SARANTIUM and LORD OF EMPERORS), focuses in on an artist in his thirties. Most of the supporting cast are also adults with life experience, although there <I>are</I> a few youngsters mixed in. The three protagonists in his LIONS OF AL-RASSAN are also mature adults. <br /><br />The protagonists of Scott Lynch's GENTLEMEN BASTARDS SEQUENCE, (which currently consists of THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA and RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES), start out in their twenties, with periodic flashbacks to their younger years.<br /><br />I don't believe Neil Gaiman ever comes out and tells us how old most of his characters are, but his adult work does tend to focus on adults - Shadow in AMERICAN GODS, Fat Charlie in ANANSI BOYS, Richard in NEVERWHERE. Many of his SANDMAN characters are adults, too.<br /><br />When it comes to stories by and about women, I've got to admit that I'm drawing a blank. I just read Mercedes Lackey's Diana Tregarde books, which are mostly set during the character's late thirties, but those aren't really sterling examples. Most of the female authors I read tend to focus on male protagonists or on young adults.Memoryhttp://xicanti.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195356832263192713.post-80997375505213543962009-05-15T10:03:00.000-04:002009-05-15T10:03:00.000-04:00I'd have to go back and reference the old Coldfire...I'd have to go back and reference the old <I>Coldfire Trilogy</I> by C.S. Friedman. Damien Vryce, warrior priest, is very grown up, not too gritty, and an interesting character. He doesn't hold a candle to Gerald Tarrant, of course, but honestly who does??Todd Newtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10141151129135759156noreply@blogger.com