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So, I'm tossing ideas around in my head for a story, and as always I have more ideas than I have willpower to actually make, so it got me wondering just what kind of "fantasy" genre actually resonated with the people who like it! So make your choice, post your reasons, and share your thoughts!

I'm asking a general question. Movies, books, games. What's your favorite regardless of medium.

Examples of the choices are as follows:

Traditional - Lord Of The Rings, Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon
Modern - Chronicle, Harry Potter, Jumper
Swashbuckling - Sinbad, Captain Harlock, Skies Of Arcadia
Eastern - Journey To The West, Kung Fu Hustle, Jade Empire
Sci-fi - Star Treck, The Time Machine, War Of The Worlds
Other - I DON'T KNOW YOU TELL ME!

Generally speaking I do not like the traditional fantasy since I think it has been overused to the point where it is hard to find an original idea anymore, if it is still popular then it would be due to people finding comfort in reading what they are familiar with.

From the examples you gave my favourite would possibly fall within the modern section but with a strong focus on war and psychological traits, two series I could use as examples would be The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop and the Axis Trilogy by Sara Douglass

Vernor Vinge-type sci fi. Starts off with some absolutely surreal concept and makes you spend the entire time trying to wrap your brain around it. It's hard to explain except that he usually leaves you helpless with the sheer scale.

I'm pretty sure porn falls under "(Extraordinary adventures in a normal setting)"

I immediately thought of The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. Now there's a fantastic short story. There's a name for that, injecting fantasy into our reality, but I can't remember what it is.

This one was rather tough, but out of all the fantasy fiction, my preference would be sci-fi

The reason for this is because I always wonder what life would be like a few 100 years from now, whether we would finally make contact with life on other planets or if we will finally have jetpacks to own.

A prime example of this would be the Mass Effect series (of course, this is just my opinion).

I agree with Yahtzee that the very idea of "traditional" fantasy (and the fact that so many things fall in so few lines) is pretty sad.

I prefer things that do something new, or play with a new idea.

Maverik, on 06 July 2012 - 12:09 PM, said:

Definitely sci-fi. Several of my favorite franchises have blends of fantasy and science fiction (Godzilla, Gamera, Mothra, etc.).

I prefer science fiction (for example, I really like Warhammer 40k and Star Wars novels), but I don't limit myself to it. Out of the poll options, my least favourite would have to be traditional, as magic stuff tends to annoy me, but I still like the military stuff (i.e. orc savages fighting elves and whatnot). Though I've never bothered with Eastern fantasy books, I tend to gravitate towards it in movies (but even then the ones I watch are science fiction).

Titanium Dragon, on 10 July 2012 - 12:45 AM, said:

As do I. Hence, when I say "traditional" I'm just sort of referring to the whole "Sword and Sorcery" field. I have no desire to have any elves, dwarfs or orcs in anything I write. It's in the poll stuff to explain what I mean when I say "traditional" to the widest possible understanding.

Hm... My definition of fantasy might be different from yours. I can't vote in the poll yet, because I'm not sure what I'm about to describe to you would be classified as "modern" or "other," because there's a very particular niche of fantasy that resonates with me:

I like the idea of a fantasy with a narrow focus that ultimately has a theme, rather than just playing with some fantasy--because if I want mindless action, I'll just go see the next Transformers movie. Sure, the Harry Potter world is cool and all, but fantasies that really stick with me are the ones that focus on a singular idea. Death Note is a good example of this--at least, the concept of a "Death Note" is. Another example is one that's been brewing in my mind, but I don't know if I could shape it into a good story: the idea of someone dying, but able to come back to life by taking the life of another (and using that power over and over). It's personal preference, but I prefer it when fantasy (and fiction in general) makes a statement about reality. To paraphrase Tim O'Brien: "Fiction is a way to tell the truth when the truth is insufficient."

I guess it really would have to fit into the category of "other" because it doesn't really fit into any of the genres--it can happen in all of them.

If that's not what you're looking for, though, then I guess my favorite would have to be "modern," but specifically catering to the "Jumper" idea of modern, because it's relating to my idea of "focused concept making statement about humanity."

Lux Aeterna, on 11 July 2012 - 03:49 AM, said:

I think the issue you're having is that your lumping "concept" and "message" together. Any medium can have a deeper meaning or ideal. The examples I posted were just a broad strokes showing of the kind of things that would fit the setting category.

Saying "I like modern fantasy best because it has a deeper message" is like saying "I like sandwiches because they have meat". Not all sandwiches have meat. And not all meat is delivered in sandwich form.

Honestly, I feel like writing something fun and adventure focused, but I think discounting those sorts of story's as "not having a message" would be jumping the gun. You mentioned Harry Potter, which, let's be honest, is full of hidden meaning and such. They're just not particularly interesting. Most writers will do this, sometimes unintentionally.

In that case, if you're referring to setting, modern is definitely my favorite, especially considering how many modern fantasy stories have grabbed my interest. It's probably highly influenced by the fact that it's far more easy to relate to--not the fantasy part, but the setting itself establishes a familiarity with the story that can't be accomplished by other fantasy genres, especially since you've established it in the poll as "extraordinary adventures in an ordinary setting."

But don't get me wrong: the adventure types of stories are really fun to read. And I wouldn't immediately discount it as "without meaning," of course. I really enjoy pretty much any kind of fantasy if done right. I mean, the manga Magi doesn't really fit into "modern," but it contains a hell of a lot of adventure, politics, action, etc., so it's basically my favorite manga. Now that I think about it, adventure really does fit into pretty much every category, too, since it's pretty separate from the core idea of sub-genre of fantasy, and it can happen in any one of them.

This post has been edited by Lux Aeterna: 11 July 2012 - 04:47 PM

Modern fantasy is great, as long as it's not pure wizard-based. Doesn't mean it can't have magic as a major theme, but blurring the lines between fantasy and sci-fi are the way to go. If you've ever seen the movie Frequency, you've got a good view of what I like in fantasy.

As far as the choices listed, I'd choose Sci-Fi. Techno-thrillers are a good way to get my attention, as are the more "realistic" space stories--the ones set in our galaxy with no aliens (at least, none that are seen). Good examples of what I like are The Andromeda Strain (the novel, though I do like the 1971 adaptation) for Techno-thriller and 2001: A Space Odyssey (the movie, haven't had a chance to read the novel).

What I typically am attracted to when I am reading a work of fiction is when the story tends to have a strong background and backstory. I absolutely love when a work of fiction is set in a kingdom or country that has plenty of time to develop a sense of identity and a solid internal structure.

As for the catagories listed I think what I like is a mixture of traditional and modern fiction. Books such as The Edge Chronicles or The Lord of the Rings series are pretty much straightforward examples of what I love to expierience in fiction.

While Left to my own devices, I would probably prefer straight up sci-fi, but I grew up surrounded by traditional fantasy enthusiasts, So it would have to be a tie between the two. I do prefer the traditional when it doesn't copy everything other traditional fantasy setting (the world is full of magic, Make some new creatures or something!) On the other hand, I love sci-fi has long has it stays on the idea that the universe works the way we believe it does, hence why things like time travel are a touchy subject for me in sci-fi. I like sci-fi as long as it follows the rules, while I like traditional when it doesn't follow the rules.

What about science-y fantasy series like the His Dark Materials trilogy? It's got magic bullshit, and alternate worlds in it. But they also deal with stuff like particle physics and evolution.

The Warriors (the cats ones) was probably the series I enjoyed most when I was younger. I'm not exactly sure what it would fall under. Like I read the original series but I was off it for awhile and they came out with like 3 different series so I never got back on it.

I read up to halfway through the third series (I was hooked up to that point), so I know what you're talking about. But, it isn't fantasy. There are cats organized into clans and given human-like qualities, and there are instances of divine intervention, but it's more of an accurate depiction of humanity thousands of years ago... but with four legs and fur.

The existence of the Star Clan and the "nine lives" ability leaders have are elements one could attribute to a fantasy, but the story itself has no fantasy genre, because its focus is on life through a clan cat's eyes, not the fantasy elements themselves.

This post has been edited by Lux Aeterna: 13 July 2012 - 05:16 AM