While I get the desire for escapism, I’ve never understood how the topic of magic had such a strong appeal to so many, anyway. I want an escape that might actually happen. Everyone should know that magic isn’t real, and it’s at best just science you don’t understand. At worst it’s just lies, misdirection, and slight-of-hand - the preference for which so many people have is what’s ruining everything in the real world as we speak.
Just to be clear, you won’t read things like T.H. White’s The Once and Future King?
I get the hate for Rowling, and I’m old enough that I grew up on Narnia instead. I never read Rowling’s books, given that I was an adult, but I lived with a woman a decade younger for a time, and she was all about Harry Potter, so I slogged through all of the movies. Great acting, good production values, but I had a hard time figuring out why to care.
Worth noting, though, is that as a kid, I had no idea when the first two books were read to me in bed that C.S. Lewis was a Christian apologist. I started reading from there. I’ll frankly take someone who seems to have espoused the actual teachings of Jesus over a TERF any day.
I will say that Lewis helped get me through a rough patch via Mere Christianity as an adult suffering my first marriage falling apart … while I remain an atheist, he made compelling arguments. Rowling really has nothing of substance to say through her works.
You’re talking specifically about a name used to classify a particular genre of stories. The word “fantasy” applies to more than just that.
Whatever. Seems I unintentionally touched some nerves here (and, unfortunately, I had to work - so I was unable to keep this from going off the deep end), so I’m just gonna walk away before I somehow wind up antagonizing people (and myself) further.
While I appreciate the self-reflection, fantasy literally means shit that can’t possibly happen in real life. If it could, well … it wouldn’t be fantasy, now would it?
Once one veers into the realistic, it’s one of a number of genres, wherein “fantasy” is not considered.
So sexual fantasies can’t possibly happen IRL? I think you’re too focused on a single definition & perhaps need to try another dictionary. Whatever. I’m going to bed. Good luck with keeping words strictly linked to a singular definition.
And you’re entitled to your opinion. I don’t need to present my credentials in terms of fulfilling my own sexual fantasies, nor do you need to believe that I had to create a group on FetLife so that the porn I made with my ex actually had a home.
It’s generally not a great idea to tell an editor that he needs to learn how to consult dictionaries, and I hope you don’t extend such pleasantries to other members of the Beehaw community.
Context is king. We’re talking about literary genres, and you want to talk sex. I fully approve! This said, get off your high horse. You knew damn well the context and decided to inject irrelevant data to … I don’t know … “win?”
We’re not here to argue. If that’s your goal, Beehaw is not the correct instance for you.
I’d say you are indeed here to argue - go back and reread the things you said earlier. Now you’re telling me what’s a good idea to tell someone in a profession when there was no prior mention of that fact for me to have known it. Methinks there’s a good bit of projection, ego-boosting, and other similar subconsciously-driven “high horse” activities happening on your part, but I’m too tired to bother dragging out Lucy’s psychiatry booth to address it right now. In lieu of such, I’ll simply suggest you go find a mirror in which to bathe in your own awesomeness.
EDIT: I also shouldn’t have to tell someone in your prestigious position in life this fact, but there’s “fantasy,” and then there’s “Fantasy” - the latter of which is capitalized for a reason. You used the former, so don’t be surprised that I used the definition associated with that form of the word.
You’re totally entitled to prefer stories and worlds that are grounded in realism - others enjoy reading stories that are flying high in fantasy far from the places we could ever hope to explore in our universe or anything that follows its rules. Absolutely not a defense of harry potter for what its worth, fuck jkr and everything she makes. But there’s such a wealth of stories to be told that don’t follow our rules, and many magic systems do follow hard and fast rules, they just don’t happen to be the ones we follow in our world.
Not when you know the methods depicted can’t effect that result in real life. I’d think if you actually desired such power then you’d want to focus on ways to actually achieve it.
I mean sure - I get it’s nice to fantasize about having such an ability, but as one outgrows other childhood trappings then I’d expect that to be left behind for something more realistic as well. But then, I guess it fits with the fact so many people never grow up at all, anyway.
While I get the desire for escapism, I’ve never understood how the topic of magic had such a strong appeal to so many, anyway. I want an escape that might actually happen. Everyone should know that magic isn’t real, and it’s at best just science you don’t understand. At worst it’s just lies, misdirection, and slight-of-hand - the preference for which so many people have is what’s ruining everything in the real world as we speak.
Just to be clear, you won’t read things like T.H. White’s The Once and Future King?
I get the hate for Rowling, and I’m old enough that I grew up on Narnia instead. I never read Rowling’s books, given that I was an adult, but I lived with a woman a decade younger for a time, and she was all about Harry Potter, so I slogged through all of the movies. Great acting, good production values, but I had a hard time figuring out why to care.
Worth noting, though, is that as a kid, I had no idea when the first two books were read to me in bed that C.S. Lewis was a Christian apologist. I started reading from there. I’ll frankly take someone who seems to have espoused the actual teachings of Jesus over a TERF any day.
I will say that Lewis helped get me through a rough patch via Mere Christianity as an adult suffering my first marriage falling apart … while I remain an atheist, he made compelling arguments. Rowling really has nothing of substance to say through her works.
could’ve just said you don’t like fantasy
I could have, but that wouldn’t be true. I like fantasy just fine, I just prefer that it is grounded in reality and what’s actually possible/probable.
I like metal, as long as it is slow jazz.
Fuck. You win the internet today. 🥇
That’s not fantasy? That’s pretty much the exact opposite. From Oxford’s English dictionary:
“the faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable.”
E: Are you perhaps thinking science fiction?
You’re talking specifically about a name used to classify a particular genre of stories. The word “fantasy” applies to more than just that.
Whatever. Seems I unintentionally touched some nerves here (and, unfortunately, I had to work - so I was unable to keep this from going off the deep end), so I’m just gonna walk away before I somehow wind up antagonizing people (and myself) further.
Let the bludgeoning continue…
While I appreciate the self-reflection, fantasy literally means shit that can’t possibly happen in real life. If it could, well … it wouldn’t be fantasy, now would it?
Once one veers into the realistic, it’s one of a number of genres, wherein “fantasy” is not considered.
So sexual fantasies can’t possibly happen IRL? I think you’re too focused on a single definition & perhaps need to try another dictionary. Whatever. I’m going to bed. Good luck with keeping words strictly linked to a singular definition.
And you’re entitled to your opinion. I don’t need to present my credentials in terms of fulfilling my own sexual fantasies, nor do you need to believe that I had to create a group on FetLife so that the porn I made with my ex actually had a home.
It’s generally not a great idea to tell an editor that he needs to learn how to consult dictionaries, and I hope you don’t extend such pleasantries to other members of the Beehaw community.
Context is king. We’re talking about literary genres, and you want to talk sex. I fully approve! This said, get off your high horse. You knew damn well the context and decided to inject irrelevant data to … I don’t know … “win?”
We’re not here to argue. If that’s your goal, Beehaw is not the correct instance for you.
I’d say you are indeed here to argue - go back and reread the things you said earlier. Now you’re telling me what’s a good idea to tell someone in a profession when there was no prior mention of that fact for me to have known it. Methinks there’s a good bit of projection, ego-boosting, and other similar subconsciously-driven “high horse” activities happening on your part, but I’m too tired to bother dragging out Lucy’s psychiatry booth to address it right now. In lieu of such, I’ll simply suggest you go find a mirror in which to bathe in your own awesomeness.
EDIT: I also shouldn’t have to tell someone in your prestigious position in life this fact, but there’s “fantasy,” and then there’s “Fantasy” - the latter of which is capitalized for a reason. You used the former, so don’t be surprised that I used the definition associated with that form of the word.
I tried to do a little humour at your expense, I actually totally get what you mean even if I feel different.
sorry 😔
You’re totally entitled to prefer stories and worlds that are grounded in realism - others enjoy reading stories that are flying high in fantasy far from the places we could ever hope to explore in our universe or anything that follows its rules. Absolutely not a defense of harry potter for what its worth, fuck jkr and everything she makes. But there’s such a wealth of stories to be told that don’t follow our rules, and many magic systems do follow hard and fast rules, they just don’t happen to be the ones we follow in our world.
You really don’t understand how the power to do literally anything you imagine is something people wish for?
Not when you know the methods depicted can’t effect that result in real life. I’d think if you actually desired such power then you’d want to focus on ways to actually achieve it.
I mean sure - I get it’s nice to fantasize about having such an ability, but as one outgrows other childhood trappings then I’d expect that to be left behind for something more realistic as well. But then, I guess it fits with the fact so many people never grow up at all, anyway.