Comments on: Dark Fantasy as a Writing Genre: What is it anyway?

By: Blog book tour – the wrap, with stats – The Word – According To Me

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:09:37 +0000

[...] Day One: Guest post: Dark Fantasy – What is it exactly? – at The Creative Penn [...]

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:21:27 +0000

Hi BT. I like this bit: “The author has set out to expose the reader to the darker side of life with the aim of provoking an emotional response.” That’s a good dscription.

I always prefer speculative fiction over fantasy, sci fi or horror, as it’s a less constricting genre definition. Dark speculative fiction, or even just dark fiction, is a good good term but one that may confuse potential readers as much as dark fantasy.

I think you’re dead right when you suggest that this is something that will be debated for a long time!

By: BT

BT — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:27:43 +0000

Hi all, sorry to be late to the party, been unusually hectic.

Dark fantasy: I find any mention of the word fantasy tends to confuse readers as to the content.

I’m a big fan of dark speculative fiction, but then most readers have no idea what constitutes speculative when labelling genres.

Saying something is dark automatically has readers leaning toward horror.

So I think we need to re-educate readers so they no longer associate the dark genres with the slasher/gore fests of the 1980s.

Dark writings equal disturbing reading, i.e. The author has set out to expose the reader to the darker side of life with the aim of provoking an emotional response.

I think this is a topic which will be debated for a long time to come. Nice article.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:14:11 +0000

Hi Stephanie

Thanks very much! Sorry to increase your TBR pile (I know that my own scares me sometimes) but I hope it’s worth it. Let me know.

By: stephanie

stephanie — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:39:39 +0000

So perhaps dark fantasy is more a description of what something is not, rather than what it is.

I like this.

Interesting post and perspective, Alan. My TBR pile has grown again!

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:37:05 +0000

Hi Rob

Thanks for the kind words. Great to hear that you’re planning to read the books. Be sure to let me know what you think when you get around to reading them. You can find my email on my website – always happy to hear reader responses.

By: Rob Charron

Rob Charron — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:15:00 +0000

Hi
Alan Baxter’s books are on my ToBeRead pile.

Dark Fantasy. A lot of the books I love are in that category. I am drawn to it.

Thanks for sharing.
A great blog post.
twitter.com/RKCharron

By: Benjamin Solah

Benjamin Solah — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:16:40 +0000

Let me know what you think. He has very similar politics to mine. And he’s speaking at the Melbourne Writers Festival this year.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:05:44 +0000

Hi Ben

Interesting comment – I recently picked up Perdido Street Station after having Mieville repeatedly recommended to me. I haven’t got around to reading it yet, but I’m even more interested to do so now!

By: Benjamin Solah

Benjamin Solah — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:38:35 +0000

Interesting post and I tend to agree that the genre straddles between horror and fantasy.

One person I kind of define in the genre is China Mieville. Would you say so?