message 0070

• Comparing C.J. Cherryh's Fantasy with her SF

>From: nancy ott <ott@ansoft.com>
>Subject: Re: C. J. Cherryh List
>Date: Mon, 18 Jan 93 18:30:05 EST

Ken Shrum writes:

> You must mean something different by "detail" than I do.

  (comparison of Paksenarion and Rusalka deleted)

> While I'm interested in a consistent world-view in the fiction I read,
> it isn't very important to me to have precise descriptions of what
> things *look* like.  

Cherryh's fantasies don't lack characterization; in fact, that's their
strong point.  However, I feel they fall short in description.  First
of all, I enjoy having things described to me -- as long as the writer
does it in a manner that fits in well with the narrative.  Moreover, I
think that consistent, detailed description really improves the
quality of fantasy.  At the very least, it gives the reader a better
visual sense of what's going on.

And it can help to give the writer a unique writing voice.  Think of
how Peter Beagle in his "Last Unicorn", or Tad Williams in his
"Dragonbone Chair" describe such common fantasy elements as unicorns
and elves.  Now, imagine how someone like Piers Anthony or Terry
Brooks would do it.  The detailed and original imagery that writers
like Beagle and Williams use adds a depth and flavor to their work
that truly sets it apart from the "let's rip off Tolkien and/or
Dungeons & Dragons" crew.  (I apologize to anyone who likes Anthony
and Brooks, but Beagle and Williams blow their socks off artistically,
if not commercially.)

Back to Cherryh.  As Lesley points out, Cherryh is adept at using the
"pool" of imagery that's common to most of her readership (whether
fantasy or sf).  And this may be part of the problem with the Rusalka
novels and some of her other fantasies.  I got the feeling that she
was expecting me to fill in the gaps with visuals from a pool that she
had access to, and I didn't.  Did she assume too much knowledge on the
part of her readers?



- nancy           |   What we are and what we were once
(ott@ansoft.com)  |   are now far estranged
                  |     
                  |                - the Story, "Grace in Gravity"