Monday, August 20, 2012

Back to our reality.

Fire - Kristin Cashmore

In the back of this book there is a section where the author is talking about building a fantasy world, and the words and language that can't be used of else it jars us out of their created world. And yes, when someone is not careful the language it can disrupt what I am reading, but the thing that brings me out the most often,  is the use of contraceptives.  I don't know if it is just because the editor tells them that if something sketchy is going to happen between characters they better put it in, or if we have lived so long in the land of messages of  "safe sex" that if they don't talk about it they feel a gaping hole where the mention of contraceptives has been since they were little.

Anyway, it always brings me back to reality. Especially in fantasy where the setting is quasi medieval. I get lulled into thinking that I might not have to deal with my reality, just the bigger reality of good vs. evil, and then contraceptives enter the picture and lines get blurry again.
In spite of this I did enjoy this sequel to Graceling. I will be reading Bitterblue.

It is slightly disturbing the things that have made it into the subconscious of our society.

1 comment:

  1. Yeah...I know exactly what you mean. That happens with a couple other things for me too. I can't think of them off the top of my head, but I know there are a couple feminist comments people make in books sometimes, and I think, "No matter HOW forward thinking and feminist this character is, they would NOT have said that in that time period. They simply THOUGHT DIFFERENTLY then."

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