Why I read fantasy

I love fantasy. A glance at my reading list on Goodreads tells anyone as much. I would submit that the lion's share of everything I read is a variation of fantasy, be it books, manga or comics. (Followed closely by sci-fi). And I love it that way.

Part of it is that I love worldbuilding. I love the idea that things where this story is taking place are different from here, and seeing how those changes affect the ways in which people interact. I love seeing the creative things people come up with. you'd never get something like allomancy in a our-world novel, and the dynamics of that system are amazing.

At the same time, I also like that while fantasy is a genre, it's more rightly a setting. It's a place into which any story, any characters, any themes and any plots can be fitted.

I've been reminded lately that a lot of people see fantasy as a fluff genre. It's not a wrong perception, really, since most writers in the genre kind of treat it that way as well. And there's a lot to be said for fluff. People want escapism, and there's a certain beauty in the way that fantasy and sci fi can allow us to look at real-world issues in a ... let's say less threatening way.

And for me at least, there's a beauty in being able to divorce the terrible things people do from reality. I work in newspapers. I don't need to pick up a novel to read about people in our world being horrible to one another or being kind to one another. I do that all week long. If I'm going to read a book, I need it it separated, at least a little, from that reality. Is that somewhat cowardly? Perhaps. But its a preference that hasn't changed in more than two decades of picking my own books :)