and it's time for a few small repairs, she said

[intertribal]

The first commentary on the whole Bankrupt Nihilism brouhaha that I really agree with (and surprisingly, it comes from Black Gate): The Decline and Fall of Bankrupt Nihilism.  One points Matthew Surridge brings up that I consider pretty important concerns the supposedly "heroic and inspiring" morality of old-fashioned fantasy, and particularly, states that there's a big difference between Tolkien's and Howard's morality: "[Howard's heroes] were concerned with doing right, but doing right by a moral code based around virtues like honour and strength. I think that’s a far cry from Tolkien’s Christian sense of morality." 

The "virtues like honor and strength" part really got to me, because it reminds me of the kind of "morality" that infuses militaristic societies (you can see this in U.S. armed forces ads too).  Hilariously, I recently used the exact phrase "honor and strength" in a short-story-in-progress as the straight-faced slogan of a genocidal army (this is a Suharto-inspired story, but it's obviously got wider implications). 

Anyway, Surridge's main point is that this old-fashioned fantasy was not, as a rule, any more morally-upright than what's being written today.  He also says that although "a certain stylistic approach has become broadly more common in fantasy, specifically because it’s an approach that’s perceived as more realistic" (this approach being dark-and-gritty), it's not "about the morality of the writers... so much as a greater focus on world-building, plot detail, and the amount of cruelty that one can expect to find in the world."  Which I think is also pretty fair.

This whole ridiculous bankrupt nihilism conversation has made me realize that I think I'm a "moralist" writer, at least if that means my writing is concerned with discussing right behavior.  I never really thought of it that way, but after reading this essay and thinking about the novel... yeah, it's all about right behavior (there are other things, too, but that's the backbone).  I usually think of my writing as being "political," but I think that's just my poli sci background speaking.  I've written things that weren't so driven by morality, and they never feel as whole or sincere or "worth it" after I get a bit of distance from them (in contrast to say, my ChiZine stories).  The best writing compliment I've ever gotten is six years old, and came from one of my high school English teachers - that I "wield the pen like a sword."  And I really need to remember that that sort of writing is my real mission.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I love it when I recognize song lyrics quoted in subject lines or status updates.

I'll go look at the article (why were you surprised that it was at Black Gate? Is it because Black Gate publishes epic-oriented stuff?), but I agree that a lot of what people are actually talking about is stylistic approach rather than content. (Or at least, I should say that it sounds as if it is, since in fact I've read none of the works in question.)

Also, golden age-ism of any sort, whether it's about a wonderful past when people were (so the yearner claims) better in some way than they are now, or whether it's an era when art/music/literature was less "degenerate" in some way, usually is deliberately and obstinately blind to the very flaws and wrongs of the period or era that's being extolled--and often it's those very flaws that the later society (or art/theater/literature/music) are exposing.

Not always, but often.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Hey, and congrats on "Absolute Zero," which I just saw an announcement about over on pgtremblay's blog.

[fengi.livejournal.com]

First, I must say I love the name Leo Grim - it makes me think of Dickens and Hal Hartley. With handle like that, he's almost obligated to write myopic articles complaining about the decline of something.

Second, I really hope Mr. Grim doesn't read those plays by that upstart Euripides, who displays a hopelessly modern disrespect for heroic tropes and is often a downer.