This week: Help Needed: Fantasy vs Scifi Edited by: Cinn  
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This is my first ever Fantasy newsletter. And for good reason! I've never read a high fantasy novel in my entire life. Never. I read a chapter or two or ten and just... don't continue.
So, I need your help with some suggested reading for high fantasy (i.e. set in a fantasy world). In this newsletter, I'm going to share some likes and dislikes so that maybe you all can get me hooked on a genre that... really... seems like something I could like.
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I love science fiction and rarely read fantasy because what I most love in scifi is what I very much dislike in fantasy: the world building. I love scifi world building... the societies, the gadgets, the linguistics, and the aliens. Turn that into high fantasy with magical societies and wizards and elves and I'm instantly bored. Why would warring alien races be more interesting than warring fantasy realms?
There are several reasons, discussed below. I'm doing this for two reasons. First, you might find a way to incorporate these things into your fantasy worlds. Second, I'm hoping that people will recommend awesome high fantasy for me to read, given what I love about scifi and dislike about the high fantasy I've encountered.  Surely there are some rule breakers out there!
Allegories
Scifi has a very long tradition of allegories. While set in the future, they could be "where we're heading". Or, an entire novel will be a spin on a very particular political happening. The Forever War by Joseph Haldeman, for example, was very clearly about the Vietnam war. This is an obvious example that is entirely unrefuted because 1. Haldeman was a Vietnam vet and 2. it actually seemed to begin in modern times before spanning thousands of years (all from the POV of one soldier whose voice sounded much like the author).
Probably the most obvious example to everyone is 1984 by George Orwell. It's even more heavy-handed in its message than The Forever War, but it was obviously super effective, since it is still referenced constantly (Big Brother is watching!). Sometimes, even a short story will give you chills when the ending comes around and the final point is made.
I have never gotten this from fantasy. The ones I've read that are loosely based on real events feel more clever than intriguing or gripping. I never come to care much for the characters since there are no consequences that feel real, I suppose. Do you have any examples of fantasy doing this well? Recommend them, please! I'd love to read them.
Too Much Info
The info dumps seem to have purpose in scifi. Describing a magical phenomenon is alright I suppose (though for fanciful things, reader imagination would probably do a better job?). But in Fantasy, I've encountered endless page-long paragraphs describing a forest. Like, man... we get it. Do they even need to describe ogres or dragons or etc anymore either? The mental picture is already there.
When science fiction info dumps, it's often to describe the detailed inner workings of tech. My favorites are when it's based on real physics or chemistry or biology... and advanced many years into what we COULD do with it.
I'll accept the occasional info dump for something that's intriguing or inspiring. Otherwise, I want tight writing. Description that isn't 100% necessary or 100% new/creative feels like a waste of time to me. Surely some modern writers of high fantasy do this well. Who are they?
Creative Races
I rarely encounter NEW fantasy creatures. I mean, entirely new and unique in look, abilities, societies, culture, etc. More often than not, it's a "fairy but NOT the type you're used to" and that sort of thing. I have no interest in these, much like (as a huge horror fan), I have no interest in vampires or werewolves or mummies. It always feels stale to me.
Aliens in scifi rarely have similarities with other alien races. They usually have some inspiration from life forms on Earth (cephalopods, insects, etc), but they tend to be highly developed in their customs, cultures, traits, looks, and so forth. A few tropes exist (the reptilian aliens who are bad guys... the feline aliens who are sneaky and aloof), but more often than not, authors want to create their own, memorable and unique races. Which fantasy novels have unique creatures? Which authors love to do this?
Eras
Scifi can be set in any time and/or be reminiscent of any time. A society that appears to be much like the U.S. was in the 1950's? Sure. They could definitely do that. They could even go back to 1955 in a time machine or something if they wanted to. A society could also have advanced thousands of years into the future.
In my mind, all the high fantasy I've ever encountered is pretty much medieval or earlier (natural forests with huts and stuff). Swords, royals, peasants, relying on "magic" for healthcare... you know what I'm talking about. Since I've seen "medieval fantasy" used as a subgenre, I assume some of it ISN'T this. High fantasy can be any world outside reality, yeah? So I'd love to see some that aren't using this type of medieval motif.
So, that's it in a nutshell. I love world building that doesn't look like all the other worlds, with scant differences. For me, high fantasy straddles this line of not grounded enough to be interesting to me (the allegories, the slightly-new version of now), nor is it creative or out there enough to be interesting to me (the same old creatures and settings and societal norms). I'm totally up for anything that slips into one or the other. Give me something grounded enough to care about... or give me something so out-there original that I fall in love. 
I am aware of contemporary fantasy and urban fantasy... and low fantasy in general. It is a much better fit for me, but still, I never read it. It's just not... enticing enough to get me reading? Similarly, I never read scifi fantasy because it's sort of akin to ultra-soft scifi, and I prefer hard scifi to soft. I am open to low fantasy suggestions (fantasy elements in an otherwise normal world) as long as it isn't a normal medieval world that suddenly has magic thrust upon it.
I want to be wowed by the creativity or awed by the message or completely in love with the premise. I'll take any recommendations you've got... but mostly: High fantasy that does some of what I like. It's surely out there. So help me... I clearly need the help!  And I am totally sure that I can get into fantasy. I already have the interest... I just need something that doesn't disappoint. I'm having no luck on my own.
If this works, I will definitely come back to do another Fantasy newsletter and let you all know how it went.
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Fantasy: April 01, 2020 Issue [#10096]
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