 Fantasy: August 26, 2015 Issue [#7179] |
  Fantasy
This week: Politics Edited by: Robert Waltz  
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Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.
-Groucho Marx
If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand.
-Milton Friedman
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.
-Plato
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Well, in my last two newsletters, I discussed religion and sex. Let's round off the list of taboo topics for polite company by talking about politics!
By "politics" in this case, I mean, specifically, practices related to power in government. Politics is intimately tied to civilization - in fact, it comes from the same root as "-polis," as in "metropolis." As soon as you get people together living in any kind of society, they have to figure out how to do so, preferably without exchanging kicks to each other's nether regions until one capitulates (though I suppose that makes more sense than many political systems).
Since characters in fantasy and science fiction live in a society - which could be based on a real one, or completely made up - it's inevitable that some form of politics exists in their world, and they either shape the culture's politics or are shaped by it.
And it doesn't matter what form of government you've come up with: classical fantasy feudalism, modern representational democracy, autocracy, plutocracy (which does not mean rule by a dwarf planet), or something you've created for the story - even the most iron-fisted dictatorships have internal politics.
For example, one of the common tropes of high fantasy is some commoner finding out that he or she is actually royalty. But it's one thing to be royalty by blood, and it's another thing entirely to consolidate power and be able to act like royalty. In our world, Julius Caesar essentially bequeathed the Roman Empire to Augustus. But Augustus, perhaps the greatest politician who ever lived, would have been squished flat if he had not been politically savvy enough to hold his position and eliminate or declaw his rivals.
No person exists in a vacuum, and that includes leaders of cities and countries. A queen or dictator may, in theory, be able to make any law he or she desires, but even in non-democratic situations, political leaders who are too unpopular have a tendency to become ex-leaders. And dead. See: French Revolution, Russian Revolution.
It's important to remember that few people involved in political theater consider themselves the "bad guy". Everyone's their own protagonist, and each does what he or she does for what they consider to be good reasons. Yes, even that guy from Germany in the first part of the 20th century. You don't have politicians (with the possible exception of Dick Cheney) going "I think I'll start the day by doing the most evil thing I can think of. Where did that dog go so I can kick it? Hey, look, a pregnant woman I can punch!" But by favoring one group over another, the result can certainly be seen as evil.
Politics is, at base, a balancing act, and balancing acts, especially ones with a lot of unknowns or random occurrences, make for great drama. And great drama makes for great reading. The tension between progressives (who tend to embrace change) and conservatives (who tend to like things just the way they are), or any other combinations of political agendas, if presented honestly and with as little author bias as possible, gets readers thinking about these things, and that can translate in the real world to a sense of understanding those on the "other side."
Just try not to pay attention to the current clown show that is the US Presidential election process. It might just put you off politics for good. |
A few flights of fantasy:
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Last time, in "Sex" , I discussed the second thing you don't discuss: sex.
Steev the Friction Wizurd  : Next time I am writing think about sex? But I write to get my mind OFF of sex! 
That's the joke.
Elle - on hiatus  : Some great points, Robert. I enjoyed reading Anne McCaffrey's novels in my teens, and so it seemed obvious to recommend them to my 13 year old son who loved fantasy. I was surprised to realise how much sex was in them, but in the end I figured if they didn't do me any harm when I read them in my teens, they wouldn't do him any harm either. 
Heck, I read Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, and even more graphic science fiction, in and even before my teens. I can't say they didn't do me any harm, but at least I haven't been arrested yet.
Marci Missing Everyone : Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm thinking of the love child created by a fairy and an elf. And due to the size difference, what that meant during sex, and how in the world will that affect this baby. What an interesting concept to explore. Hmmm... Definitely got me to thinking on that one. Great newsletter!
Since fairies and elves exist entirely in the realm of fantasy (along with unicorns and honest politicians), you can do whatever you want with them. And they can do whatever you want to each other.
Shannon  : Love this newsletter! "He pierced the perfectly charred surface of the steak with the shiny, sharp fork, releasing its juices and savory aroma, then drew the knife across its flank, revealing the tender, pink flesh inside..." Hilarious!
When the steaks are high, the chips are down. Or something.
Mummsy  : "So my challenge for you: Next time you're writing, think about sex." *blink blink* A better challenge would be "next time you're writing, DON'T think about sex." 
...That's the joke.
Elfin Dragon-finally published  : I must admit that it's true, I don't often get to the sex in my fantasy novel. But it does exist. I actually do put some scenes in there. I think for more adult fantasy it's needed because adult characters will most likely be intament with other characters they know well. Relationships are important and how we portray them are important as well. And you're right in that we shouldn't be afraid to show all sides of it.
Though I suppose you can invent a fantasy world where everyone enters into relationships for purely chaste reasons, and babies are delivered via stork, it'd better be a parody or otherwise funny, because otherwise it could get boring.
chcltroses : oh i have a story with sex in it. I just am not sure i want to put that out here..dont want it to take away from the story...
Well, you know, there's Fantasy and then there's fantasy. This newsletter is about the former.
Osirantinous  : Thanks for mentioning my story! I don't think any genre goes into bodily waste elimination detail (or evening bodily cleaning) though some YA dealing with puberty go against that flow! Well, the ones I read when I was growing up back in the 80s and 90s did. But also, back then the 'Mommy, where did I come from?' books were forced upon us. Anyway, great newsletter. We shouldn't shy away from these things like they're some taboo subject but, as you say, we don't need to get into XGC either to make it 'valuable'. Gotta keep things real.
Well, it's like, everyone knows how many notches Captain Kirk had on his bedpost, but Star Trek certainly wasn't graphic about it. (Nor were there toilets on the Enterprise; I think we decided a while back that the transporter took care of such things.)
Quick-Quill  : sex or reference to it depends on the focus of your story. Does it enhance the story or character? why are you writing it? We all know its done. I think the type of book you are writing deems whether to include it or hint at it or leave it out. I don't beleive you HAVE to have sex and swearing in a book to make it good, If you have to drop four letter bombs everyother sentence, it tells me you don't have a lot of mental character to transcribe dialogue. If the novel you are writing is a war, or action book and this is the way they talk, go ahead. You may limit your audience. While I love action movies, The Sniper and Shooter for example. I know this is how peple talk. I'm still offended even though I love the movies and try to ignore the foul language. I'd love them just as much with no foul language or think less if they left it out.
It's certainly a choice all writers have to make, but keep in mind that everything offends someone.
brom21 : I, actually, was going to avoid reading this newsletter when I saw the subject in my email box. Then I decided to take a peek at it and found it to be “appropriate” and agreeable. I prefer to read the jest of that kind of thing myself. I do read books that do the same with this topic, but I choose not to include sex at all in my writing though. Thanks for the newsletter!
Like I said, it's a choice, but if you choose to refer to sexual relationships, nothing says you have to be graphic about it.
And that's it for me for this month - and the end of taboo topics for now! Thanks for all the feedback, and until next time,
DREAM ON!!!
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