tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post4224129865787782395..comments2023-09-12T06:18:38.552-04:00Comments on The World in the Satin Bag: Urban Fantasy: Ignoring the big question?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13571452656553970472noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-57355558877547678412012-07-29T15:15:19.231-04:002012-07-29T15:15:19.231-04:00Hey, occasionally we can all inspire someone, righ...Hey, occasionally we can all inspire someone, right?<br /><br />Keep up the podcasting. I enjoy the show :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13571452656553970472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-68607278372246814492012-07-29T15:02:49.528-04:002012-07-29T15:02:49.528-04:00Woah, the podcast actually caused an intelligent d...Woah, the podcast actually caused an intelligent discussion? My mind is blown.<br /><br />Thanks so much for listening!<br /><br />Ezra from Read it and WeepEzra Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02846513201547672828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-24087308465048443782012-06-08T22:38:50.973-04:002012-06-08T22:38:50.973-04:00I think the problem people have with religion in f...I think the problem people have with religion in fiction is that it will be preachy (or taken with full condemnation). Stories always have messages, but I agree with a lot of folks that I don't want to feel like I'm reading some kind of morality tale.<br /><br />Thanks for the comment!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13571452656553970472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-85044954357847236902012-06-08T16:40:39.640-04:002012-06-08T16:40:39.640-04:00While I'm totally okay with an atheist charact...While I'm totally okay with an atheist character in a novel, not all characters will be. I also think that by including things such as religion and history, authors can ground the story more in the "real world" and make it easier for the reader to "suspend disbelief". Perhaps some authors exclude things like this out of fear of offending someone. For example, some people might be offended by the pro-wiccan stance of Forever Girl, especially as in parts it's juxtaposed with "Christian's" that aren't painted in the most positive light. Though there's some sensitivity later in the story that made it more comfortable for some readers, other readers were outraged. Some people really don't like religion to be addressed in fiction, or, if it is addressed, they want to see what they are comfortable with. The majority of people are comfortable with Christianity, so when we do see religion in fiction, we often see that or Catholicism. Some authors "play it safe" by staying "religion-neutral". Everyone is so worried about being "PC" these days, that sometimes we take resonance and realism right out of a story. Great post.Paranormal Fantasyhttp://www.theforevergirl.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-69155628074910824412012-06-07T16:46:18.026-04:002012-06-07T16:46:18.026-04:00Oh. Right. Yes, sir! :) (And THANKS.)Oh. Right. Yes, sir! :) (And THANKS.)Stinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-21746507111050763392012-06-07T16:42:23.894-04:002012-06-07T16:42:23.894-04:00Stina: Oh, fine. I'm mostly right, though, s...Stina: Oh, fine. I'm mostly right, though, so :P<br /><br />Just take the free publicity, why don't you...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13571452656553970472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-21541032783481066872012-06-07T16:35:16.161-04:002012-06-07T16:35:16.161-04:00I'm commenting here because I don't want M...I'm commenting here because I don't want Myke Cole to get hurt. It's all about protecting him. Because, you know, he needs *me* to protect him. And stuff. ;) <br /><br />One minor correction: I didn't create the Catholic Church's stance on the Fey. That pre-dates my writing by... well... quite a few years. They categorize the Fey (and basically all other spiritual entities that don't conform to Christian norms) as fallen angels and/or demons. (As, I assume, any Christian church would. To do otherwise would lead to admitting the validity of other belief systems.) My made up organization is designed to combat fallen angels. They fight the Fey because they consider them to be a subset of fallen angels. :) Nit-picky. I know.Stinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-87512922363563129862012-06-07T16:34:56.171-04:002012-06-07T16:34:56.171-04:00Mike: Thanks for the suggestions. I have all the...Mike: Thanks for the suggestions. I have all the Vaughan books (well, not all, but most of them), but will have to check out Butcher and Murphy.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13571452656553970472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-28700041213804331972012-06-07T16:27:51.729-04:002012-06-07T16:27:51.729-04:00Jim Butcher does this well, I think (again involvi...Jim Butcher does this well, I think (again involving the Catholic Church). In his world, most people don't believe, and normals like the main character's friend the police lieutenant have to see a lot of strange stuff before they believe. Most of the force, at least early on, think the main character is a charlatan because he calls himself a wizard. <br /><br />The Walker Papers by Catie Murphy does similar stuff. And in the Kitty Norville novels by Carrie Vaughan, where some of the supernaturals are "out", there's space given to the various reactions that people have to that, including the fundamentalist religious one.Mike Reeves-McMillanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06658462904614685810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-30890367985101397232012-06-07T16:21:44.863-04:002012-06-07T16:21:44.863-04:00Eh. I don't mind if science fiction set in th...Eh. I don't mind if science fiction set in the distant future completely ignores religion, but that's because the trend of the future is towards progressive secularism. The more advanced we become and the more we know, the less outwardly religious people become. Not in the U.S., of course. We're as fundamentalist as the people we hate.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13571452656553970472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33813337.post-78934425938727714592012-06-07T16:06:52.919-04:002012-06-07T16:06:52.919-04:00Religion (or lack thereof) is a major part of most...Religion (or lack thereof) is a major part of most people's lives. Whenever it is ignored in any sort of story, that story looses a little reality; a little failure. Most of these primary world fantasies (I prefer to use the term urban fantasy for secondary world fantasy cities such as King's Landing, New Crobuzon, etc) don't deal with much besides beating the supernatural baddies. It's definitely possible (and would be welcome) if popular works explored tough subjects, but I doubt it'll happen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com