Fantasy Book Club discussion

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I thought this'd be the best place to put any questions for Eldon Thompson (author of the Kylac story in Unfettered).

You touched on how Kylac was the character that resonated w/ most fans that'd read the Crimson Sword. Any idea as to why? (I have my own theories, but would love your take)

One thing I noticed in the short story was how you built up Xarius as the top student, and likely antagonist for Kylac. However, when they first meet I was fully expecting Xarius to give Kylac a thumping, or at least "win" the fight. That's the way such stories go (main character is built up, meets challenge, is beaten by challenge, reevaluates something in life to once again face and overcome the challenge). Yours didn't go that way. It was a nice swerve, though it didn't read as one. Was this purposeful or just happenstance as you writing?

I'm half way through the book. I'm wondering whether the stories are typical of the authors usual style. As in, I enjoyed Peter v Brett, would I like his others?

Warren wrote: "I thought this'd be the best place to put any questions for Eldon Thompson (author of the Kylac story in Unfettered).

You touched on how Kylac was the character that resonated w/ most fans that'd ..."

Hi Warren. Looks like Eldon Thompson isn't a Goodreads member. Some authors, you can ask questions directly on their page.
Good question, though.
:)

Last contact I had, he thought he had. We do have a member listed as Eldon, though it may not be his author page (not sure of the difference). I'll shoot him an email and let him know.

Brenda ╰☆╮ wrote: "Warren wrote: "I thought this'd be the best place to put any questions for Eldon Thompson (author of the Kylac story in Unfettered).

You touched on how Kylac was the character that resonated w/ mo..."

I did a touch of looking through Goodreads to see what might've happened. We do have a member listed as Eldon Thompson who joined about the time Eldon emailed me to confirm, so I'm fairly certain he did that correctly. Unfortunately, it appears Goodreads has a separate "Author program" that I didn't direct him toward, and honestly, I'm not sure he has the time to set up currently. Anyway, my guess is that he's signed up as a member and not as an author.

wf

You touched on how Kylac was the character that resonated w/ most fans that'd read the Crimson Sword. Any idea as to why?

Hi Warren. Ideas? Sure, for what they're worth. Seems to me that one of the most popular themes in fantasy literature is that of individual empowerment. Real life is too often difficult and deflating. Although modern tropes have shifted somewhat, the most popular fantasy tends to be centered around individuals who are innately exceptional in some way, or who gain access to powers or skills beyond what most of us would agree to be humanly possible. Without giving too much away, I intentionally set out to violate this expectation in Crimson Sword, by centering the story around a more ordinary "hero." That left a sort of void, I believe, that Kylac came to fill in readers' minds. While we all differ, I'm willing to bet that the majority of fantasy readers would rather relate to the swashbuckling swordsman than the boring, unskilled farmhand.

Aside from his fighting skills, Kylac isn't hampered by self-doubt or scruples in the way that the main character is. Again, I imagine a lot of readers find this to be a more liberating viewpoint. In real life, we have to follow the rules and be polite. But which of us, in our occasional escapist moments, wouldn't rather flaunt those rules and thumb our noses at what is deemed good and proper? Rogues of every ilk have long profited in readers' estimation for just this reason, I believe. They get to be "bad guys," if you will, without crossing that line into villainy.

One thing I noticed in the short story was how you built up Xarius as the top student, and likely antagonist for Kylac. However, when they first meet I was fully expecting Xarius to give Kylac a thumping, or at least "win" the fight. That's the way such stories go (main character is built up, meets challenge, is beaten by challenge, reevaluates something in life to once again face and overcome the challenge). Yours didn't go that way. It was a nice swerve, though it didn't read as one. Was this purposeful or just happenstance as you writing?

Hmm, this one is harder to answer without spoilers. But yes, it was purposeful. The key to satisfying storytelling, I've long believed, is in misdirection. We've already seen every possible permutation as to how a story might end. I don't believe there's a "surprise" ending we haven't seen. The hero's best friend is really the villain, the hero is really the villain, the hero is really dead, etc. The twists come in how we lay our story threads out ahead of time so as to guide readers down a certain path, establishing expectations that we later subvert or redirect in surprising fashion. Naturally, we want those twists to feel organic. For me, the ideal reaction from a reader is not: "Well where did that come from?" It would be: "Dang, I should have seen that coming!"

Unbowed pits Kylac against Xarius, yes. But is Xarius the principal antagonist? Only folks like yourself can tell me if there's evidence enough in the beginning to implicate someone else, or if I merely pulled a cheat and switched gears without laying the proper groundwork for doing so.

Hi, enjoyed your short. Also enjoyed Jacqueline Carey, Peter Orullion, Kevin Hearn none of whom one read before. There were other that I already know.

Sorry for jumping in late here, I only recently finished this anthology.

The charity aspect is a curiosity for my cultural background: Here in Germany, everyone has health insurance, no one would have to face the danger of going bankrupt because of medical situations. I don't know if Mr Speakman's solution to the problem is very common in U.S. (or people go bankrupt). But I simply don't find myself into this donation system. But what I understand completely is the cancer background of several of those stories: My father had cancer for over a year, and he passed away last September.

So, there is some part that I do understand und some part of the context that I don't. I don't want to praise each and every story alone because of the charity effect.

I had high expections because there are many authors involved that I really like. I never crossed an anthology that frustrated me so much after a couple of stories that I wanted to toss it aside.

Summing up, I think that the anthology as a project of fiction failed: Out of 24 stories, I only can recommend works of three authors, none achieved my best mark of 5 stars. What makes it really a failure are the loads of bad stories in it - 6 got only 1 star (meaning "I didn't like it") and one even zero stars (meaning "I hated it"). Only one (Nocturne) tried getting out of standard narrative structures and risk a literary experiment. The overall topic was a bit vague and the stories didn't find new answers.

My favourite ★★★★ stories were
The Sound of Broken Absolutes by Peter Orullian
Unbowed by Eldon Thompson
The Unfettered Knight and The Twilight Dragon by Shawn Speakman

Zero, ★ for me were
The Duel by Lev Grossman
The Coach With Big Teeth by R.A. Salvatore
Imaginary Friends by Terry Brooks
How Old Holly Came to Be by Patrick Rothfuss
Dogs by Daniel Abraham
Nocturne by Robert V.S. Reddick
Walker and the Shade of Allanon by Terry Brooks

I don't want to bother you with detailed reviews for each and every story right here. If you care for, you might want to read them in my review here on GR. As usual with anthologies, my remarks are a bit lengthy. I'd welcome remarks here or in the review's comments.

I'd just finished reading Abraham's Long Knife series and layout on Dogs. I found it really upsetting and disturbing. Didn't like the Coach story, it's very alien to UK school PE. The Speakman one reminded me of that film where the dragon and older knight con villages.

Health insurance or lack of it is a mystery to me as ours is all free. Except for teeth!