The Water Cooler: January 2023

Hysterical! @MC - How goes the Otter Population over there?

drama unrelated if anyone needs a laugh https://twitter.com/in_otter_news2/status/1620022775166427137?s=46&t=PBZXyJ7NxsaxQinq36Cq3A 🦦

CanIcallYouKate

@Elaine - Love discussing Fantasy! Oh yes, thats right! I did notice that mine were mostly female and you had read the famous male Sci Fi/Fantasy writers! Mine was not intentional at all. I would look at a book and the cover art and make my decision after reading the paragraph on the back. I think I tried some of the famous male writers, but nothing ever worked for me. Never could get into Tad Williams books for some reason. Nor Robert Jordan. Even though I saw those covers all the time. And I usually watched my Sci Fi on TV and read Fantasy. DAW publishing was very support to Sci Fi and Fantasy writers back in the day and helped establish the genre. And then, I think Hunger Games helped the explosion of Teen/Young Adult Sci Fi and Fantasy. Which is/was great, but left me wanting in the big people's section for real fantasy stories. I was in High School reading the Sci Fi /Fantasy section for adults and I dont think there was a teen/young adult section back then for that genre. Could be wrong though :) I tried reading some newer books from TOR publishing and they never worked for me and some were just painful novels if you had grown up reading the greats Mercedes Lackey, Marion Zimmer- Bradley, Anne McCaffrey, etc. Now TOR has some great authors as well, but again, never worked for me. And the same thing that has happened to Western Sci Fi/Fantasy Movies and TV has happened to the books. Too much violence and gore and bleakness. I cannot tell you how many books I started and stopped. It was very depressing. Then comes along Patrick Rothfuss who is just an amazing storyteller. I doubt there was any prejudice on your part. You just got on a roll same as I did and kept going :) Oh do let me know what new authors or books you pick :)

@Jennifer, continuing our fantasy conversation, I was very struck that your list of favourite authors was all female, and mine was mostly male! Hmm, prejudice me? Or that was simply my early exposure? Hmmm. Anyway, now is the time for me to make up for that imbalance!