Epic Fantasy?

Yes, but
WRITTEN & POSTED BY
L. R. Styles
Earlier this year, we began the process o p!tting
o!r "ing#o$ Isle series on %$a&on's "DP
plator$ an#(right away(we o!n# o!rsel)es
wrestling with its categori&ation* Not really a
+historical' iction, nor solely an +a#)ent!re' or +action' piece, o!r series leane# towar#s the Epic ,antasy genre
$ore than any other*
-B!t, it #oesn't ha)e #ragons,. $y h!sban# pointe# o!t* -Or wi&ar#s/ not e)en a little one*. I no##e#,
won#ering i we sho!l# ris0 slapping on the label anyway, seeing no other wo!l# #o* The phrase -Epic
,antasy. see$s to instantly con1!re !p The 2or# o the Rings in the $in# an# ro$ there #ragons, el)es,
wi&ar#s an# hobbits* %s a lieti$e an o the 2OTR series(long beore it was p!t into il$(I 0now what a
high bar s!ch great prose presents to all boo0s sharing sai# genre, an# this weighe# on o!r $in#s as we
consi#ere# whether or not to clai$ a cobwebby corner or o!rsel)es at the en# o the Epic ,antasy corri#or, in
the ill!strio!s 3alls o ,iction*
O!r worries t!rne# o!t to be !no!n#e#* %ter siting thro!gh the $yria# oerings(by other in#ies in the
sa$e category(we o!n# an acceptable n!$ber o titles that, li0e o!rs, harbore# no $agical or $ythical
properties whatsoe)er4 these $erely too0 place in an i$aginary real$, pop!late# by ictional ol0s wor0ing
an# weathering )ery h!$an trials str!ng in a line o noteworthy inci#ents, spice# with appropriately gory
battle scenes an# s!bse5!ent rec!peration*
With lightene# $in#s we labele# o!r eBoo0s an# set the$ ree in the wil# an# wooly hills o The Internet*
Digital cons!$ers respon#e# by b!ying 678 titles the irst wee0, a n!$ber which #o!ble# an# triple#
thro!gho!t 9arch, %pril & 9ay/ !ntil the s!$$er boo0 +#ol#r!$s' $arginally ste$$e# the ti#e*
O!r s$all $eas!re o online s!ccess notwithstan#ing, telling ol0s in person abo!t the series in 5!estion
in)o0es an o## sit!ation or one to be e$broile# in/ an#, here, the wor# -o##. is the perect one to !se*
:ertainly, a part o e)ery writer wishes to brag a little b!t o!r inclination to #o so is te$pere# by o!r a)ore#
genre* These #ays when yo! say -I'$ a writer. the irst reaction is(in $y e;perience(not an in5!iry o the
title o yo!r boo0, b!t what 0in# yo! write* I')e learne# to answer 5!ic0ly with the a##e# ca)eat< -/ b!t,
witho!t any $agic, or #ragons/ or el)es*.
-Oh*.
Oh, in#ee#/ as in -Oh, how that tiny single=syllable so!n# wo!n#s>. 2i0e a slen#er poniar#(h!rle# so
5!ic0ly one #i# not e)en witness the toss(the O an# 3 co$e together in a sea$less, instant 1!#ge$ent an#
perectly ill!strate how rapi#ly h!$an interest is able to e)aporate* In $y $in# the -epic. part o the genre is
the $ost telling* It rese$bles $!sic o li0e category, ranging ro$ sat!rnine $o$ents to th!n#ero!s rerains,
only interprete# into wor#s* ,antasy can be abo!t anything i$aginary that atte$pts to ill!strate what the
writer #rea$e# o, or constr!cte# in their $in#/ the only place it can tr!ly co$e ali)e* The pages an# screens
are $erely an o!tlet or portions o sai# scenes to reali&e a $ore tangible state to $ore sets o eyes an# ears*
We write Epic ,antasy, b!t*** we ha)e $a#e it o!r own*
2* R* Styles is a writer or Belator Boo0s