What makes a good book in your opinion?

What is most important to me in a book is that it has to make me feel. If i couldn't care less about the characters then i'm not going to care about any perilous situation they get into.

Characters make all the difference. If I don't like, hate, or relate to your characters then it doesn't matter how good the plot is. I also like well written books made for adults versus something the typical teen would also read.

The sum of all parts overcomes the shortcomings of the parts. Style, prose, characters, plot, etc. are all important. But if the story grips me, and make me think about the story, the characters and the lessons learned about being a human being LONG before I finish with the book, I'd say it's a really good book.

I don't read a lot of fantasy, but I will cross over if I read favorable reviews or get strong recommendations from friends and family.

I thoroughly enjoyed Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. The period prose style and strong plot made the book stand out.

Jackie

Green eyes said:

I'm also looking for what you would like in a book, such as themes. What really grips you when seeing a movie on the big screen, or what grips you when reading a book? What about the themes of time travel, or major battles? What of quests and that sort of thing?

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Just write the book that you would want to read.

Jackie

Green Eyes, do you suppose you could fix your sig quote so it doesn't make your posts longer than the width of the screen? I would appreciate it.

Anyway, different types of readers like different things, but as a science fiction and fantasy reader what I like most are sociology, psychology, and relationships. Sociology in this case can be equated to culture building:

- How does the aliens'/fantasy race's unique biology result in social structures and customs different from ours?
- What is the 'personality' of their society and how is this expressed in the social roles, personalities, and personal goals/dreams of individual characters?
- How do the differences between the characters' personalities result in interesting relationship dynamics between them?
- How is the way character A sees character B different from the way character B sees himself?
- Why does this character love that one, and that character follow the other character's orders, and that other character always insult another one?

My favorite fantasy novels are:

Tolkien, naturally, for all the obvious reasons

C. S. Lewis's "Out of the Silent Planet" series, for his talent in making characters truly "otherworldly."

Richard Adams's "Maia." No magic, but an alternate society masterfully developed. Also "Watership Down."

"The Once and Future King," by E. B. White, for the way the magic is handled.

My own "Child of the Cloven Hoof."

Ursula LeGuinn's short stories.

What I look for in fantasy is imagination, and I very rarely see it.

Too often I see formula, cliche, and horsemen galloping down well-trodden paths. With big swords.

Fantasy is a genre without boundaries, yet most fantasy writers treat it like there are concrete rules that may never be broken.

I want to read something with 'wow' factor. I don't want to read something where I can predict the outcome of every chapter.

What do I look for in a Fantasy book?

One thing I’d suggest is to make sure the story is original and intriguing. By that I mean if you’re going to have magic etc., make sure you don’t make it so it seems like a Harry Potter knockoff or a LOTR knockoff etc. That’s one of my biggest turnoffs in Fantasy is when a book is simply not that original and comes across like a rehash of stuff already written or is a mirror image of another writer’s world.

And it can’t be predictable. By which I mean it’s a storyline that’s been done to death and I can see what’s gonna happen a mile away. All the great books I’ve read were great because the author kept surprising me, kept me on my toes, left me wondering what was gonna happen next. The author always had another trick to pull out of his hat. Another kink in the works. Another card from his deck. Everybody loves surprises, especially readers.

Another thing is characters. Three-dimensional characters that I can relate to. Too often in Fantasy stories, the characters are either Syrupy-sweet Totally Good Stardust-in-the-Eyes types or Venomous, Evil and Repugnant Totally Bad types. They come across as unrealistic when the good guys can do no wrong and the bad guys can do no right. Not only am I not like that but I’ve never in my life met anyone like that.

Make the characters human, with the full scope of human emotion and then place them in situations that will show the reader those emotions. Touch upon the human essence, the commonality of all people.

One of my favorite movies is a love story (and believe me, I’m not a love story kind of guy.) Why? Because I was able to relate to the main character. Every time I see the movie, I’m gripped because I see myself in the main character.

For instance, if you’re going to write a YA fantasy you’re going to want to make sure that the character(s) face problems and situations that your reader will likely face, deal with emotions that your readers will likely be dealing with at that stage of their life.

Love, Loss, Sacrifice, Betrayal, Hope, Redemption – these are tunes that will strike a chord in the majority of people who’ve experienced life. If you can show these things in a believable fashion, your reader will likely be able to relate.

I believe good writing is actually about manipulation. If you can pull the right strings in your reader they’ll become fans.

The kinds of books I like to read are the kinds of books I also like to write: books about flawed individuals who overcome their personal demons to prevail against a formidable adversary and achieve some kind of spiritual enlightenment to benefit the greater good. Whether that has time travel or battles of armies or vampires doesn't matter. I like stories about people.

I have to agree with Mike. Unimaginative or rehashed storylines are what I don't want to read. Cliched characters and formula plots are as much a turn off as is bad writing. I look for stories that are fresh, imaginative, human, and make me think to myself: "Wow! Now why couldn't I have come up with something like that?"


best,

ileana