An author friend of mine recently brought up the difference
in styles/stories between George RR Martin and JRR Tolkien. Martin is much darker, with a far more dim
view of human nature than Tolkien. While
Tolkien has some grittiness, he mostly presents his stories as aspirational,
while Martin’s stories are far more depressing.
(BTW, for a great take on this, check out the Epic Rap Battles of History onYouTube)
It got me wondering again what readers are looking
for. My stories can be dark, but that’s
only to justify the ending being so special.
However, Martin’s stories haven’t ended special, but rather have stayed
dark. Maybe The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring will be uplifting, but if Martin’s input to the GOT HBO series
is any indication, they won’t end with folks getting a warm and fuzzy feeling.
I like some realism, but don’t readers use our work to
escape the shittiness of real life? I
want readers feeling uplifted and proud of what the human spirit can accomplish
if put to the test. Even in horror, I
think most folks want a “happy” ending, but maybe I’m wrong. What do you think?
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