=PROSE= Favorite subjects? (Full Version)

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r0de0b0y -> =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/4/2009 13:18:07)

We may or may not have gone through this in the "Get to know your fellow L&Lers" section already, but I'm curious. Not genres per say, but everyone has at least one topic they like to read about and work around. Subjects can be anything from vampires, tragic romance, fairytales, high medieval fantasy, etc. Personally a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction myself.

And you? Tell us, why it interests you; feel free to suggest a few books on said subject. Think of this as the literary equivalent of holding hands and singing Kumbaya around the campfire...or not.



BadHulk -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/4/2009 17:26:52)

Mmm... I like fighting styles, just how they explain it. Gun Books got my intrest one time to. But what I like the most is some sci-fi with some intresting plot line in it.



Fornever -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/4/2009 20:03:19)

Urban fantasy is a favorite, dark fantasy as well. Historical fantasy is also a favorite. Basically, anything type of fantasy that isn't of the epic/high fantasy. Soft sci-fi also catches my attention as well. Overall, I prefer speculative fiction, but focused more on character development.



Argeus the Paladin -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/4/2009 20:33:57)

CROSSOVERS.

I can't stress it enough - I can't write any book unless it has at least one kind of crossover within its premise.

(FYI, my newest plot bunny was born in the form of Kanon + High School of the Dead + Forgotten Realms. Kudos if you know how that can work.)



The Extinguisher -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/4/2009 21:38:50)

The human mind. Thoughts and ideas. What makes us tick, emotions and feelings. Why we do what we do. I will admit, I tend to focus less on the happy stuff, but I still work happy into everything. It's part of the mind.

I also like to work in the idea of freedom, tyranny and self-determination.



Firefly -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/4/2009 23:21:37)

Hmm, if you want to speak genre, then speculative fiction appeals to me the most. Within it, dark fantasy > high fantasy > swords and sorcery > dystopian fiction >magical realism/slipstream/surrealism > soft sci-fi > general low fantasy > urban fantasy > hard sci-fi. But this is a /very/ general order. There are /plenty/ of urban fantasies that I love more than dark fantasies, so it really depends on the story.

If you want to get more specific with subject, here are some things I like (but again, they do not need to be present for me to like a story):
- A strong, clear, meaningful, but non-preachy theme. Favourites include one (wo)man against the world, the merits of revenge, the hollowness of perfection, the value of freedom, choice, standing up for what you believe in, whether you are wrong or right or even have a remote chance of succeeding...
- Something dark but strangely enticing (eg. vampires)
- Something light but not good
- Twists, especially if they're actually /meaningful/ and not just surprising (one thing that endears me to O. Henry's writing)
- Complexity, be it in character or plot
- Good ol' action. With /tension/. "funny" fight scenes don't appeal to me at all, and even darkly humourous ones would need to be really good to please me.
- Emotional reaction to/in said action
- High stakes > low stakes
- Scenes where many/all characters get revealed to have extra layers of depth. Reveals of The Past, villains showing emotion, heroes turning dark, ect. are all enjoyed.

But ultimately, I care much less about the subject than about the story. If you have a rounded, changing, larger-than-life character I care about (extra points if they're tragic, flawed, yet cool), then I'd forgive the story even if it were set in high school with the main plot revolving around a humorous drama (probably my least favourite setting/subject/concept).



Reaper Sigma -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/11/2009 11:15:49)

Fantasy. Generally, any kind. Epic high fantasy or regular fantasy. It's really the only kind of book I'm inerested in, minus a few exceptions.



not steve -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/11/2009 19:49:50)

I like to write about morality, among other things.



Angel of Grief -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/11/2009 20:01:28)

Gennerally horror stuff. Like Stephen King and sometimes John Saul (Comes the Blind Fury FTW)



Xirminator -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/13/2009 12:30:17)

Mythology and fantasy have always interested me very much, especially fantasy similar to that found in the Belgariad series or Lord of the Rings. (Mention a wizard and I'm your slave forever [or the last page].)

I'm finding science fiction to quite interesting as well. Not talking about the millions of Star Wars/Star Trek novels, but about Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Claarke.



Cow Face -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/13/2009 15:21:37)

My favorite subject for prose is science fantasy. It's a very non-restricting genre, hence perfect for a lazy bum like myself.
For poetry, I tend to write about politics, social issues, war and my own introspection. Basically, anything which incites a bit of ire in me that must be released.



Anon Y. Mous -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/14/2009 16:41:36)

For prose, I like fiction relating to religion. Just a lot of good material to use there.
For poetry, I'm not sure anymore. After reading through some of my previous poems (that were really terrible) I'm not sure. Whatever I can write something quality about, I guess.



hydra095 -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/15/2009 6:15:12)

Mystery/Murder Books.



imhell -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/16/2009 1:30:27)

Fantasy, for me. I think fantasy is the best genre for an author to be able to use his/her mind to the fullest extent, creating and expanding upon a whole new world, while not being restricted by preset expectations. Fantasy is a genre where humanly values may be personified by warring gods. Fantasy is the farthest from Real Life, so where else would I want to escape into a book, except where I can dance with giants to crumble a tyrant's tower or ride through the air on a dragon?



alexmacf -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/29/2009 20:06:30)

My favourite subjects in writing are history, faeries/magic, and human psychology. If it's got all three, I'm in love with it.



Ilø€IMPERIAL€ølI -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (8/29/2009 20:17:19)

Fantasy and drama. The two genres that goes very well, that's intense romance and action.



dukibeng -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (9/5/2009 1:57:49)

I like dragon books and adventure books. Dragon books because of the great action and adventure books because of the suspense and it gets my heart pumping, just waiting to reach the end of the book.



Hay -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (10/2/2009 1:45:23)

@ imhell: I agree. Fantasy is definitely one of the best genres for authors as they do not have to pay as much attention to keeping within a social context as the genre of history would. There's also that allure to fantasy, of being able to manipulate and control your own ideal world.

Haha, at first I thought this was a discussion about favourite coursework subjects. Anyway, my favourites differ according to my mood though I stick mostly to fantasy, supernatural, romance and the occasional action. Regarding topics, ancient Greek mythology is definitely my one-time, never-changing area of interest. I've always been fascinated by the figures and how they (and their respective stories) interplay with one another.



Prator the Legendary -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (10/2/2009 23:23:10)

I consider my tastes to be pretty broad, but nowadays... I find that I like post-apocalyptic literature (of which there is suprisingly little) and space-age science fiction.



Torn -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (12/16/2009 23:14:22)

My favorites are probably, mystery, fantasy(any kind, I'm not picky), horror, and romantic tragedy.



horusmaster9 -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (12/17/2009 2:55:19)

Post-apocalyptic or just apocalyptic, definitely. After that, there's science fiction. Then, there's murder stories like Edgar Allan Poe's work (not mystery, though; I hate mystery), psychological stuff like from Poe, and, finally, high fantasy. Basically, anything not real but is realistic enough for me to immerse myself or anything bleak. Short stories are good, too, because I only read things in one sitting. <.<

However, I don't really like to read high fantasy, per se, but it's fun to create a world (I hope I'm not the only one obsessive enough to make a time-line that goes for about 1000 years with maybe 300-500 major events, an in-depth map, sketches of every major character and major weapons, family trees of major families, a 'culture' for the peoples, governments, and lots of other stuff for it) and place a story in the world. Otherwise, it's not too interesting for me unless it incorporates some of the things I mentioned above. Fusion ftw :D



Shreder -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (12/22/2009 22:18:31)

For me, it depends more on the book than on the genre. There are good books and bad books in just about every genre.



Eukara Vox -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (12/22/2009 23:30:08)

quote:

However, I don't really like to read high fantasy, per se, but it's fun to create a world (I hope I'm not the only one obsessive enough to make a time-line that goes for about 1000 years with maybe 300-500 major events, an in-depth map, sketches of every major character and major weapons, family trees of major families, a 'culture' for the peoples, governments, and lots of other stuff for it) and place a story in the world.


No.

You are not alone.

My problem is that all those "historical" things become books in their own right, further creating havoc when trying to get the original book written. Which is my problem at the moment.



Shreder -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (12/22/2009 23:58:24)

quote:

However, I don't really like to read high fantasy, per se, but it's fun to create a world (I hope I'm not the only one obsessive enough to make a time-line that goes for about 1000 years with maybe 300-500 major events, an in-depth map, sketches of every major character and major weapons, family trees of major families, a 'culture' for the peoples, governments, and lots of other stuff for it) and place a story in the world.


You ever heard of J.R.R. Tolkien?



horusmaster9 -> RE: =PROSE= Favorite subjects? (12/23/2009 10:21:38)

I've always been meaning to read his work, but I've never really gotten around to it. One more thing on my to-do list. xP
But yeah I heard that Tolkien did all of this stuff with his Middle Earth thing, starting with a language, I think. However, my aspirations are more inclined toward Edgar Allan Poe (^-^) and short stories rather than whole novels. I just haven't the attention span (nor the material) to make a 200-page story. :P
And, as I've mentioned before, short stories ftw. <.<



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