| Author | Message | ||
     Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
I was asked to do a guest blog recently, so I did it on the theme of 'Magic Realism'. Here it is: http://anneejohnson.blogspot.com/2011/08/guest-blogger-fantasy-writer-rhys.html Anyone care to share their own thoughts on the this subject? I know that magic realism isn't the same as horror, so you're probably not that interested, but certain magic ralist techniques have undoubtedly crept into the kinds of fiction you like... | ||
| Ramsey Campbell (Ramsey) Username: Ramsey Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 92.8.26.169 |
"I know that magic realism isn't the same as horror, so you're probably not that interested..." Believe it or not, Rhys, some of us here read quite widely. I thought that was why you were attracted here in the first place. I've actually been called a magic realist (by the Telegraph) but it's never been a distinction I felt the need to make. | ||
| Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
That's true, Ramsey. The people here always demonstrate a wide range of reading. And yes, that is one of the reasons why I enjoy this forum so much. It's actually one of the best forums I've encountered in 12 years of internet loitering; and I thank you for that. However, I do meet horror fans who flare their nostrils whenever I mention things like magic realism, OuLiPo, ironic fantasy, etc. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.253.77 |
OuLiPo? Is that some kind of rash. Yes, horror fiction actually makes up very little of my reading material - most of the folks on here are the same. I don't think I've ever met such a well-read bunch. | ||
| Rhysaurus (Rhysaurus) Username: Rhysaurus Registered: 01-2010 Posted From: 212.219.233.223 |
It's certainly rash to attempt to write an OuLiPo piece without due care: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oulipo | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.31.209.20 |
Isn't magic realism about women getting chopped up with chainsaws? | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.31.209.20 |
While floating several inches off the floor. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.137.168.78 |
I prefer 'magic fiction' to 'magic realism'. As to the knotty issue above about horror fans possibly not being interested in, say, 'ironic fantasy' etc. , there are some here, at least based on the evidence of their own public pronouncements on this board and elsewhere over the years, of whom this is likely to be true. But Rhys' original post did *seem" a trifle condescending. | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.31.209.20 |
Well, he is a cunt.  | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.253.77 |
Oh, we're used to Rhys being condescending. I think it's kind of cute. | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.137.168.78 |
Despite possibly being another Lady Catherine de Burgh, Rhys creates fictionatronics that are 2nd to none. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
That's an interesting article, Rhys. I must admit, I was about to ask you what magic realism was but you've given me an insight into it now (I'm not as well educated about literature as most of you folks on this board are). Can I ask something - of Rhys or anyone else who knows about it? A while ago, I came across "bizzaro" - Jeremy C Shipp is one of the authors associated with it, and there's a website (bizzaro central - google it) devoted to it. Basically, from reading what you've written about magic realism, I'd say there was quite a cross-over there - between bizzaro and magic realism. The idea of metaphors and symbolism seems to abound in the bits of bizzaro I've read. Am I right about that cross-over or am I talking a lot of uninformed nonsense? In fact, Rhys, do you actually write bizzaro without realising it? (perhaps I should be interviewing you for a 'zine about this?) | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.137.168.78 |
Caroline, Bizarro - seems to me (although I'm not an expert despite some having called some of my stuff Bizarro!) to tend towards extreme horror, sex and body horror mingled with surreal images. But I may be wrong. I think Mike Philbin may be an exponent of it. Carlton Mellick III. Cameron Pierce (who was in Null Immortalis). etc. etc. I'll leave others to fill in gaps I've left. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Hmmm, that's definitely not the kind of "bizarro" (I'm assuming you've spelt it correctly and I haven't!) which Jeremy Shipp writes. Maybe I don't fully understand the term? In Jeremy's case, it's weird fiction - surreal images, and, in Jeremy's case, often with a message as he's very much into environmental/eco concerns. It's really good stuff. Right, I'm off to find bizarro central to see what it says about it ... | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Oh, and if I find it has nothing whatsoever to do with magic realism, I'll start up another thread about it some time (might not be now though) - rather than highjack Rhys' thread. | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 92.232.199.129 |
Hey, that's interesting - it appears bizarro has changed quite dramatically since the last time I visited that site (a couple of years ago) and you may be right, Des. Here's the "about bizarro" bit of the website: http://bizarrocentral.com/about-bizarro/ Looking at some of the books advertised on the right of that page, the body horror/sex thing looks to be correct! But I see Jeremy Shipp is still associated with them and the last time I read any of his stuff it was as I described above. I guess bizarro covers a wide field too? Anyway, Rhys, by all means ignore my posts about this if you want. I don't want to threadjack. If it has nothing to do with what you were asking, just ignore me.  | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.137.168.78 |
http://bizarrocentral.com/2011/07/15/john-skipps-rose-goes-full-tilt-bizarro-wit h-cameron-pierce-rose-okeefejeff-burk-and-carlton-mellick-iii/ and, oh, I've just been reminded I was recently in this Bizarro organ (never had a contributory copy!): http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9803003-the-magazine-of-bizarro-fiction | ||
| Des (Des) Username: Des Registered: 09-2010 Posted From: 86.137.168.78 |
...I've even forgotten what story I had in it! |