How realistic should fantasy novels be?
My abiding memory of reading 'The Neverending Story' by Michael Ende, is a scene where Bastian has to go to the toilet while he's hiding in the school at night. Whilst there, he wonders why characters never need to go to the toilet in novels.
Is that a good question?
My initial response is that going to the toilet is a boring and mundane thing. Where's the conflict? Where's the relevance? But if a character is trapped in a jail cell or some other confined space, then going to the toilet would be a problem, wouldn't it?
Shortly after reading that novel, I picked up the "Alanna: The First Adventure", by Tamora Pierce. In it, the main character has to cope with puberty, whilst trying to hide the fact that she's a girl. Again, instant conflict as she has to hide the fact she is beginning to grow breasts and that she has started to have periods. She copes with it all on her own, because she has no one to talk to.
On the other hand, in your average quest based fantasy the female characters never seem to have to cope with uncomfortable breasts whilst horse riding (no bras, remember?), let alone periods whilst traipsing across country. Often, details such as washing and shaving (for men) are completely forgotten about, without any mention of how itchy their skin is getting or the beard that's now covering their chiselled chin.
These are details that would add to the realism of a story and help us to feel the discomfort of the characters as they set off in search of the mystic sword that will help them defeat the evil overlord, but they aren't necessary for the plot to unfold.
Do we need all of this information, or can we simply suspend belief? I'd love to read your comments on this subject.
On 22/02/2012 Jenn Lane said: I generally find it extremely difficult to relate to characters in fantasy novels, although really enjoy the plots and structure of a good fantasy. I think that even though fantasy can be rashly classified as 'escapist', it should (and very often does) reflect political and social beliefs and conditions in the primary world. Characters should also try to reflect this! Kristen Cashore does this very well in "Graceling" and "Fire" which both deal with the discomfort of riding and travelling through wilderness. Fire's periods cause particular trouble! It's great to see these issues cropping up in some women-oriented fantasy! However, you're right, it doesn't seem to happen very often. I would probably have enjoyed Lord of the Rings more if there were a couple of loo breaks...
On 22/02/2012 Clare Davidson said: My husband dislikes what he term as 'clean' fantasy, where no one ever seems to get dirty and the streets are all really clean. Given that a lot of fantasy is based in a loose medieval setting, I can see where he's coming from! I've never read anything by Kristen Cashore, I'll have to check out the two books you mentioned :)
On 22/02/2012 Rachel said: I love that you chose to write about this topic, mainly because it was a large influence in how I went about writing my fantasy. I don't have bathroom breaks, shaving and general cleanliness every chapter, but it is definitely something I note. I feel the mundane really grounds fantasy from something that could never exist to something that maybe could - and all because of a few "insignificant" details. Nice post!
On 23/02/2012 Clare Davidson said: Thanks for the comment! I agree it would be overkill to include these mundane details all the time and that peppering them about can add to the richness of a setting and the characters in it. I hope I've managed to achieve that balance in my current WIP!
On 23/02/2012 Ruth Ellen Parlour said: A Game of Thrones is very good for realism. One of the characters, Sansa, starts her period but tries to hide it because as soon as anyone finds out then she has to marry a man she doesn't want to. Also a prominent character gets shot on the toilet! Tolkein spoke about second belief instead of suspended belief, that a writer should aim to create a world the reader could actually believe in, instead of suspending their belief and using fantasy as escapism. Suspend belief puts emphasis on the reader whereas second belief is a testament to the writer. I think true life details can be used in such a way to show how people live, suffer or whatever, or to aid the plot. If a guy has a gristly beard it might be because he lives in the woods and can't shave. It should be used not as a mundane realism, but to demonstrate characters and life and conflict etc. A really interesting article, I'll have to make notes when I go through my MS.
On 23/02/2012 Clare Davidson said: I like the point about "second belief", I hadn't heard that before. I agree with you that "mundane" details shouldn't be added purely for the sake of adding them, but that they should be used to portray character, life and conflict. Thanks for the comment!
On 23/02/2012 William Haloupek said: This has been on my mind a lot lately. In my science fiction, it's important to me to try to give my readers a sense of what life is like for my characters. So in determining what to leave in, what to leave out, that's the razor I like to use. If using the toilet is no different for my characters than it is for most people, I leave it out. On the other hand, the toilet on the space station is one of the most talked-about appliances! Any description of life on a space station, fictional or otherwise, ought to include that!
On 23/02/2012 Clare Davidson said: Just how do you go to the toilet on a space station?! In fiction, would it depend on if there's gravity on the space station (or ship)? If there's gravity, I guess that going to the toilet wouldn't be that different from going on an airplane or train... In zero gravity I'm sure it would be quite a challenge! Thanks for your comment :)
On 24/02/2012 Katharina gerlach said: I enjoy including details like that IF they fit the situation. It's impossible to include a toilet break in a chase scene, but the urge to have one can raise the tension. Also, it depends on the reading audience. Kids are usually far more interested in these things than grown-ups. Once, I made up a whole waste-disposal system for a planet but never found a place in my novel for it. I was sorry to see it go.
On 24/02/2012 Clare Davidson said: I'd never considered that kids and adults might react differently to these kinds of details. I wonder why kids are more interested! Any thoughts? Thanks for commenting :)