An excellent commentary to critics of the fantasy novel

[NPC Dave]

I read your recent article in The New Yorker, “The Dragon’s Egg,” with some interest. I haven’t read Christopher Paolini’s work; my interest is less in Young-Adult literature than in fantasy fiction. From that perspective I found your piece intriguing for what was left unsaid, or what you chose not to investigate. Specifically, I thought there were two major lacunae in the thinking underlying your approach to fantasy.

I agreed with much of what this guy says, and he gave me a new method to try when I next read a novel I find myself disliking.

[Doodlebug Anklebiter]

Ooh! This article looks like fun!

I read Adam Gopnick's book on Darwin and Lincoln and I liked it, but I don't remember it too well.

See you in a bit.

[Doodlebug Anklebiter]

The thing I liked the most was all of the pictures of cool fantasy (and non-) books.

[thejeff]

I liked that. I'm often irritated by interviews with smug "real" writers condescending to bring their talents to fantasy and completely ignorant that the things they claim they'll do differently already have a long, rich tradition within the genre.
There was an one on NPR a while back, so it's all fresh in my mind.

I also followed a link to his post on characterization in LotRs which I've bookmarked to have handy next time someone is bashing Tolkien for his thin characters.