Disclaimer: My essay is NOT meant to discourage reading widely. Any fantasy author will tell you that reading in many genres is critical to improving your writing – none of them are only influenced by fantasy. Instead, my goal is to advocate for the alterative benefits of a more focused reading life. Ideally everyone would do both, but who’s got the time?
A while ago, I was digging through some boxes of SFF novels at a used book sale. A guy came up to me and asked if I’d found any copies of Fahrenheit 451 or Dune. I responded that I hadn’t and showed him some other titles I’d found – genre staples like The Forever War and The Eye of The World. He declined them, explaining that he was only interested in the real classics – he was on a quest to read the 2-3 biggest titles from every genre. That’s an admirable goal, no disrespect to him, but I couldn’t help feeling sad that he was missing out on so much great SFF.
But aren’t I missing out by only read SFF? Yes, undoubtedly – but I’m gaining a lot too. Reading widely is a commonly discussed – and valuable – habit, but today I’m going to argue for reading narrowly.
Genres are Ongoing Conversations
Genres are conversation, and only reading one or two classics means that you’re ignoring everyone except the loudest person in the room.
Take A Game of Thrones for example. George R.R. Martin was responding to all the authors writing derivative and Tolkienesque quest narratives and was himself in dialogue with contemporaries such as Tad Williams and Robin Hobb. If you only read A Song of Ice And Fire, you’re joining the conversation halfway through. You’ve got no idea who he’s responding to, and you’ll never hear how others respond to him.
Alternatively, by reading The Way of Kings without reading A Game of Thrones, you can’t properly contextualize it as Sanderson’s response to the genre’s prevailing grimdark movement. Every text that’s worth reading gives readers plenty to discuss on its own – but viewing it within its wider genre context enriches the experience.
From there, you can read lesser known, but still influential, works in the genre. Want to better understand the transition from Tolkien to modern fantasy? Check out Wars of Light and Shadow or A Crown of Stars, or any of the other epic series that emerged in the nineties. Plus, reading and supporting lesser-known authors is what keeps publishing alive.
Personally, I’d rather have an in-depth and in-context understanding of A Song of Ice And Fire than a surface level understanding of ten different classics.
No novel is written in a vacuum, they all have genre context, but it is important recognize that fantasy novels also have non-genre context. Joe Abercrombie cites A Game of Thrones as a key influence, of course, but also Western novel Lonesome Dove and Shelby Foote’s multi-volume history of the American Civil War. Heck, I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells was influenced by the classics of Russian literature.
Essentially, if you’re doing your due diligence on your genre of choice, you’ll end up reading widely anyways.
In Fantasy, We’re Part of the Conversation Too
Sure, I can read Romeo and Juliet or The Great Gatsby, but what can I say about them? Critics and academics have studied these texts for decades and centuries. Thousands of authors have responded to them. And even if you think you’ve come up with a new interpretation, chances are there’s already an indie movie or modern retelling that beat you to it.
It’s similar for modern mega-hits – people with far larger platforms than you have already defined the conversation, and it is much more difficult for us to interrupt. For fantasy novels, especially those outside the few biggest series, us fans have a real chance to share original analysis and have it heard. We can define conversations.
A lot of authors will even engage with fans directly. Between Reddit, Discord, BookTube, Tumblr, GoodReads, and even BookTok, we have many opportunities to meaningfully contribute. There is value in discovering the classics for yourself, but I personally find it so much more exciting to participate in conversations that are ongoing.
When Evan Winter releases Lord of Demons (next year!), anyone can host a BookTube discussion about it or make an analytical Reddit post – and in doing so help shape the conversation.
What Can a Classic Give You That a Modern Fantasy Can’t?
Well, lots: a stronger vocabulary, knowledge of history, an understanding of literary allusions, etc. But you don’t need to go back to the 1800s to get at the fundamental questions.
As George R.R. Martin (quoting William Faulkner) so often says, “the only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself” – and any fantasy novel worth reading will do so. As a bonus, it’ll probably be more accessible, relevant and have more diverse representation. Want an examination of family? The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee is great for that, you don’t necessarily need to go all the way back to Little Women or Wuthering Heights.
Additionally, most good fantasy authors – unlike lowly readers like myself – have read the classics, and they’re building on those works as much as the work of their genre contemporaries. It’s okay to let some stuff go, every generation of writers builds on the last.
Only reading select classics is a lot like taking a survey course in college – think “Intro to World History” or “Accounting 101.” I’ve loved some of them, but I always feel like I’m only seeing the tip of the iceberg, never getting a look at the immensity hiding under the sea.
Again, classics have value; I’d like to read more in future. Read what you want to read, but don’t feel bad if all you want to read is fantasy. It’s worth it.
