Do you like epic fantasy? I do. I like magic and strange creatures. Their stories tend to break open my mind’s imagination and creativity. Even better is when the story might be true. For instance, did you know that Beowulf may have been an exaggeration of real story of humans stomping out the last of a less evolved species of man? It could be history, but even if it isn’t, it still is fun to let your mind explore the possibility.
My wife on the other hand doesn’t like epic fantasy. The aforementioned charm is lost on her. When I ring up my wife’s lack of enthusiasm, I tease her and say, “You like Buffy the Vampire Slayer! How can you not?”
Here response is usually, “Buffy is more real.”
At this point, I give her a dumbfounded look. To keep the debate going, I counter with a “But you also like zombie movies!”
After which, we break down into a conversation that very few of you readers will want to follow.
Ultimately, for my wife, dragons, magic and usually medieval lifestyles just turn her off. She wants an iota of truth built into it, as well as a little bit of the present world. In Buffy, they are modern human beings living in modern lives. Zombie movies are usually an experiment gone awry and people having to deal with the consequences. For epic fantasy, she doesn’t feel much of a link to reality.
On the other hand, I’m not so much worried about what someone considers “real.” The story and characters are what make me happy. I leave my disbelief suspended for the moment, and it does feel real for the moments that I watch, read and/or listen. The magic and exotic creatures are just gravy. If you have a significant other or best friend, do you quibble about 2 genres that are heavily overlapping? What are those? And more importantly, why are you right? Let these thoughts guide you in your next piece of fiction!