• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Is Anyone Else Kind Of Tired Of "Elves, Dwarves, Orcs" In Fantasy RPGs?

jason10mm

Gold Member
She does mostly Science Fiction but I reccomand Octavia Butler

I enjoyed what I read of her stuff (I haven't read alot of her books)
Octavia Bulter is good and certainly creative but she is from california and steeped in western literary tradition, she isn't coming at her work from any new angle outside western culture (other than her perspective as a woman and minority).

But she is well worth reading, just not what I think the OP is asking about.

Larry Correia has his "Son of the Black Sword" series, which is a kinda of post-apocalyptic fantasy that heavily draws on Indian sources. But he is from Utah, while the story is great, it's just western themes with a curry flavor. No dwarves or elves though, so also worth a read.
 

NecrosaroIII

Ask me about my terrible takes on Star Trek characters
Sapkowski did a really good portrayal of Elves that differed much from High Fantasy we got with Tolkien; In the Witcher world Elves are a remnants of what was many years ago, they are clinging to their memories of past glories and remain for the most part quite arrogant and look down on humans, even though said humans drove them out of their kingdoms. Then there are Scoia'tel that openly fight and murder humans, and Geralt is very clear in his opinion that it's a pointless struggle that just wastes lives.
Alot of that very much sounds like Tolkienian elves.
 
Octavia Bulter is good and certainly creative but she is from california and steeped in western literary tradition, she isn't coming at her work from any new angle outside western culture (other than her perspective as a woman and minority).

But she is well worth reading, just not what I think the OP is asking about.

Larry Correia has his "Son of the Black Sword" series, which is a kinda of post-apocalyptic fantasy that heavily draws on Indian sources. But he is from Utah, while the story is great, it's just western themes with a curry flavor. No dwarves or elves though, so also worth a read.

I heard of him. And being of Indian Descent, I'll more interested in reading it now. I like regular fantasy, I still love reading The Legend of Drizzt stuff. But I try to read more outside that genre since I feel that's the most overused for me.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
I heard of him. And being of Indian Descent, I'll more interested in reading it now. I like regular fantasy, I still love reading The Legend of Drizzt stuff. But I try to read more outside that genre since I feel that's the most overused for me.
Glen Cooks "Black Company" had a long arc in what was basically a fantasy India, so you might find some interesting stuff there as well. The Books of the South arc, you might them in a collected edition. Not totally necessary to read the books leading up to it, though they are very good. No dwarves or elves there either, that I recall.
 
Glen Cooks "Black Company" had a long arc in what was basically a fantasy India, so you might find some interesting stuff there as well. The Books of the South arc, you might them in a collected edition. Not totally necessary to read the books leading up to it, though they are very good. No dwarves or elves there either, that I recall.

Thanks for the Reccomandations

I don't actively seek that stuff out

But I do enjoy reading stuff that involves my culture whenever it shows up in Fantasy, Sci Fi or any other Fiction
 
Last edited:

Liljagare

Member
I only read the first three books back in Highschool (Around 20 years ago)

I loved what I read and I'm planning on rereading the first three books and than reading the rest of the series starting next year

Seriously some of the better books written for Fantasy, the world building was amazing.

My favorites after White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson, which had tons of interesting species. How about them gorgon's, doomed to stay in a vortex, until someone calls their name, and then they are released, driven to kill the name caller only to be returned if they do. Loved Nom who refused to do do, and Bannor the blood guard? What a story!! Giants, Stoneheart Foamfollower, ENTs and so much more.

Two missed out on worlds for games, and add Dragonlance, again, had alot of interesting quirky species.
 

jason10mm

Gold Member
Seriously some of the better books written for Fantasy, the world building was amazing.

My favorites after White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson, which had tons of interesting species. How about them gorgon's, doomed to stay in a vortex, until someone calls their name, and then they are released, driven to kill the name caller only to be returned if they do. Loved Nom who refused to do do, and Bannor the blood guard? What a story!! Giants, Stoneheart Foamfollower, ENTs and so much more.

Two missed out on worlds for games, and add Dragonlance, again, had alot of interesting quirky species.
Loved Donaldson back in the day. The Tomas Convenent books are another great adaptation just waiting to happen. Alas, that initial event when he teleported over really soured some folks on the series from what I recall discussing it back in the day. But giants sailing on stone ships, horses that know when they will be called so they can start the journey to be there weeks, even months, ahead of time? Funky magic stick wood men? It's all great. The later series with what's her name wasn't as engrossing though.
 
Why and how could talking dragons bother you. Where are they in media.

Sarcastic Hugh Laurie GIF by PeacockTV
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
If anything i am upset that there hasn’t been a game yet that primarily features elven culture. It’s always only mixed RPGs.
There used to be this game called Elveon, but it was canceled.
 
Seriously some of the better books written for Fantasy, the world building was amazing.

My favorites after White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson, which had tons of interesting species. How about them gorgon's, doomed to stay in a vortex, until someone calls their name, and then they are released, driven to kill the name caller only to be returned if they do. Loved Nom who refused to do do, and Bannor the blood guard? What a story!! Giants, Stoneheart Foamfollower, ENTs and so much more.

Two missed out on worlds for games, and add Dragonlance, again, had alot of interesting quirky species.

I really like it when Fantasy does that with it's wildlife

The Planet Roshar from The Stormlight Archive has some interesting and unique wildlife. I like it when authors go the extra mile and make sure lot of the animals are different from what you get on Earth
 
Top Bottom