The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland is not a novel, but it does manage to tell a sort of story. Written as an amusing travel guide, the book assumes that you are a 'tourist' in a fantasy world. You are, of course, going on a quest, and you will meet all sorts of strange people, visit strange places, eat lots of stew (and probably save the world as well) before the tour is over. The strange people, places, and the details of your journey are all described in a humorous, deadpan style, and, through the guide, the main cliches of fantasy literature are clearly pointed out. This is why I think this book would be a good writing guide. If you're interested in writing fantasy, either as a pastime or as a job, this book will show you all the things you should definitely avoid, because they have been done to death already. It also shows some things that a good author might consider writing about, such as creating an ecology for their fantasyland. I myself have already put TTGTF to use, and looked up some tired fantasy concepts when I came across them in other books. Diana Wynne Jones's explanations of such cliches are always very enlightening, and often quite funny. My favorite parts, however, were probably the arbitrary and irrelevant quotes at the beginning of each section. I greatly enjoyed them. Some of the quotes are hilarious, and some of them are quite applicable to real life.

Diana Wynne Jones has given us (among many other fabulous things; do check out her fiction) a wonderful reference book, a veritable encyclopedia of fantasy novel cliches. I've read it through from start to finish over three times, and expect to do so many times again. It's entertaining, but more than that: it helps me write. I'm happy to see a number of other reviewers have spotted the potential in this book that I found. I'm not sure the author intended this book to be such a useful resource to writers, but it is. When I have all the characters in place but am failing to put my finger on the plot, I can pull out a cliche from this rollicking work of reference, file off the serial numbers, and keep the story moving. And reading through the laundry list of what other people have done tells me both what resonates with readers and how to step nimbly out of an overly predictable twist. As a writer, I work best when scrambling known myths and stereotypical concepts into unprecedented combinations. This wry bestiary of such things has made a home on my desk, right next to the road atlas and Polti's Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations.

If you like fantasy and have a sense of humor, get this book. Diana Wynne Jones knows whereof she speaks, and she hits many nails on the head. This is a delightful send-up of fantasy conventions and if you don't laugh out loud you will at least smile a lot.In view of the current resurgence of LOTR (thanks to the movie)this book should be sold in conjunction with Bored of the Rings by the Harvard Lampoon, which I hear is being re-issued after many years. The two would make a nice gift set.Like another reviewer, I am sorry that even more items were not included--such as Knights--but one author cannot think of everything and the book -is- 300 pages long.It is fun to imagine what particular authors Ms. Jones might have had in mind as she wrote the different entries (although I don't suggest she is always being "author-specific".) In my own case, I am as it happens finishing up Elizabeth Moon's DEED OF PAKSENNARION, and the entry for "Female Mercenary" really had me chuckling. Hello, Paks!I hope someone sends copies of this masterpiece to R.J., T.G., and several other people who badly need to read it.

Exhausted and sick of barbarian heroes in invincable loin clothes? Ever wondered WHY the hero and heroine have a thing with *baths*? Wonder no longer! Diana Wynne Jones exposes all those cobwebs, smirks at Conan, raises an eyebrow at all those red-haired,green-eyes, bad-tempered magic using females, and gives us a refreshing insight into what makes up *FantasyLand* This book is a must for all fantasy readers, you can love Robert Jordan's work but still find The Tuffguide funny! She goes through all the cliches found in Fantasyland alphabetically, exposing Stew, Tavern Brawls, the Loveable Rogue who is really a Prince and so on. Take an open mind and delve into it, if you're a fan of fractured fairytales, you'll love taking this PanCeltic tour, I did.

I think most of the negative reviews are from people whose tongue is not inserted properly in their cheek.Really, guys, who goes around COUNTING cliches and who can really catch every single one when it all comes dowen to it. This book is full of wicked humor and a skewering look at fantasy not to be missed. True fans of any genre are the ones that can laugh at it. This book is great because it tells writers exactly what cliches to avoid and points out funny facts. (Come to think of it, when HAS a fantasy character, a serious heroic one, mind you, ever worn socks? Tell me if you know!)Read it, be prepared for initial indignation, then laughter then get on with your life and for heaven's sake don't count how many times these tired cliches have been used! It spoils all the fun