In talking about Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Summer Tree I mentioned the use of arts within the book. It’s an area I find fascinating. The role of art in society and its power to stir emotions are often overlooked in fantasy fiction. What makes it so useful?
For me, there are two obvious points.
Firstly, showing a society’s culture adds depth. It shows that there is more to people’s lives than the struggles they currently face, the wars and intrigues that are the backbone of so many plots.
Secondly, it helps us connect to the characters. We all know what it feels like to be stirred by art that touches something within us. For me, that can be listening to Jeff Buckley’s Lover You Should Have Come Over, watching Lost in Translation or reading Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. You’ll have your own examples, because while the feeling is universal, it’s triggers are seldom the same.
So who else makes good use of culture in their writing?
- Tolkien uses songs and poems to explore the past.
- Iain M Banks has games in The Player of Games.
- John Scalzi’s Redshirts, while taking a different angle, at least shows TV as a prominent part of life.
Who else is there? Which writers do this, and especially do it well?
And what are the cultural experiences that really stir you?
Share your thoughts in the comments. I’ve mentioned a couple of my favourite things, and I’d love to hear about yours.
