Jacqueline Carey

[K.M.]

My favorite book all time is Kushiel's Dart and I've read all 9 in the series. These are historical fiction fantasy but I just love the world Carey created supported by a fantastic voice.

What do you think? Would you consider Carey a HF author?

[Jackie]

I'll be honest- I only read the first 10 pages of Kushiel's Dart years ago and I couldn't get into it, so I'm not familiar with the world she created. However, I've spoken to others who have read the series and they all have labeled it as fantasy only with no mention of HF.

Why do you consider these HF Fantasy?

[Shomeret]

Jackie wrote: "I'll be honest- I only read the first 10 pages of Kushiel's Dart years ago and I couldn't get into it, so I'm not familiar with the world she created. However, I've spoken to others w..."

I call them alternate history, but alternate history is not HF.

[JoLene, Mistress of the Challenge]

I read Kushiel's Dart and also consider it fantasy. Similar to Game of Thrones, the social structure is seems somewhat based on medieval times, but all of the countries are different.

I actually consider alternate history to be based on actual world events that have been changed -- it's been a long time since i read it, but I thought it was a completely made up world.

[Shomeret]

JoLene wrote: "I read Kushiel's Dart and also consider it fantasy. Similar to Game of Thrones, the social structure is seems somewhat based on medieval times, but all of the countries are different...."

All of Jacqueline Carey's countries in the Kushiel series are alternates of actual countries. The religions are alternate versions of real religions. They all have real world parallels. It isn't completely based on imagination.

[K.M.]

Shomeret wrote: "Jackie wrote: "I'll be honest- I only read the first 10 pages of Kushiel's Dart years ago and I couldn't get into it, so I'm not familiar with the world she created. However, I've spo..."

I think that is a fair representation: Alternate history!

[K.M.]

Shomeret wrote: "JoLene wrote: "I read Kushiel's Dart and also consider it fantasy. Similar to Game of Thrones, the social structure is seems somewhat based on medieval times, but all of the countries..."

That is exactly why I think they kind of straddle the line of historical fiction/alternate history and I thought she may be an interesting author for this group to discuss. It's a little bit of an alternate universe (different names, different take on Christianity), but the parallels to the real world are obvious, even if each country's cultures are based upon exaggerated stereotypes.

[Jackie]

From the description of Carey's books, I'm leaning more towards historical fantasy/fantasy. She seems on par with Guy Gavriel Kay, who does the same thing- sets his world in a secondary universe steeped in recognizable elements (culture, language, etc.)

If you look at the definitions of "alternate history" they all say it's historical events that occur differently. It's the "what if" in the historical scenario that moves the plot along. That doesn't seem like the case with Carey's series.

[K.M.]

Jackie wrote: "From the description of Carey's books, I'm leaning more towards historical fantasy/fantasy. She seems on par with Guy Gavriel Kay, who does the same thing- sets his world in a second..."

The thing that makes the books weird is it's almost "alternate culture"

[Michele]

Jackie wrote: "From the description of Carey's books, I'm leaning more towards historical fantasy/fantasy. She seems on par with Guy Gavriel Kay, who does the same thing- sets his world in a second..."

Yes, good comparison! Kay and Carey create worlds that are an analog, or reflection, or parallel of our world, rather than being the same world up to a point that then diverged and went a different direction.