With the hit HBO TV series Game of Thrones launching its third season in America as we speak, it’s no surprise that the fantasy genre is attracting a lot more people into the fold. Adapted from the bestselling epic fantasy series A Song of Fire and Ice by author George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones offers viewers a hearty bite of the genre without requiring them to slog through a novel as fat as the yellow pages telephone book.
This has often been the case with epic fantasy novels (or high fantasy as it’s also known), most of which contain complex worlds that you need a road atlas to navigate. In an era that offers less and less leisure time, it takes a true devotee of the fantasy art form to be willing to commit for the long haul. This is perhaps one of the main reasons why some people just don’t bother with the genre. I know it has been true for me.
Another reason why some might give fantasy a miss is the perception that the genre is directed toward the younger reader. With the success of the Harry Potter books and films along with those of J.R.R. Tolkien, such a perception is understandable. Game of Thrones knocks any such perceptions out of the water, for it contains enough “adult” content to make your dear old Aunt Agnes in Hoboken blush (and she used to be a stripper!). This very subject was discussed by legendary fantasy author Piers Anthony in his foreword to my anthology Thrones of Desire: Erotic Tales of Swords, Mist and Fire. In fact, it eventually led him to seek out alternative publishing models due to the overly “family-friendly” nature of many fantasy novels and fantasy publishers. He considered it restrictive, particularly in light of the fact that he was writing his novels for adults, not children.
I wanted to address some of these very same issues in my Thrones of Desire anthology, offering readers epic fantasy that didn’t require a month of their lives to read while also offering epic fantasy for the adult reader. Thrones of Desire: Erotic Tales of Swords, Mist and Fire is not intended for children. It’s sexy, steamy and at times, explicit – just like the TV series that inspired it!
Attracting readers who are the more hardcore devotees of the genre is no easy task. Indeed, for me the ultimate stamp of approval has been seeing the anthology on bestseller lists in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy categories. Although I have worked in fantasy before with my solo short story collection In Sleeping Beauty’s Bed: Erotic Fairy Tales, tackling epic fantasy was far more challenging, especially when I had to rely on other writers to understand my vision and help bring it to fruition. Let’s just say that I did a lot of finger crossing, hair pulling and wide casting of nets to bring in stories that offered that sexy epic fantasy flavour that we see with Game of Thrones and which makes it the popular TV series it is today.
As I state in my introduction to Thrones of Desire:
You’ll find it all right here: corrupt kings, lusty queens, handsome princes, virginal princesses, randy knights, wicked sorcerers, kick-ass heroines, vengeful witches, mysterious shapeshifters… and we’re definitely not short on a few dragons either!
Heck, all that’s missing is Sean Bean!
For those of you who enjoy spoken word, several of the contributing writers have performed readings of their stories (or enlisted professional voice-over actors to do so) and these can now be found on the Thrones of Desire website. http://mitziszereto.com/thronesofdesire/author-readings/.
So grab up your swords and call for your dragons and let’s get going!
