I don't know if I should be insulted...or flattered!

[rabid1st]

Took a Which Fantasy Writer Are You? Quiz...and well...I am the opposite of J.R.R. Tolkien, I will agree to that.

But am I really Philip Pullman? Truthfully, I don't really admire Pullman. I don't dislike him. I'm rather indifferent to him. However, as you said, Kes, that's definitely not trite. Maybe I should look at that other person...Tove Something-or-Other.

Your result for Which fantasy writer are you?...

Philip Pullman (b.1946)

3 High-Brow, -15 Violent, 5 Experimental and 13 Cynical!

Congratulations! You are High-Brow, Peaceful, Experimental and Cynical! These concepts are defined below.

Philip Pullman was already a prominent author of children's books when he published his most praised work to date, the trilogy known as His Dark Materials (1995-2000). In this work, set both in parallel worlds and our own, Pullman made a courageous attempt to write a book for young readers which incorporated a whole vision of the universe, as well as a discussion of ethical issues. He managed to combine this with a burst of thought-provoking and entertaining imagination, bringing to life a Europe where the church is still in control, "souls" that have been externalised as animal presences, intelligent, sentient polar bears and much more. The series have been described as a sort of "anti-Narnia", as Pullman's attempt to write an updated variant of the kind of books C S Lewis, whom Pullman has criticized for having racist, misogynic and preaching tendencies, wanted to write. His Dark Materials has also spawned some controversy among Christians, who see the the work as an attack against Christianity, Pullman being one of Britain's most outspoken atheists. Other Christians have, however, claimed to have found spirituality in the books.

Either way, Pullman's combination of renewal and expansion of the genre, his profound messages on the value of life and his refusal to under-estimate his young readers' ability to see life as it is makes Pullman one of the most interesting and important writers of modern fantasy.

You are also a lot like Tove Jansson.

If you want something some action, try Gene Wolfe.

If you'd like a challenge, try your exact opposite, J R R Tolkien.

Your score

This is how to interpret your score: Your attitudes have been measured on four different scales, called 1) High-Brow vs. Low-Brow, 2) Violent vs. Peaceful, 3) Experimental vs. Traditional and 4) Cynical vs. Romantic. Imagine that when you were born, you were in a state of innocence, a tabula rasa who would have scored zero on each scale. Since then, a number of circumstances (including genetical, cultural and environmental factors) have pushed you towards either end of these scales. If you're at 45 or -45 you would be almost entirely cynical, low-brow or whatever. The closer to zero you are, the less extreme your attitude. However, you should always be more of either (eg more romantic than cynical). Please note that even though High-Brow, Violent, Experimental and Cynical have positive numbers (1 through 45) and their opposites negative numbers (-1 through -45), this doesn't mean that either quality is better. All attitudes have their positive and negative sides, as explained below.

High-Brow vs Low-Brow

You received 3 points, making you more High-Brow than Low-Brow. Being high-browed in this context refers to being more fascinated with the sort of art that critics and scholars tend to favour, rather than the best-selling kind. At their best, high-brows are cultured, able to appreciate the finer nuances of literature and not content with simplifications. At their worst they are, well, snobs.

Violent vs. Peaceful

You received -15 points, making you more Peaceful than Violent. This scale is a measurement of a) if you are tolerant to violence in fiction and b) whether you see violence as a means that can be used to achieve a good end. If you aren't, and you don't, then you are peaceful as defined here. At their best, peaceful people are the ones who encourage dialogue and understanding as a means of solving conflicts. At their worst, they are standing passively by as they or third parties are hurt by less scrupulous individuals.

Experimental vs. Traditional

You received 5 points, making you more Experimental than Traditional. Your position on this scale indicates if you're more likely to seek out the new and unexpected or if you are more comfortable with the familiar, especially in regards to culture. Note that traditional as defined here does not equal conservative, in the political sense. At their best, experimental people are the ones who show humanity the way forward. At their worst, they provoke for the sake of provocation only.

Cynical vs Romantic

You received 13 points, making you more Cynical than Romantic. Your position on this scale indicates if you are more likely to be wary, suspicious and skeptical to people around you and the world at large, or if you are more likely to believe in grand schemes, happy endings and the basic goodness of humankind. It is by far the most vaguely defined scale, which is why you'll find the sentence "you are also a lot like x" above. If you feel that your position on this scale is wrong, then you are probably more like author x. At their best, cynical people are able to see through lies and spot crucial flaws in plans and schemes. At their worst, they are overly negative, bringing everybody else down.

Take Which fantasy writer are you? at HelloQuizzy

Comments

[binah1013.livejournal.com]

Aw, I love the His Dark Materials trilogy.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I actually should BE so high-brow. I think Pullman has a very literary grasp of language and I really admire his ideas and his world building. But I found he was a little too cynical in the end for me. Still...there you go...according to this quiz I am quite cynical. And it is true that I am not very romantic, which is why I protest when the geekboys get on my case for supporting a ship. I support a ship, usually, because it works for the best storytelling. In the case of the Doctor and Rose...I will admit to supporting a ship just because it is perfectly romantic. But I believe that sense of ideal romance is usually not something presented to us in fiction. And I even believe that is mostly a good thing...romantic bliss is sustainable, but isn't interesting in the long run...which is the real reason stories end with, "And they lived happily ever after." Nothing much else to say after that. :grin:

Rae

[frodolass.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I don't really see you as the writer of His Dark Materials. I can't really place you, but your writing is filled with less cynicism and is a lot more spiritually fulfilling.

EDIT: Wow, just took the test and it appears we are almost opposites, except that we are both High Brow (apparently I am more Violent, Traditional, and Romantic). Weird. I would have thought that we'd be similar since I adore your style.

Yeah, I can't see that either

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I am not surprised that you are more like JRRT given your username. I don't know that a person actually likes the writing of someone exactly like them. I know that I like writing pretty far removed from my own style. I like the sparse style of Robert B. Parker.

But...Queenrikki below hits the nail on the head about my Pullman reaction. We find Pullman "off putting." I don't think that my work distances itself from the audience in the same way.

Of course, on the other hand...Pullman and RTD are much the same philosophically. There is the Doomsday/Amber Spyglass ending. But I think that I reach out to my audience a bit more. Is that pandering? No...I think of it as connecting to the reason the audience is reading. I don't mind making people cry...but I don't do it just because I have it within my power to make people cry.

Rae

[auntiesuze.livejournal.com]

I really love "His Dark Materials" and even the Sally Lockhart books aren't bad. He does seem to have something against the happy ending, though. I bawled at the end of "The Amber Spyglass". BAWLED.

[sensiblecat.livejournal.com]

Well, "Amber Spyglass" has a very similar ending to "Doomsday", so they may have picked up on something there.

Tove Jansson created the wonderful Moomins. "Finn Family Moomintroll" is my favourite childhood book. It is very simple but perfectly captures the carefree feeling of endless childhood summers of holiday adventure.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Ah...well...carefree feeling of endless childhood sounds like me. Yes, you are probably correct about the RTD/Doomsday connection linking me to Pullman as well. I was aware of that ending, it is one of the things that put me off finishing the series. The main thing that put me off is that the language is very dense in the second book. I felt it lost some of the wonder of the first book. So...midway through...I just lost heart with it all.

Did still like the people and still felt that the ideas were original and thought provoking. I enjoy both of those things, but I am naturally verbose and I don't like it in other writers. Of course, again...they might have me there. Though I don't think I am a decorative in my sentence structure as Pullman. And again, I'm not sure if that's a bad thing...or a good thing. :grin:

Rae

[queenrikki-hp.livejournal.com]

Grrr, Philip Pullman. I have to say that actively dislike the man's writing. He managed to be off putting and mildly offensive.

Off Putting

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's exactly the words I would use for his writing. That's why I said I wasn't sure if I should be flattered by the comparison. I am not offended by his writing and I know that he is respected and admired in both popular and literary circles. His books break new ground and are made into films. I couldn't hope to have a better career. So, I'm flattered. But...I don't particularly enjoy reading him...and so...I'm put off by the comparison. I should have said put off rather than insulted. I'm not really insulted by the comparison. But...yes...I would like to think my writing style is more accessible.

Rae

[soophelia.livejournal.com]

I love your writing, Rae, more than I like Pullman's. I've only read the His Dark Materials Trilogy. I though it was overrated, but I read the entire trilogy because I bought it and I was hoping it was going to get better. Maybe I should give him another chance though and try reading a different book of his.

Now, I am definitely flattered by you!

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

My experience with Pullman is much like yours. I read The Golden Compass and really liked it but wasn't quite sure about where he was going with it. Then, I started on The Subtle Knife and midway through it I just found I didn't care where he was going and I quit reading. Later, when Amber Spyglass came out, I heard about the downer ending and thought it was just as well that I quit reading him. However, that said, I'm not sure that he didn't end his story properly...people compare it to Doomsday...but from what I saw of the two young protagonists in the first two books...probably they were not as well suited to one another...and as necessary to one another as the Doctor and Rose are...so maybe their parting was the "proper ending." I can't say.

Rae

Re: Now, I am definitely flattered by you!

[soophelia.livejournal.com]

people compare it to Doomsday...but from what I saw of the two young protagonists in the first two books...probably they were not as well suited to one another...and as necessary to one another as the Doctor and Rose are...so maybe their parting was the "proper ending." I can't say.

I read the whole thing and I have to agree with this. They went on with their lives. Yes, once a year they remembered each other (by sitting in the exact same spot in their parallel worlds), but I didn't get that same feeling of connection that Doctor and Rose had with each other. I sold my copy to Half Price books after I was finished.

Anyway, I have you to thank for getting me into reading fanfiction. Before I ever read fanfic, I just thought it was ooc stories with bad grammar and dialogue and Mary Sues (my opinion was formed by my sister, who had read Hercules and Xena fanfic), but people kept recommending Disheveled on TWOP. It sounded interesting so I decided to give it a go. I stayed up the entire night reading all the chapters that you had posted at that time and I was hooked! I don't remember the first fics I've read in other fandoms (House MD, Dresden Files), but I do remember Disheveled not only because it was the first fanfic that I ever read, but because it was written so well with careful attention to intricate details. You kept the characters believable while making it your own and that's what good fanfic should be.

[audrey1nd.livejournal.com]

Have you ever read the Sally Lockhart books? Because those are great and Billie Piper is awesome in the movies for them, though I haven't seen the second one. Also, Jim from the Ruby in the Smoke (the first Sally Lockhart book/movie) is going to be the new Doctor.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I knew about Jim and Billie. I have the movies. But, no, I never read the books. I really only know Pullman from The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife. Midway through The Subtle Knife I got tired of his style and quit reading. Then, I heard how Amber Spyglass ended and I wasn't upset that I'd quit reading him.

His style, as I said, in those books was rather heavy going and while I enjoyed his characters and his imagination...I felt like he wasn't going anywhere with his ideas. Of course, I might be wrong about that last part...maybe he did go somewhere with it all.

Rae

[audrey1nd.livejournal.com]

I really liked them, but I read them about 5 or 6 years ago and I had the perfect soundtrack to them. I also read them all in a week. You should read the Sally Lockhart ones though. There's none of the weird religious/moral stuff, just great characters and a pretty good plot. Lots of action and running around after the bad guys.