Most fantasy authors are formulaic and derivative. Most of them have nothing more than a few "oh, that's an interesting idea" moments in their books. There are exceptions. One exception that I mention frequently is Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, which is a profound book regardless of how you want to characterize it.
I suspect you're going to find a lot more relevant science fiction than you will relevant fantasy, because science fiction has so many more ways to be relevant, from dystopian warning novels like 1984 or We or Fahrenheit 451 or Brave New World (all of which are probably literature with the possible exception of the last, which is pretty weak), to heavier science fiction like Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov (or Lem, as I previously mentioned).
Fantasy, by its very nature, tends to escapism or absurdity. Once you drop down dragons or elves or fairies or Canadians, the relevance to the real world diminishes automatically. Yes, you can have parables, or fairy tale-type stories with a moral (this is where children's fantasy actually thrives, like the Narnia books or the Harry Potter ones, both of which have value in the realm of children's literature), but chances are if you're writing that type of story you're not doing it to comment on the human condition.
I think it's interesting that you use the term "relevant". I don't think that's necessarily the same thing as commenting on the human condition. You can do that through any medium. I was having a conversation about the game Skyrim with my husband regarding this very subject. I've heard you say that gaming is a waste of time. But one of the decisions I recently had to make in playing the game was reflective of real life decisions in that either way I chose I would not be on the "good" or "evil" side. Either way I chose, people I knew and cared for would have to suffer, all for no more than who they chose to follow to lead their country. Good games can incorporate these kinds of choices, where your character has to live with the consequences of their actions.
Same with books, really, of any kind. I know what you're talking about when you refer to those formulaic fantasy or even scifi books- believe me, I've seen a lot of those, too. But have you ever read The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons? Deep, thought-provoking mixture of science fiction and fantasy that I think should be a classic. I know you've heard Anastasia and I both mention Wraeththu by Storm Constantine. Probably a bit flowery language for your taste, but I was really questioning my place in the universe and the nature of love at the end of that. Something as deceptively simple as Beagle's The Last Unicorn, even. It's a cliched question but is it better to have loved and lost? Doesn't it speak to you about what it truly means to be human? Even something like Ender's Game by Card. I wrote my tenth grade final on this book- it was the only book I enjoyed reading all year because it wasn't Sheakespeare or Camus or Kafka making me want to go off myself. I wrote another paper the next year comparing and contrasting the meaning of "fate" in Gaiman's Neverwhere and Wiesel's Night.
There is plenty of genre fiction with meaning out there. I could go on and on and I'm sure there are plenty others who could as well. These are just some examples of things that I've personally found meaning in. I don't mind if it's not your cup of tea, but I also want to make the point that a lot of what I read has intellectual value as well.
Atheism is a religion like abstinence is a sex position. - Bill Maher
Aren't the Tolkien comparisons getting a little...old?
09/12/2011 09:51:39 PM
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The comparison bothers me, but not because Tolkien isn't relevant.
09/12/2011 10:05:22 PM
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Only when shit works are being compared to him
09/12/2011 10:22:26 PM
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Larry,
10/12/2011 01:13:18 AM
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Snide dismissal that will be passed off as for his own entertainment.
10/12/2011 04:55:43 AM
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Well-deserved condescension.
11/12/2011 03:54:27 AM
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You're sure about that?
11/12/2011 04:20:26 AM
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Re: You're sure about that?
11/12/2011 05:25:08 AM
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Re: You're sure about that?
11/12/2011 06:03:02 AM
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i think you shouldn't judge a whole world's school programs on your school
11/12/2011 06:42:30 AM
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If you're arguing that children should be able to read genre fiction, fine.
11/12/2011 08:52:27 PM
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Well, I suppose it depends on the type of genre being read
11/12/2011 09:36:16 PM
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How often do you hear the challenging writers mentioned at this site?
12/12/2011 02:03:05 PM
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Only when you, me, and a couple others write reviews
12/12/2011 04:21:14 PM
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Oh, it was the same as it always is
12/12/2011 05:23:56 PM
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Much of the actual "Classics", that is, Greek and Latin originals, kids would eat up.
12/12/2011 03:13:03 AM
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You're upfront and honest about it; he isn't. The difference matters to me. *NM*
11/12/2011 05:18:42 AM
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this is a bit off topic, but out of curiousity...
11/12/2011 06:28:35 AM
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I've discussed this dozens of times at this site. Perhaps you've missed all of the posts.
11/12/2011 08:57:44 PM
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mk I'll go look. I probably did miss it (or at least don't remember it!)
11/12/2011 09:08:02 PM
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I have a successful career that was inspired by the video games I played as a child. *NM*
11/12/2011 05:52:21 PM
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Now let's get all the people who just pissed their lives away with video games and see the %.
11/12/2011 08:58:42 PM
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The majority of players neither waste their lives nor make a career out of it.
11/12/2011 11:29:29 PM
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Yeah, sorry, I don't think you could say that with a straight face in real life. *NM*
12/12/2011 04:13:52 AM
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Then you have a closed mind on the subject. Ironic, considering your stance on edification. *NM*
12/12/2011 05:47:50 AM
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No, just with respect to you. *NM*
12/12/2011 02:00:15 PM
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Tom, you pulled the "Say that to my face!" line. You lost the right to talk about respect. *NM*
12/12/2011 03:20:15 PM
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Once again, I really don't care what you think. *NM*
12/12/2011 03:37:40 PM
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Did I imply that you did? My apologies. I'd hate to insinuate that you'd stoop that low. *NM*
12/12/2011 04:13:25 PM
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As well read as you seem to be, you think you'd be smart enough...
11/12/2011 06:20:06 PM
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I thought I have made it clear that I don't care if people don't like me here.
11/12/2011 08:44:58 PM
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Re: I thought I have made it clear that I don't care if people don't like me here.
12/12/2011 04:04:37 PM
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That statement has just confused me.
12/12/2011 04:06:53 PM
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Re: That statement has just confused me.
12/12/2011 04:14:27 PM
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I never learned Hittite. I had a book on pre-order for a long time but never ended up getting it.
12/12/2011 05:41:03 PM
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What you have made clear, I think, is the fact that you deal in generalizations and stereotypes.
12/12/2011 10:12:12 PM
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There's an unintentional irony in what you say, alas
13/12/2011 12:44:26 AM
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Tom, Dick, or Larry...you may use your true first name, but you're still an anonymous entity to most
13/12/2011 04:49:35 AM
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With such comeback skills, you must have ruled the playgrounds as a kid, no?
13/12/2011 05:21:42 AM
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There are no special snowflakes, are there?
11/12/2011 09:39:21 PM
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There are many way of widening one's horizons and broadening one's mind.
11/12/2011 10:08:24 PM
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What I don't like-
12/12/2011 04:28:55 AM
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Why don't you name something, then?
12/12/2011 04:40:29 AM
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Sure.
13/12/2011 07:30:56 AM
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Mentioning Ender's Game pretty much shot your argument in the foot.
13/12/2011 02:02:59 PM
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You dismiss the entire video game medium because many games lack value.
13/12/2011 03:59:11 PM
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You're like the McDonald's paid advocate trying to say Big Macs are actually healthy.
13/12/2011 05:46:37 PM
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I'll leave it up to others to define as they wish against their self-conceptions of me
10/12/2011 10:52:54 AM
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that's alright. I really have no desire to stroke your twit-ego. *NM*
10/12/2011 04:36:56 PM
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Considering the firestorm I appear to have touched off, that may be best.
12/12/2011 12:57:49 PM
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I know, John
12/12/2011 04:27:04 PM
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Re: I know, John
12/12/2011 05:06:26 PM
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As I've said in the past, I'd be scared if anyone agreed with me anywhere approaching 100%
12/12/2011 06:33:52 PM
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Re: As I've said in the past, I'd be scared if anyone agreed with me anywhere approaching 100%
12/12/2011 07:13:37 PM
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Blurbs are not generally very original in their comparisons - would kind of defeat their purpose.
09/12/2011 10:42:17 PM
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Maybe if so much of the genre weren't crap derivative works it wouldn't be so common. *NM*
11/12/2011 03:44:24 AM
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To be fair, a lot of it isn't.
11/12/2011 04:06:07 AM
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I suspect that if it really isn't derivative it's not being compared to Tolkien in the first place.
11/12/2011 04:18:57 AM
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That's true.
11/12/2011 11:08:01 AM
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But see, that's where things start to get referred back to Tolkien.
12/12/2011 04:30:12 AM
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The Tolkien fanaticism gets old. And yes, for me it is unreadable.
11/12/2011 11:37:53 PM
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No, because the movies are very contemporary and relevant, thus he will remain so for quite a while.
12/12/2011 03:14:53 AM
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Disagree all you want, but LotR is still the touchstone when it comes to works of fantasy.
12/12/2011 03:48:20 AM
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