Euro-fantasies by Europeans

[marina_bonomi]

haikujaguar has this interesting post about speculative fiction that doesn't fit the mold of 'inspired by such and such culture' (which is a thing I love and I'd like to see more of, but it appears publishers like better playing it safe).

The post links to this list of 'Non-european Fantasy by Women' (sic), connecting nicely with this previous rant byla_marquise_de_ .

I went to read the list out of a mix of interest (I'm always up for discovering new-to-me authors) and a masochistic streak (all those 'everything by Europe, please' posts and lists make me feel a bit like I and my fellow Europeans are plague-carriers, moreover no setting on its own guarantees a good book), and I found a couple of interesting things:

First of all: the list includes books set in Eastern Europe and Byzantium, because 'those are less known' and ' in fantasy, Europe mostly means Western Europe, the protestant and catholic countries'.

..But it also includes at least a book, Silver Wolf , set in Rome at the time of Charlemagne and another, Lavinia, set in pre-Roman Italy. It looks like Italy moved while I wasn't looking...

It is a pet peeve of mine, but my hackles rise really fast when people manipulate data like...,you know, geographical and cultural boundaries, because they don't fit the theory (European settings must be stale and overdone, so let's mutilate Europe of anything that hasn't already been done to death), besides, as many have said better than me, most of what generally passes for 'Standard European Setting' is McFantasyland, a bland, flavorless pap of uncertain composition.

So I'd like to start a list of mine: speculative fiction set in Europe-inspired or European settings written by Europeans (Europe , not the EU, both female and male authors, if dead, deceased not earlier than 20 years ago )
suggestions are welcome.

Ben  Aaronovitch

Sarah Ash

Petros Ambatzoglou

Pierre Bordage

Maite Carranza

Mike Carey

Mark Chadbourn

Susanna Clarke

Michael Ende

Valerio Evangelisti

Alan Garner

Kerstin Gier

Markus Heitz

Paul Hoffman

Wolfgang Hohlbein

Ju Honisch

Rhys Hughes

Tanith Lee

Stanisław Lem

Suzanne McLeod

Sergei Vasilievich Lukyanenko

Stan Nicholls

Milorad Pavić

Pierre Pevel

Otfried Preußler

Cecilia Randazzo (aka Cecilia Randall)

Jessica Rydill

Andrzej Sapkowski

Ekaterina Sedia

Johanna Sinisalo

Kari Sperring

Jonathan Stroud

Thorvaldur Thorsteinsson

Licia Troisi

Freda Warrington

Diana Wynne Jones

Comments

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

The Europe meaning Western Europe thing was something that really only just dawned on me recently. Growing up in Australia, I never really had a grasp of just how big and just how long the Ottoman Empire had for example. Or of any of the stories that were taking place east of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, say...

[marina-bonomi.livejournal.com]

For a time the Eastern half of the continent was terra incognita for us too, one with 'Here are communists' written on the map instead than 'Here are lions'. It was the land of Russian fairy tales, Russian classics, a couple of Polish and Hungarian novels and smuggled dissident works...

But that was between Yalta and the fall of the wall, I think 23 years is enough for us Europeans °and° the rest of the world to go back to 'see' Europe as a whole (admittedly I still feel stunned when I think that direct communication with someone living in Poland, Albania or Romania is now commonplace and risk-free).

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was quite odd when going from Austria to Slovakia basically just meant belting down the highway, especially after after I'd just watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on the plane.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Um, me? Living With Ghosts was inspired by 17th century France.
Sarah Ash and several of her series.
Jessica Rydill.
Mike Carey
Susanne MacLeod
Susannah Clarke
Ju Honisch (German author, I believe only published in Germany so far)
Mark Chadbourn

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Oh, and Tanith Lee -- Lycanthia certainly, also When The Lights Go Out and the Dark Dance series.
Freda Warrington
Alan Garner.

[marina-bonomi.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the suggestions, Kari! I confess I haven't read Living with Ghosts yet so I wasn't 100% sure.

Sorry for the belated answer, my internet time has been limited these last few days, will be adding all your suggested authors between today and tomorrow.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Busy is always a good reason!
Take care.
(And there is no obligation to read Living With Ghosts.)

[marina-bonomi.livejournal.com]

>(And there is no obligation to read Living With Ghosts.)>

No obligation but a strong curiosity and the anticipation of a pleasure. Don't worry, I never feel obliged or pressured to read friends'works. :)