Fuzzy Love

matociquala talks about fuzzy wish-fulfillment companion-animal fantasy (and writes some, squicktastically). It makes my brain go to bad places where brains shouldn't go.

I read some FWFCAF back in the day. I never liked McCaffrey's books on a prose or characterization level, even back in elementary school when I had no idea how to explain why they didn't grab me, but I kept slogging through the Pern books for a few shiny bits of worldbuilding every now and then and because there were dragons. Poor dragons. They deserve better. (Even as a wee kindling, I loved the dragons of Earthsea best of all. Ged killing baby dragons made me very cross indeed.)

And in junior high and high school I read Lackey, namely the Valdemar books, until I woke up one morning hating her awful awful awful characterization and wanting to kill every character with sporks. Companions never moved me like dragons did, but who doesn't love a big white telepathic horse.

But, as matociquala mentions, dragons and Companions are yes-men. They are there to Love You No Matter What, in a solid, comforting, nonsexual way. They are there to gaze at you with big blue/multifaceted eyes and say that you, o angst-ridden teenager, are A Beautiful And Unique Snowflake.

Yeah.

Since I was wee (9 years old), my favorite animal companion books were Jennifer Roberson's Cheysuli Chronicals. (Her other work never grabbed me.) The lir are way smarter than their humans, and they do not hesitate to tell you when you're being an asshat. (Gee, Finn, raping your sister might not be a good idea.) Sure, they did love their people, and tended to stick by them, but with none of that sickening sycophant feel to the interaction. Also, the humans were constantly confronted with the possibility that if they did what their gods expected them to do, they might lose their fuzzy animals. I tend to be a sucker for duty/sacrifice themes, when done well.

But all of these squibbles around in my poor little brain and makes me want to do something with companion animals. Blech.

What do you think--does the world need companion nightgaunt fantasy? The ease with which that takes hold in my brain is scary.

Umm... Rubbery love?

ETA: Uh oh. I think I found the character. She's existed quietly in my head for a while, but never drawn attention to herself. There's one drawback--Lailah's a princess. Yeah. A princess in the dreamlands. Do I have the unbridled chutzpah to write a companion story starring a princess? Can I deconstruct those tropes enough to make it not utterly lame?

-----
The idea of nightgaunt companion fantasy has dug its claws deep. I've wanted a dreamlands idea for a while anyway. Besides the cult of hot fish girls who sing Cthulhu to sleep, and the squid-headed people, and, and, and...

Besides the silly giggly fun aspect of it, there is something appealing about writing companion-fantasy where the companion is not fuzzy and warm, but faceless, rubbery, cold, and alien.

And I'm still trying to figure out how to make Nodens cool.

The girl (and yeah, it's got to be a teenage girl after all) is only white space. When she shows up with a name and personality, start to worry.

Ooooh, connage!

ConDFW

I can stalk Steven Brust! Woohoo!