Any general info such as age, gender, or country would be helpful if you’re willing to share.
Twenty, female, UK mongrel. Bisexual as well - another demographic which definitely influences my choice of reading material.
How long have you been reading fantasy literature and why or what made you get into it?
Since I was a tiny child. My dad wasn't always a very hands-on parent, but he'd sit in the rocking chair in the corner of the room every evening, and take us through his old favourites, chapter by chapter. We had all sorts of things, including
Santa Claus in Summer,
Fattypuffs and Thinnifers, and, of course,
The Hobbit.
What sort of fantasy lit genres do you like especially? (such as sci-fi, high fantasy, etc…)
I'll take anything, but it has to be well-written.
What are you currently reading (fantasy or otherwise) and why does it appeal to you?
All sorts of things. I follow a lot of manga, such as
Bleach,
Nana and
Kimi wa Pet ('Tramps Like Us'). I love the diversity of story and character types in manga. It's generally not hampered by the same kind of constraints as western literature; for example there is a strong tradition of positive portrayal of gay characters, and there are strong and weak men and women in major and minor roles. Of course it has its own problems, but... it's nice to have a different perspective on fiction.
Novelwise... currently reading
Cloud Atlas, which is pegged as gen-literature, but actually seems very fantastic to me. It's extremely clever and interesting, but I actually picked it because it has a pretty cover. Reminded me of some other books which I really enjoyed. Also reading
Conflict Resolution in the Twentieth Century and
Female Masculinity which, as I'm sure you can imagine, aren't just for leisure.
I've also recently finished
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which was pressed upon me by a friend. Very classy. Ambitious. I liked its meta-fictional ideals. Also, I read half-a-dozen volumes of
Dykes to Watch Out For, which my dissertation supervisor lent me when we found that we were both into gay-interest comics. The webcomic
Hanna is Not A Boy's Name is a pretty pure fantasy idea, in terms of characters, but the execution is very slick and modern. The art and my girlfriend's recommendation drew me in.
To answer the question a little more directly... I've always read fantasy and sci-fi, and it's always been around the house. I was encouraged as a child to read anything I felt like, so when I was very young I followed Piers Anthony's
Xanth series. I started on
Discworld when I was eight, and I've been supported by my family, who like to discuss the books
en masse, buy each other the new ones for presents, and even took me to meet the great man himself. (I was terrified). I read
The Lord of the Rings at ten, because all my peers were, and
Magician at about eleven.
The only book I was ever told not to read was
Birdsong. I was probably about twelve. I'd just finished
1984 and
White Teeth, and I was pretty peeved to be told that there were things which I wasn't deemed old enough to understand.
Oddly, because fantasy always been around me, I don't really seek it out, unlike a lot of people. I don't distinguish that much between fantasy and 'straight' books. The fantasy section of bookshops always looks badly-designed to me, and I tend to pass it by. Too much black, too many swords, awful cliched titles. But when I actually do pick up newer fantasy books, I really love them.
Fortress in the Eye of Time turned me vegetarian.
The Lies of Locke Lamora had me on the edge of my seat. I know there's great stuff out there, and I'm really looking forward to educating myself further with great modern fantasy.
Do you also enjoy fantasy movies?
I don't... dislike them on principle. But I dislike anything which feels inauthentic, plasticy, or Hollywoodised. The LOTR films were very close to greatness.
Watchmen was beautiful. But I wouldn't have dreamed of going to see
Arthur (is that what it was called? The thing a few years ago with Kiera Knightly and her shopped boobs). I don't go to watch many fantasy films, but I don't watch many live-action films altogether. In fact, the last pure 'fantasy' film I saw in the cinema must have been
Gedo Senki, the really not-very-good anime adaptation of
Earthsea.
Hope... that's helpful?
ETA: Missed one. "Can you think of any particular traits or qualities you find common in your fellow fantasy readers?"
I think Mossy nailed it, better than I ever could. I guess if I'd come to the question without reading anybody else's response, I'd say that they tend to be more bookish generally. Less casual readers. Often interested in language or history, and enjoying the fantasy genre as an extension of those interests.
One thing I can't get over is people who read fantasy novels in their second language. The only other person I know who reads
Locke Lamora is a first-year Norwegian dude who's on the committee of my anime society. (I think he's vice-president now. I'm social secretary, which is kind of an oxymoron). But he must be mad anyway, since (and this is his first time living in the UK) he's taking a degree in English Literature. And I know for a fact that the first year course includes stuff as heavy as
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Now there's a baptism of fire.
ful clene
for wonder of his hwe men hade
set in his semblaunt sene
he ferde as freke were fade
and oueral enker grene
*~Pips~*