Tattooed man with outstretched hand holding a pink rose, covered — AI art by @panos

panos

Well, I guess they just don't call them "Hobbits" - or do they? It was kind of ridiculous how fantasy authors in recent decades, trying to get out from tolkien's shadow, starrted in venting other names for the classic fantasy races. Until about 15 years back a very good author told them off: When you have Dwarves in you book, call them Dwarves, when yoy have elves, call them Elves and so on! He was right. No, perhaps in short stories I could read and enkoy such stories... but series of books? You're right, I think I'd find them slow. BUT I can't take an oath on it - a we say in Greece. I was telling the same anout Romantasy - that I wouldn't like it - until my resident vampire woman gave me Sarah Mass Crescent City books . Wow!!! I was hooked. And then picked up some of her (the vampire woman's) other romantasy books... So, until I actually read a "cozy" book...

CaylaCatz

I don't think of Hobbit as a precursor. A cozy fantasy would be more if Gandalf came to live in the shire and opened a coffeehouse for 75% of the book and then Sauron attacked at the climax and they won and had a celebration at the coffeehouse. Or if Bilbo decided to be a traveling baker in a a wagon and 75% of the book was about becoming a traveling baker and the problems overcome with the baking business and the customers he met. And then at the end the dragon arrived and was bout to flame him but he offered the dragon a scone and tea and the dragon grumpily decides not to flame him and they negotiate and the dragon gets one free scone and tea on Sundays. Cozy fantasies are more like that. Oh and there may be a murder mystery to solve.

CaylaCatz

yeah, but they're not in Tolkien's world. Just like there are books with elves but not in Tolkien's world. It's all cozy the one I read an dno adventure. Really a cozy and a romance come to think of it. The hobbit innkeeper marigold falls for a female gnome scholar. The Halfling harvest. I think it'll be too slow for you tho. It's like slice of life and no adventure. Oh and a wizard. A nice wizard with an interesting pet. I liked the characters but the town needed an orc attack or something for just a little more oomph.

CaylaCatz

Often there's a bakery, or a coffeehouse or teahouse, or a bookstore. Often too the main character has just moved to town and is starting one of those. If it's medeivalish , there will be a mix of human and nonhuman races. If it's modern, the main character is often a witch. What's a bit different is there seems to be a trend to have the main character have same-sex relationship. Pandian has a hetero relationship. Most people would put her in the urban fantasy category but that's more De Lint and Kim Harrison to me.

CaylaCatz

decades ago. In high school . So if you're asking me if I remember it, lol, no. I read a lot of Bradbury, Asimov and Heinlein in high school and college years. Starting in college tho, I started getting into fantasy much more so mostly switched over. I only occasionally read straight sci fi these days.

panos

As a 10-year senior, I remeber that as early teens we started with the greats of 1940-1960. Their great works plus, most were still alive and publisihing new books. I'm very curious if kids starting today, do that anymore.... (Oh, and the image ended up a few positions from the bottom 😄)

CaylaCatz

I would suggest Gigi Pandian's alchemist series. Start with #1. It's a good blend of cozy fantasy and msytery although it's set in modern times so some people won't count it. Since there is a gargoyle baker in it, I vote it cozy. Anything with a baker counts.

panos

I don't think I have read a cosy book as specificaly ... you know.... a cozy book (although I hear fans of the genre describe the Hobbit as a precursor) Recently its popularity rises - witness, publishers in Greece starting translating and publishing such books

legion

You're welcome, man. I'm not so young anymore, I'm 45, and I don't have much faith in today's youth, haha, but a long time ago I sought out the pillars of science fiction, from Ray to Asimov. Very good, I insist.

CaylaCatz

mine too! I keep returning library books unread. I could finish books when I was just making pictures. But making pictures and writing stories -- I lost much reading time. It's ok. It's fun to write stories again