Celebrate Diana Wynne Jones!
A place where readers and fans can share their favorite DWJ books, quotes, stories, characters, covers, memories, interviews -- you name it! With contributions from her publishers all over the world.
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Photoset reblogged from A Good Outlet.
The three books I just ordered, all by one of my favorite authors, the late and great Diana Wynne Jones.
And Firebird (and I) thank you. — sdn
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A confirmed knitter discovers her favorite entry in THE TOUGH GUIDE TO FANTASYLAND.
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Quote reblogged from Fire and WonderThe GAY MAGE may be one of your COMPANIONS on the Tour. He will be very beautiful and he will dress in gorgeous colours. He will have long hair which may be silver-blond. He will ‘ache with sensitivity’ (OMT). He will not like to fight or to be angry with people. Despite all this, he will be surprisingly strong, competent, and determined, and he will be very good at MAGIC indeed. He will fall in love while on the Tour and suffer other disasters, but this will not impair his efficiency in the least. You will find him giving you a back rub and aromatherapy late in the Tour at some point when he ought to be dead. A valuable Companion.Diana Wynne Jones, The Tough Guide to Fantasyland (via fireandwonder)
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“It is easy in reading the Tough Guide, to see the clichés and common threads used in countless fantasy works in print and on screen. For writers, the book is a useful guide on what not to write.”
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A look at DWJ’s work through a feminist prism.
“Jones realized that there was an aspect of herself she had to confront, the reality of being a woman and being comfortable in her own skin. Creating a story of a feminine hero was as helpful to Jones’ personal growth as it was to children’s literature.”
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As Diana was working on The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, she came to some interesting conclusions about the Middle Ages.
What I, personally, think of as the Middle Ages has to have been an abiding influence on me – I know that, and it’s not simply because I happen to be married to a medievalist.
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A note from sdn: I bought this book recently with no idea that The Tough Guide to Fantasyland had been the author’s inspiration! Her husband discusses it here, on his blog:
[The title story] is a fantasy tale inspired by Diana Wynne Jones’ Tough Guide to Fantasyland (required reading for even the most casual D&D tourist), which Lesley warps into a hybrid plot about evil deans and inner Yoda voices calling her heroine to action. It opens with the speaker reading bedtime books to her children—something Lesley and I spent a decade doing with our kids. All those alternate worlds—Oz, Narnia, Hogwarts—get ingrained in the brain, and soon the real world warps too.
The world is a very small place!
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WriterGirl on how much she loves The Tough Guide …
“It navigates you through almost every trope and cliche in the fantasy genre. And it is hilarious. I dare you to read this and not be on the floor gasping for air by the end.”
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A blog post about DWJ’s fictional families, with a nice nod in the direction of The Tough Guide to Fantasyland.
“Her books have a sense of perseverance, and a sense that the most unpleasant relative might turn out to be someone you need.”
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Gina Ruiz, Shannon Muir, and Fred Patton of AmoXcalli turn their thoughts to Diana’s work — with a special focus on The Tough Guide to Fantasyland.
“As a writer as well as a reader, having this book be my initial exposure to her writing allowed me to fully appreciate her overall contributions to the field of fantasy.”
