The use of prophecy in fantasy

[asdar]

I know I'm attacking very near the heart of the fantasy genre, but I hate the use of true prophecy in fantasy.

I find that Prophecy is often used as a driving factor in the story, a sort of motivation to the writer, an outline of where everything should go. Some authors use spot prophecies, but on a lesser scale it seems the same thing to me. It seems a short cut to avoiding logical development in characters and storyline.

I find that the use often is a sign of a story lacking in depth and reason. The characters will do things to either fulfill or reject the prophecy instead of doing things for power or gold or some other sensible motivating factor.

"The world will end if this prophecy...," Choice A) comes true, or B) doesn't come true.

The whole issue boils down to two issues for me. The first is the concept of fate versus choice and the second is the entire time travel paradox. If the future is set and the prophecy will come true then what are all the choices along the way for?

[cornelius]

the prophecy in my writings is more linked to magic and such. The three heroes have to find a set of books, with which they can revive the fainting magic in the world. This is but a start, they have to unite all races in peace to restore the full Craft. ( this is but a very rough sketch of the prophecy)
it's a bit like the Nerevar cult in morrowind, for those who are more familiar with that

[kyektulu]

I find alot of fantasy stories (melanie rawn's work is one example) incorperate elements from long gone civilisations and alot of these had thier cultures completely immersed around prophicies and fables. So I come to expect these in a book when I read writing from such an author.
To make phrophicies and things work I think the writer should really try to use them in the background of a novel, in a charecter belief system and culture...
However I dont mind reading books based around them after all im reading a fantasy book and basicly in a persons imagination anything goes...

[kyektulu]

I hope that made sense.

[dwndrgn]

I've seen prophecies used well (Goodkind's SOT) and poorly ~ um, can't think of one at the moment, but I've seen them. I don't have anything against them but nor do I have a strong liking of them either. They're just another plot device that can be done well or done poorly. Whatever works for the story is ok for me.

[asdar]

It made sense to me Kyektulu.

I can't begin to name the number of good books I've read with prophecies. It's just recently that I've come to dread them. I don't want to throw the books out, I just find that in most cases the prophecy becomes the story.

If I ever start to sound like I'm criticizing anyone personally please shut me down. I don't intend to and I'm supportive of anyone's ideas in the area of writing.

In the case of a prophecy about the return of magic I see the direction and conclussion right from the start. I think it's entirely possible that the book will be enjoyable but I feel like I know the story already. I can come to love or hate the characters and sub plots along the way and still enjoy the book but the story is already told.

There are books that start with someone telling the story in retrospect. "I remember the tale of the heroes of the ....," followed by the story. To me this is parallel to a prophecy in that we know the narrator lives.

In contrast would be a story where the people need to learn how to plow fields because they could no longer force the magic through the ground, followed by a special group or person that sets forth on a quest to figure it all out without any magical guidance of prophecy.

What I see as the value of prophecy is the revelation of clues throughout the book. It's like the foreshadow scenes in the movie The Ring where clues were given to the audience. Most of the enjoyment of the movie for me was travelling step by step with the investigative reporter to track down all of the clues.

The same is true for me in heavily prophecy influenced fantasy. I find more and more that when I see a fantasy I know within a hairs breath where the story will go. I find myself saying one of three things, "what will happen if the prophecy is fulfilled, what will happen if it's broken," or at best, "how can the given prophecy be twisted to mean something else."

[Teresa Edgerton]

Prophecies are, historically, very much a part of the magical world view. But in that context they are usually highly ambiguous and make more sense after they come to pass than they did before, allowing people to misinterpret them and stumble around making the wrong choices in a thoroughly natural way, rather than proceed from point A to point B steadily and confidently following a prearranged agenda.

In other words, I like prophecies to fulfill the same role in a fantasy novel that they did traditionally: to motivate characters and push them into action (or inaction) -- and as often as not the wrong action or inaction -- rather than working as a user's manual by which (if he follows it closely) a hero is assured of success.

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by Kelpie

Prophecies are, historically, very much a part of the magical world view. But in that context they are usually highly ambiguous and make more sense after they come to pass than they did before, allowing people to misinterpret them and stumble around making the wrong choices in a thoroughly natural way, rather than proceed from point A to point B steadily and confidently following a prearranged agenda.

Quite agreed - prophecy can become a cliche if used too flippantly.

Additionally, with prophecy comes predetermination - which means that the character has no Free Will to make their own decisions, rendering the protagonists involved little more than puppets on strings, if not careful.

If you look at modern religious prophecies, they remain vague and ambiguous, and often claimed to apply at any given contemporary period - never fulfilled, but always "nearly there".

That in itself can serve as a fascinating vehicle for plot...