> Please give me your opinion on what you like to read in a fantasy novel or short story. I will write one so that is why I am conducting this survey. Thankz.

If I told you what I'd want to read in a fantasy novel, you'd end up penning the one *I* still plan on writing some day, and then what would I do? :-)

In general, what I like in fantasy/sci-fi is emphasis on characters and personalities more than on the "big picture" or grand overarching picture of the fictional cosmos, if I can only have one or the other. Of course, if the author takes the trouble to create a world rich with detail and its own history, and then allows me glimpses of that larger world even while remaining focused on the central characters, that's all the better.

Other things I like: humor that arises from the interaction of personalities rather than from jokes and sight gags (although those do have their place); characters who act intelligently and seek to outwit and outmaneuver their opponents with limited resources (as opposed to simply finding the great Sword of Legend that automatically wins the battle--see Timothy Zahn's portrayal of the Star Wars characters vs. his Grand Admiral Thrawn for an example of intelligent characters); actions that have serious and often unforeseen consequences that figure into the story later. There's more, but I'm starting to ramble and I'm not sure this is really what you were asking for anyway.

If you're serious about writing a fantasy story, I'd love to read it. Start small, with a short story. Maybe I'll get encouraged to get off my posterior and work on developing the fantasy world I've had in my head for the past few years, too.

Iss "I mean, doesn't *everybody* have a fantasy novel they'd like to write?" achar