Fantasy fiction

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I have just finished reading the book Dark Alchemy, which is a compilation of 18 short stories on the theme of magic and wizardry. I’m not the biggest fan of fantasy fiction, it’s more MH’s favourite genre rather than mine, in fact I had bought the book for him. But there are a quite a few of the stories that I had really enjoyed! (There’s also a few that I don’t quite ‘get’.)

Somehow I found myself assessing how I generally accept fantasy fiction written in English compared to the ones in BM. I think there is some sort of mental or cultural ‘block’ if I read a BM fantasy fiction, especially if the story uses Malaysia as the backdrop. My mind would be quick to think – nah, this is so unconvincing or illogical. But if it’s a story written in English and in some far far away places, I somehow don’t ‘judge’ the stories because I have no expectations and knowledge and they are all so distant.