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Fannish 50 - Angst that Worked, Part 1
Feb. 15th, 2025 12:57 pmI'm going to start out my series by introducing a few works that contain angst that "works" for me and then a set of works that contain similar elements or themes but that didn't tickle my id (see my intro post for a long discussion of what that means).
This is the first part of my "Angst that Worked" set of books. Next time I'll do three more. I want to briefly consider some overall themes that each book contains that I think contributed to the angst and why I felt it was emotionally effective.
The Rifter by Ginn Hale
Self-sacrificing characters who are struggling to do the right thing and maintain their own morals in a crapsack world full of violence and oppression. Both POV main characters are very self-reflective without being maudlin. Ginn is very good at highlighting the vulnerability hidden beneath each character's veneer of strength. For example, Ravishan is incredibly strong and talented as a fighter but through John's eyes we see him when he is tired, when he's emotionally wrought, or when he's injured. Same goes with Kahlil observing Jath'ibaye, seeing through the leader-god and knowing him well enough to know that he's also human and suffers. The angst is very subtle but definitely suffuses the narrative, conveyed by body language and references moreso than anything shown outright.
The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek
The characters in The God Eaters aren't self-sacrificing or morally upstanding persay. They are, however, resilient. I'd say most of my angst-related enjoyment in this story is focused on Kieran. Kieran, especially through the eyes of Ash, is incredibly strong and confident but has a lot of emotional baggage weighing him down. There are a lot of themes in this novel of restricted freedom: right off the bat the two main characters meet in prison and even aside from that there is oppression within the fantasy society (which is kind of a magical Wild West).
Halfway Human by Carolyn Ives Gilman
The way that Tedla is written is pretty much perfect angst in my opinion. Tedla is a beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, kind person who is reflecting throughout the book on the horrors that they've been put through by systematic oppression within their society. There are themes of restricted freedom, dehumanization, and class dynamics. Tedla is traumatized in many ways throughout the story but their affect is very flat when they talk about what happened to them, which I tend to read as a coping mechanism. I appreciated the way Gilman wrote from three different points of view but all filtered through one narrator; in this way we get to see Tedla through their own eyes via their recounting, through Magister Galele's eyes as Val reads his field reports, and through Val's eyes as she observes Tedla directly. It sets up a lot of opportunities to see the ways that Tedla has suffered and been changed by what they've gone through.
Keep reading - Part 3
This is the first part of my "Angst that Worked" set of books. Next time I'll do three more. I want to briefly consider some overall themes that each book contains that I think contributed to the angst and why I felt it was emotionally effective.
The Rifter by Ginn Hale
Self-sacrificing characters who are struggling to do the right thing and maintain their own morals in a crapsack world full of violence and oppression. Both POV main characters are very self-reflective without being maudlin. Ginn is very good at highlighting the vulnerability hidden beneath each character's veneer of strength. For example, Ravishan is incredibly strong and talented as a fighter but through John's eyes we see him when he is tired, when he's emotionally wrought, or when he's injured. Same goes with Kahlil observing Jath'ibaye, seeing through the leader-god and knowing him well enough to know that he's also human and suffers. The angst is very subtle but definitely suffuses the narrative, conveyed by body language and references moreso than anything shown outright.
The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek
The characters in The God Eaters aren't self-sacrificing or morally upstanding persay. They are, however, resilient. I'd say most of my angst-related enjoyment in this story is focused on Kieran. Kieran, especially through the eyes of Ash, is incredibly strong and confident but has a lot of emotional baggage weighing him down. There are a lot of themes in this novel of restricted freedom: right off the bat the two main characters meet in prison and even aside from that there is oppression within the fantasy society (which is kind of a magical Wild West).
Halfway Human by Carolyn Ives Gilman
The way that Tedla is written is pretty much perfect angst in my opinion. Tedla is a beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, kind person who is reflecting throughout the book on the horrors that they've been put through by systematic oppression within their society. There are themes of restricted freedom, dehumanization, and class dynamics. Tedla is traumatized in many ways throughout the story but their affect is very flat when they talk about what happened to them, which I tend to read as a coping mechanism. I appreciated the way Gilman wrote from three different points of view but all filtered through one narrator; in this way we get to see Tedla through their own eyes via their recounting, through Magister Galele's eyes as Val reads his field reports, and through Val's eyes as she observes Tedla directly. It sets up a lot of opportunities to see the ways that Tedla has suffered and been changed by what they've gone through.
Keep reading - Part 3
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