> Thanks for your comments. I'm glad that you
>(Sam and Dave) did enjoy the amusement behind my
>ranting, the intent of the journal entry.
>
> My chief complaints about the genre:
>
> 1. The pervading feeling that technology has
>stagnated at a level equivalent to the Dark Ages
>in England for the last few centuries.
>
> 2. Most authors use the same stock character
>types.
>
> 3. Most authors tell the same story.
>
> 4. There seem to be few authors that can tell
>that story in one book. Too many trilogies,
>cycles, and series.
>

I couldn't have put it better myself.

What you've done, is point out everything that is *wrong* with fantasy. I have these exact same complaints with a lot of the stuff thats out now. That's why I haven't read much fantasy lately. But I've got a bunch of stuff "in the queue" for reading someday that I've been assured breaks away from all of these problems. I'll let everyone know how things go. :-)