One of the main reasons I’m so resistant to paranormal romances, is my difficulty in getting to grips with some of the world-building, and the jargon. One of the reasons why I think I was able to get into J.R. Ward’s BDB books, was because she had a glossary explaining the BDB speak.
I wish other authors would do this, because it would save me from getting a headache, trying to figure out what they’re actually talking about. It also totally kills all reading pleasure…
IAnge - The Book Groupie
July 22
2:47 pm
I love paranormal romance and don’t have this problem but I have a friend who feels the same as you.
She REALLY REALLY wishes that paranormal/fantasy authors would put a glossary in the front or back of the book. You are not alone!
Barbara B.
July 22
3:00 pm
I understand paranormals fine. I’m just utterly sick of them. I know romance writers gotta make that bank, but damn! That bandwagon is CROWDED.
BTW, J.R. Ward pulled some heavy duty appropriation of the hip-hop culture. Credit where credit’s due, it was sheer brilliance on her part!
Anne
July 22
3:13 pm
I generally don’t *DO* paranormals except for a select few who don’t confuse me. So all I can say to you, Karen, is… Yeah. Sigh.
Rosie
July 22
4:55 pm
Sometimes I can follow along with the jargon or language just fine because it’s only a few made up words. But other when a completely new world is created and there is a whole language presented (Ward is a good example) I love having the glossary because I find that the specifics of the language have sometimes been important.
Also, again in Ward’s case, the language seems to be evolving and expanding which I think is cool but am grateful for the glossary.
I love the authors who put references in their books. Back when I read Susan Johnson’s historicals she put foot notes to historical references all the time and I loved it.
Emily Veinglory
July 22
4:55 pm
I tend to skip anything requiring a glossary. IMHO a good writer should be able to make the meaning clear in context, or subtly explain it in the text.
Erin
July 22
5:11 pm
I haven’t read paranormals like that yet, but I imagine futuristic ones would be bad. It’s also tedious when the names are so ridiculous and hard to pronounce.
Ann Bruce
July 22
5:11 pm
BTW, J.R. Ward pulled some heavy duty appropriation of the hip-hop culture.
Too bad it’s completely outdated by the time it goes to print.
But I still can’t stop reading her. I just consider those parts, like the pimped out wheels, comic relief.
Anonymous
July 22
5:52 pm
Pretty common in science fiction, especially series, to have glossaries. I remember the first time I read Delaney’s Einstein Intersection or any of Cordwainer Smith’s stories– I thought my head would explode– but in a very pleasurable way.
Angelia Sparrow
July 22
7:38 pm
Jargon?
Maybe I’m not reading enough, but I seem to be missing jargon. Or maybe I’m widely read enough on the mythology that it slides right past?
Or are we talking things like “childe” and “sire” and suchlike that says the author was watching too much Buffy or playing too much Vampyre: The Masquerade?
I write werewolves (Gay, Christmas Werewolves), mostly. I did a blind vampire, and a painter in love with his art prof (who turned out to be the Devil). I just finished a djinn in love with a naga. But I explain in the course of the story what both of those species are.
katieM
July 22
9:19 pm
Is it the jargon in the books, or is it American English versus British English versus Australian English versus translated from ? English?
I tend to agree with Emily in that a good writer’s meaning is clear from context rather than the big info dump or glossary.
Laura
July 23
12:20 am
Ward’s website recently revealed that she will be publishing a “compendium” about the world of the BDB after her next book…… I think the glossary was really enough.
Of course, YMMV.
Miki
July 23
5:54 am
So far, I haven’t had much trouble with paranormals (other than remembering what’s different from one series to the next), but I tend to avoid fantasy series for this reason. It may be that I was spoiled, because the first two fantasy series I read not only gave a glossary, but also gave a brief recap of what had gone before at the beginning of each new book, but I tend to get utterly lost in the average (epic) fantasy novel.
And don’t get me started on the Regency Historical vocabulary…yikes!
byrdloves2read
July 23
8:00 pm
Having been a sci-fi fan for at least 40 years, I haven’t had any difficulty following the “world building” or new terminology. The paranormal romances are rather like sci-fi light. *grin*
Shelly @ Bewitched
July 23
9:04 pm
I agree that the author should be able to have you understand what he/she means with context. Or I just use my imagination and make something up. (Kinda like when I read fantasy novels where the hero’s name as more letters than the alphabet and in my mind he becomes “Bob”)
I usually don’t read the glossaries or appendices or anything like that when it’s included.
Kat O+
July 24
2:24 am
I’m not so bothered about the jargon as I am by a continuing series that doesn’t have a prologue to recap what happened in previous books. In a trilogy, this isn’t such a big deal, but when the series goes way beyond 3 books AND crucial information or character arcs are begun in previous books, I think it’s only polite to include a synopsis in the beginning.
Mireya
July 24
1:40 pm
I like paranormals a lot, but like with most of what I am reading lately, I am tending to “stick” to my autobuy list of authors. I never read glossary’s/indexes/appendixes, etc. If I can’t get what the author means by the context, I just move on. If I find myself spending way too much time trying to figure out what the author is trying to say, I consider the book a wallbanger and handle the book accordingly by giving it away. Sorry if I sound harsh, but I am reading romance to escape reality, not to get a headache.
*crawls back under her rock*
azteclady
July 24
2:40 pm
I agree with Emily Veinglory, Kate O, Shelly, and others who said that the author should be able to convey the meaning of any “Olde Language” or custom by context–which is why I really dislike glossaries which are included at the front of books. If necessary, please put them in the back, peoples!
On the other hand, I really like series where each book can stand alone–not everyone jumps on the train at the same stop, right? So it’s nice if someone who stumbles upon book 5 can read that and make sense of the world without needed the Cliff Notes for the first four installments.
How to do this and not bore to tears those readers who *have* read those books? Well, that’s the trick, and where a truly good writer shows his/her stuff, IMO–YMMV, as always.