Tuesday, May 21, 2013  Thoughts on Fantasy Empires  This
afternoon, in a fit of reader upset, I tweeted a general
complaint about Fantasy Empires. You know the sort: the utopic
paradises that rule for thousands of years in perfect peace
until Something Happens, usually addressed by the plot of the
book in question. Maybe these paradises of perfect rule fell
ages ago, taking all learning with them and plunging humanity
back into the Stone Age. Or maybe they're still hanging around
in the twilight of their decline, just waiting for the right
missing heir or new enlightened ruler of the people.  Whatever
their fate, Empires are as much a part of classic fantasy as
swords or sorcery, and they bug the hell out of me. Not because
I have problem with organized government, but
because many fantasy empires also come along with absurdly long
timelines that are, frankly, far less believable than any magic
portal or mythical creature. Maybe an empire lasted a thousand
years before it fell. Maybe two thousand. I actually