An unhealthy mystery

We’ve dealt with a lot of hate lately.  It’s come from being selfish and entitled, come from paranoia, and it’s come from wanting to safeguard a medium.  Selfishness can be understood.  Fear can be understood.  The desire to protect can be understood.

But this, honestly, can’t be understood.

Let’s say you’re a vegetarian.  Are you going to tell people they can only prepare meat one single way?

Sure.  If you’re crazy.

So why do people do the same thing to fantasy, specifically to elves in general when they don’t like to read about elves?

From their comments, elves one way is all they read, which is why they don’t like them, which is why elves have to be one way, which is why it’s all they have ever read, etc.  It’s a strange literary version of the chicken and the egg (if we leave out dinosaurs).

While their argument is true that Tolkein created what is considered the iconic elf, there has been a glut of elves that stray from his vision since the 80’s with the Deathgate Cycle, Elfquest, and Sovereign Stone books, as well as even roleplays, Dragonlance series, and Magic the Gathering have made very unique versions.

Like vampires, there are no set rules that these people claim there are.  Elves were depicted as being in airships, evil beings, mindless, and ugly before I graduated high school.

Inspiration for creativity works similar to nutrition.  Words like ‘overdone’ or ‘cliché’ or even ‘it’s not an elf without what I say is an elf’ are just the same as ‘red meat will kill you’ or ‘alcohol is bad for you’ or ‘It’s not natural to eat what I don’t want you to eat. Anyone with a brain knows the key is to consume a wide variety and moderate to your best ability—both in mind and body.