Seeking Book (or Movie/Series) Recs - Slow-Paced, Dreamy Fantasy/Fairytale

[labingi]

I feel the need for some "escapist" literature (or video), and right now I want to escape into something dreamy and otherworldly. I would love recommendations.

An example of the type of thing would be Angel's Egg, the 1980s short anime. On the fast-paced, action, heartwarming end, maybe the recent movie, Flow. At the intellectual/concrete extreme, maybe A Voyage to Arcturus.

Seeking stories with...

* nature/beauty
* a dreamy or surreal quality - like it may be a dream or metaphor or afterlife or enchantment or something.
* on the slow, quiet end.
* vaguely old-timey in setting, like anywhere from 150-7000 years ago or the rough equivalent in an otherworld.
* some story/plot, though it can be slight, long enough that I get to spend time with the characters: novella or long; hour-ish video or longer.

Don't want...

* anything YA
* anything obviously moralizing;
* any "strong feminist heroine" or anything that smacks of contemporary politics of any kind from any side of the aisle;
* anything fast-paced or action packed. (I'm fine with Flow at the extreme end of fast.)
* anything that "feels" like it was written in and for the 2020s or 2010s;
* anything really short.

Fine with or Fine with Caveats...

* melancholy, dark, horror-tinged if not super dark/depressing/horror
* relatively thin characters, as long as what's there isn't any of the "don't want."
* romance if it's subtle, not the main point, not stereotypical. (Romance will be an easier sell if it's m/m.)
* child, teen characters as long as the story itself doesn't feel aimed at modern kids/teens (see Angel's Egg).
* written/created in pretty much any time period from ancient to present, if it more or less fits the above.

Thanks in advance for rec's!

Comments

Beufort Scales

[bookwyrme]

You might want to give the Beufort Scales mysteries by Kim M Watt a try. They're mysteries set in a small town in England. The detectives are dragons and the Woman's Institute, plus one police woman from London. The books are both fanciful and surprisingly grounded. The emphasis is on friendship rather than romance--all shades and shapes. The books are both funny and thoughtful and have an amazing sense of place.

Re: Beufort Scales

[labingi]

Thanks for the rec! My mom loves mysteries, so maybe that's a series we could share. Thanks for your email, by the way. I realize you just emailed me a bunch of book recs, and if you hadn't replied here, I would have emailed you for more recs. :-) Will reply to your email soon.

Re: Beaufort scales

[bookwyrme]

I rambled about a lot of books; I think the only one I ended up recommending was All Systems Red, which I think you will enjoy at some point but which is not what you are asking for now. Despite the fact that Murderbot is, itself, very un-murdery, there is quite a lot of violence in the series as a whole. Also, the book is short.

I'm only about 50% sure you'll like the Beaufort Scales books. I cannot remember us discussing anything like them in our bookish rambles.

Things I think you'll appreciate:

• The love of place and the beautiful descriptions of the land
• The emphasis on friendship
• The way the women all have very different personalities.
• All the characters are adult human beings who act like it
• The deep love of every day life.

You might like:

• The tea-drinking dragons
• The hints of dragon culture (only hints; this isn't deep world-building)
• The relatively low stakes--it's a murdered vicar, not a universe in peril.

Things I'm not sure about:

• The mystery genre. I am not sure you read it at all.
• The silliness. Yes, this is a very skillfully written cozy mystery, but it is a cozy mystery with puns and scones and dragons who drink tea.

Anyway, it would be interesting to see what you think of it!

Re: Beaufort scales

[labingi]

It does sound cool and different. :-) A lot of people have been recommending Murderbot to me. I should check it out.

Patricia Mckillip

[bookwyrme]

Have you ever read anything by Patricia Mckillip? She might be what you're looking for--very dreamy, semi poetic and more about the power of stories than anything. Try The Tower in Stony Wood or In the Forrests of Serre.

Re: Patricia Mckillip

[labingi]

I have read a tiny bit of McKillip years and years ago, but I need to give her another try.

Re: Patricia Mckillip

[sovay]

I have read a tiny bit of McKillip years and years ago, but I need to give her another try.

One of my deeply formative writers. I would especially recommend The Sorceress and the Cygnet (1991) for your current parameters.

Re: Patricia Mckillip

[labingi]

Thanks for the rec!

[sovay]

Seeking stories with...

My first thought was Mushishi, although I suspect you have already read/seen it. I am four or five volumes behind on A Bride's Story, but would also recommend, as it is mostly about hanging out in the lives of different families in different cultures in late nineteenth century Central Asia. In terms of movies, perhaps Jean Renoir's The River (1951), John Sayles' The Secret of Roan Inish (1994), potentially Aleksandr Rogozhkin's The Cuckoo (2002)? Can elaborate if desired.

[labingi]

Thanks for the multi-medium recommendations! Yes, I love Mushishi, but I haven't read in it for a long while. Thanks for reminding me it is actually on my shelves. Lots of goodies to explore here.

[sovay]

Thanks for reminding me it is actually on my shelves. Lots of goodies to explore here.

You're welcome! Enjoy whatever you find!

[vilakins]

'The Hands of the Emperor' by Victoria Goddard
'The Goblin Emperor' by Sarah Monette

That they're both about emperors is coincidence. They're slow and gentle with wonderful characters I didn't want to say goodbye to. Goddard has written a lot of books in her universe (which has many different cultures), but that one stands out, is my favourite, has that dreamlike quality others don't necessarily have, and it's pretty much standalone. If you like it and want more, you could follow it with 'At the Feet of the Sun', but Hands is the one I love. The main relationship is M-M; I use a dash as it's asexual but very deep.

[labingi]

Wow, thanks for all this info. This is a lot to dive into. I'm excited!

[bookwyrme]

Really enjoyed The Goblin Emperor. I'll have to look at the rest of the series sometime! I do like a tale which revolves around someone not getting revenge.

[vilakins]

I can't buy them in my country, even on Kindle, and the local library doesn't have them. I'd love to read more about Maia and his world. :(

[labingi]

Interesting. I may have to go on a treasure hunt for The Goblin Emperor.

[bookwyrme]

Ugh. I hate it that Kindle has gotten more and more restrictive about countries. I used to be able to use it to give gifts to friends and relatives all over the place. Now, they have to be in the US & I hate that!

[kernezelda]

I'll second the recs for Patricia McKillip, Victoria Goddard, and Katharine Addison. Also, I'll rec Rachel Neumeier's Death's Lady trilogy and House of Shadows duology, and many other books, which, while starring young people, aren't young adult genre in particular. Have you read Tanith Lee? She was a master of the odd and dreamy and darker turns of fate. Her Kill the Dead is one of my favorite re-reads.

[vilakins]

Oh yes, with Avon (Parl Dro!) and Vila (Myal Lemyal) stand-ins! It's a good one, and the cover is very Avonic.

[sovay]

Oh yes, with Avon (Parl Dro!) and Vila (Myal Lemyal) stand-ins! It's a good one, and the cover is very Avonic.

That novel essentially was my introduction to Blake's 7.

[vilakins]

Cool! I came across it when B7 reruns were shown here, which was how I discovered fandom in general. :)

[labingi]

Well now, this is very interesting! I do enjoy both of Lee's episodes of B7, though Tarrant and Servalan make a weird pair.

[labingi]

Thanks for all these recs! I was actually thinking that Tanith Lee was in the zone I've been craving. I don't think I own any of her books at present, but she's definitely someone I should revisit.

[hhimring]

I was also thinking of Patricia McKillip.
For something older, perhaps Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees

[bookwyrme]

Oh, yes. Lud-in-the-Mist would check those boxes.

[labingi]

I do need to check out more Patricia McKillip. Thanks!