Dear Dr. Fantasy: episode 7, with Ruthan Badd (and two surprise Malazan guests!) 

It was a joy to chat with you, and I walked away with an enlightened mind and a somewhat sore jaw from laughing. It warmed my heart that a significant portion of the humor came at the expense of a certain Nemesis too. Let’s do this sort of thing again!

Best of luck in your new endeavors Nilann, eventually you'll be able to get a shirt with sleeves. xD

@@Paul_van_Doleweerd I'll get rich but not THAT rich.

@Ruthan Badd and @Philip Chase Why is it that every time I speak with you two it ends up as a roasting of me?

@@ACriticalDragon It’s your natural charisma, Dr. Canavan, which the autocorrect on my phone still insists should be Canavalian. Strange thing. Plus, fire attracts fire, don’t you know?

Of course, we know where the true story lies.

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Lies you say...

@@Paul_van_Doleweerd 😉

It’s a terrible fate to be so lovable that your friends can’t resist making fun of you, but someone’s got to do it, and it’s just your luck that it would be you, A.P. I’m sure there’s some kind of karmic compensation awaiting you somewhere! 😁

I did warn you that I would get you back for the Rake video.

It is, in fact, my favorite episode. Ruthan Badd is a comic genius. Cheers!

That’s a perfect sequel to this chat!

I think this video could be used for laughing therapy. I’m so glad you enjoyed the discussion, Livia!

It's certainly a balance, but I'm not too sure how healthy it is.

I had more fun with this chat than I can say, Johan. Ruthan Badd could start his own comedy channel, and having our distinguished surprise guests was a huge highlight.

Another brilliant point you’ve made today, Eric. You should buy a lottery ticket! 😁

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Nurse! More aloe for Philip please! 🤣

Ha ha! I think you will find that every minute of Ruthan Badd is pure gold in this video. Plus, those other two fellas who showed up were not too bad. Have fun!

Ha ha! There is, of course, nothing to forgive, and I'm not shocked that you guessed correctly, Johanna! I hope you enjoy the discussion. I don't think I've ever laughed harder in my life!

Thank you very much Johanna!

@@RuthanBadd This was an amazing discussion! I have a lot of thoughts on The Heroes and First Law existentialism vs. Malazan, and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing you two discuss different perspectives on that. Of course, I completely share your views on Rake. I love when you told Philip that he needed to intervene as host to stop you from rambling! I seriously need someone to do that for me sometimes. I'm either silent and starstruck or a rambling mess. 😁 I really need to get to the Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas!

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy This was a ton of fun to watch! I was thinking of asking if you'd be interested in a Why Malazan isn't Grimdark discussion (fully knowing you already had an amazing one with A.P.). I do have some thoughts but didn't realize this was already a saturated topic on MalazTube. Wonderful discussion!

@@Johanna_reads I’m always happy to be in a discussion with you, Johanna! Just let me know when you’re thinking of having the chat.

My jaw hurt for hours after this discussion was recorded. Glad you got a kick out of it, Paul!

Ruthan Badd’s reaction to the arrival of Steven Erikson and A.P. was for the ages. I still laugh when I think of it.

Thank you very much! Allow that desolation to grow until you have no choice but to read the 10 big books.

At least you got a taste of the larger than life personality that is Ruthan Badd! And perhaps his videos will be there waiting for you if you ever do dive into Malazan, Derri.

I’m happy you enjoyed the chat, Seth. It was fun for me, especially when Steven Erikson and A.P. showed up. Ruthan Badd’s reaction was priceless. I hope you have a great day too!

I agree with both points - definitely one of the best, and Ruthan Badd would be gold on a comedy stage!

There was plenty of both! I hope you enjoyed the plenitude of humor that is Ruthan Badd!

And your vote is definitely one I would pay attention to! It was most certainly a blast to chat with the infamous High Fist!

A.P. is indeed an excellent human being, but don’t tell my Nemesis I said that! 🤫 😁

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Indeed. Also, I should add that Erikson championing aspiring writers is incredible to witness as well

@@jona2486 Most definitely!

This was an episode to remember, for sure!

Ha ha! A great prophecy, indeed! Thanks for watching, Alejandro!

You’ll have so much rich content to watch, Camanda! My best to you for the final books!

I still laugh when I think about this episode of DDF!

He definitely has a crush on Anomander. The ultimate fanboy!

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy that very thin line between love and hate :)

@@RoxanaMagdaD Exactly! Could we perhaps call it an obsession? 😁

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy hmm, you might be on to something here, yes

@@RoxanaMagdaD I believe the expression we need is, methinks he doth protest too much.

I was thinking the same, KT!

I’m glad you enjoyed it, Andrea!

I’m happy you enjoy these chats!

Ha ha! Plenty of occasions for an “oh, dear” in here! Cheers, Rob!

I’m sure it warms Ruthan Badd’s heart to know he has good company among the B&KB fans, and your inclusion of Mancy is, of course, correct!

I strongly agree with Ruthan Badd on the matter of global history as well. I suppose we Malazan fans share a bit of skepticism when it comes to received history and official narratives.

Thank you, Safina! I'm very lucky to have such excellent guests. Happy reading to you too!

I’d love to read whatever Ruthan Badd writes too, especially if it’s even half as funny as he is!

I want to see the same level of enthusiasm on my Goodreads page someday.

@@RuthanBadd i will give a 6 star review when it gets published based on the authors personality... then i will return with a proper review after i read it. i feel confident that i will enjoy it.

You are now prepared for the brilliance that is the High Fist Ruthan Badd, the Cipher of Malaztube and Avatar of Chaos!

Welcome to RB University, hope you enjoy your stay!

You're in for a real treat! The High Fist's essays and insights are second to none.

@@RuthanBadd I hear the classrooms are even spicier than the cafeteria at RB University.

Eric, you’re a genius, and I will be crediting you when I make this video!

Also as far as your grimdark definition goes, I think it's a great one! But it does also sheds light on my problem with the term itself, the fact that no one can agree what it means. By your definition, I would not consider my favorite series (Berserk) grimdark. While it does have existentialist elements, it has a focus on the healing process of trauma through companionship, and emphasizes that healing cannot be done alone. Yet I'm certain if I polled the general fantasy readership and asked if the series is grimdark or not, I'm sure that 95% would say yes 😂

Thanks, Nathan! On grimdark, I doubt there will ever be a consensus definition, and if there were one, it won’t be mine. That’s so true about literature and the layers of meaning that the years can bring a story. Before the Enlightenment, stories were mostly seen as communal property, and recognizing how people add interpretations to modern stories can be one way of restoring that communal view, though copyright will and the idea of the author as an inspired and lone genius will certainly continue to predominate.

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Thanks for the great video and insightful responses as always, I deeply appreciate what you do here!

@@trill_nathan Thank you for the excellent comments!

I’m happy you enjoyed the video, TC! It was definitely one of the best times I’ve ever had, and I’d love to have Ruthan Badd return.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been more entertained in my life! I’m glad you enjoyed it too, Drew!

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

It is intimidating to show your writing to anyone - sort of like baring your soul - but showing it to someone who is obviously so knowledgeable adds another layer of angst. And yet, there’s no better way to improve.

Perhaps especially because he’s wrong about Anomander Rake.

Ruthan Badd is a riot! I’m afraid that Philip Chase is my real name. I’m too boring for a pen name, though perhaps “Dr. Fantasy” would sell more books.

I wouldn't be friends with him if his idea of a nom de plume was "philip".

@@RuthanBadd There is actually a writer whose name is not Philip Chase who took the name “Philip Chase” as his nom de plume. I kid you not.

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Must be some kind of genre fiction schmuck.

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy There's more than one. Maybe you should tack on a middle initial? Just don't pick A, J or L, they're dead.

The High Fist Ruthan Badd, Cipher of MalazTube and Avatar of Chaos, being the first and only of his name! Sounds like a Tiste Andii to me . . . Perhaps Anomander had a third brother.

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Authorpander?

@@Paul_van_Doleweerd 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Ha ha! Let’s see what Steven Erikson decides to do, or his muse, as it were . . .

Enjoy, Hans!

That’s all the evidence we needed! 😁

Malazan mystery solved! 😁

Good one, Snarf, and not a bad place actually to start, at least in my opinion.

That sounds incredibly fitting to me!

I used to be known as Ruthan Hilariously Badd.

Yes, he is! I couldn’t stop laughing!

It’s an excellent name, Feral!

Some people love their book hauls. I had not heard of any of the BookTube conventions before starting a channel. It has been an education!

So right after I posted this I got to your Rushdie comments. It sounds like Dr. Fantasy is trying to define grimdark the same way Rushdie defined fantasy. “Oh, that’s over there. Erikson doesn’t do that.” Edit: I certainly did not mean to imply that you were denigrating grimdark, but I see how this could be construed that way. I will be deleting this reply to my original comment.

Just to be clear, are you declaring that narrative elements are the only way we should define genres? If so, I’m curious what you mean by narrative elements.

Because YA is a subgenre defined by its audience, as is Children's Literature. Horror is defined by its effect or atmosphere. Historical Fiction is partly defined by its setting. Dystopian fiction is often defined by its exploration of political ideology taken to extreme. Given that Grimdark is usually defined as a sub-genre of Fantasy Fiction in general, it obviously shares significant overlap with Fantasy, but must have some elements (be they diegetic, thematic, ideological, atmospheric or others) that distinguish it from Epic, Secondary World, High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy and so on. There are multiple ways to approach definitions, and completely different aspects used in definitions that run the gamut of literary expression. Even the move to call some fantasy NobleBright is about the ethos and ethics evoked in the text rather than a specific narrative event like a battle, or the inclusion of magical effects, or a secondary world.

@@thirdspacemaker9141 Not sure where you got that impression. I’m a big fan of Abercrombie and Lawrence’s books that have been labeled grimdark, and I said so in this video.

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy There are so many thoughts about the definitions of genre and subgenre swirling in my head that would lead to hours of discussion, not a YT comment. Like does grimdark really even exist as a subgenre if nobody can agree on what it is? But let me see if I can redirect this thread to what I really should have asked in my original comment: It sounds like you are saying existentialism is a requirement to meet your definition of grimdark; Malazan is not grimdark because of its themes of compassion. If that is a fair summary of your position, upon what are you basing this requirement? Why is that a requirement? And then more generally, I am not familiar with any commonly recognized genres or subgenres that have specific philosophical outlooks as an essential element of their definition. Are there other fictional genres that require existentialism? Are there genres that require rationalism? Narrative elements upon which I consider content genres to be based are plot, setting, characters, and tone. Any commonly recognized content genres or subgenres that I can think of share attributes in one or more of those elements. I suppose existentialism could be covered by tone.