Dear Dr. Fantasy: episode 46, with Jimmy Nutts
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- In the forty-sixth sensational episode of Dear Dr. Fantasy, I chat with the one and only Jimmy Nutts from @thefantasynuttwork! The host of Chatting with Nutts and I cover an array to topics from books to manga to BookTube.
Thanks for inviting me on my friend. Always a pleasure, let’s not wait so long for the next
Sounds like a plan, Brother! Thank you so much for being here and for being you!
If Chatting with Nutts is the fantasy booktube pub, then Dear Dr Fantasy is its confessional. What a brilliant and deep conversation to wake up to today!
That’s brilliant. Lol😂
Ha ha! I suppose that makes me some sort of tweed-wearing BookTube priest? Hmmmm. Thank you for watching and commenting, Ben!
Two hours of Dear Doctor Fantasy Goodness! And with no other than Jimmy Nutts! If it was mine to give this conversation would get the NuttButton. Thank you, Philip, for this excellent midweek treat!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this episode, Angela! The NuttButton is Jimmy's to wield, but I think he deserves the honor too! 😊
I love what you two shared about success and failure. That topic speaks very close to my heart. Funny how falling in love with hard work can sometimes make the "hard" part disappear. ❤ Okay, I'll stop spamming your comment section! Thanks for the therapy session! 😁
Your comments are never spam, my friend! In fact, they are all valuable to me, and I appreciate them very much, just as I appreciate you!
CWN is my favorite Friday pub! Could “Why Read?” be the midday cafe of fantasy BookTube? 😂 ☕️
Definitely! I like that! Especially since Why Read? usually happens in the afternoon (at least in the Eastern Time Zone), whereas CWN has an evening/night vibe. So, CWN is our pub, Why Read? is our cafe, and apparently Dear Dr. Fantasy is our therapy session. 😂
A two-hour chat with Philip Chase! How wonderful!
Thank you, Steve! I noticed you had one with Jimmy recently too. I appreciate you watching and commenting!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I did indeed! I wasn’t as courteous as you are, I’m afraid, but I tried! Also: surely Jimmy is going to have this epic thumbnail enlarged and framed?
@@saintdonoghue Ha ha! I think the thumbnail would look great as a poster on Jimmy’s wall!
Very good point on prioritizing people over your dream. That's a big theme of the Dark Tower, and something King explicitly states in his writing advice is that relationships nurture art, art shouldn't swallow them.
That is wise advice, for sure! Cheers, Nathan!
This was a delightful distraction for me this morning. Listened as I'm cleaning. On this dismal news day, I'm finding myself even more grateful for this community, and for you both.
I'm glad you're part of this community, my friend!
Kindred is one of my favorite standalones of all time. I think time travel is used as a metaphor of the insidious ways we carry our past. Butler never blatantly explains this or asserts answers to these problems. I agree with Jimmy that her simple prose perfectly serves the story. It’s also not very long. I highly recommend it, Philip!
Thanks, Johanna! That’s a great endorsement. I’m likely going to read it, or at least something by Butler, next year.
Dangerous amount of gushing about manga coming: Back in 1st grade I read Lord of the Rings and that was the most impressive thing I'd ever experienced, and it remained my favorite thing in the world until 7th grade when I was introduced (it took weeks of convincing) to One Piece. In the 17 years since I've found a few things I enjoy more than Lord of the Rings (Malazan being one example) but nothing has surpassed OP in my heart and it doesn't look likely anything will.
Berserk is also extraordinarily good, I fully agree with Jimmy that it gets better after the Golden Age. The reason that arc gets so much praise is that it's where the early wavering of a young author trying to find his footing gives way to one of the all time greatest creators to ever work in the medium of comics and it is a sight to behold, both in writing and in the art. I willl put my foot down and say Miura's art is better than Inoue's. I already owned all 40 tankobons of it but still bought all the deluxe editions because that art has to be seen on the bigger pages. I took one spread, printed it and put it on my wall facing my bed so when I wake up one of the first things I see is knights riding to the edge of a cliff, wyverns flying all about the high peaks and the narrator stating "Mankind's desire... fantasia."
One Piece and Berserk are both exactly the type of long-running, large-scale fantasy that all the best book series offer, but I don't think I've ever read any novels that had as much of an emotional impact as these two do on a regular basis. The life-long, career-spanning dedication of both Eiichiro Oda and Kentaro Miura is unmatched, they pour everything on to the page and you have no choice but to feel it with them. It's strange to think that there was a time when they were rookies just getting into the game after working as assistants, writing their own serialized stories for the first time, and within those same stories they became cultural phenomenons, institutions unto themselves.
Honestly I could write ten thousand word essays on both series and why they're the best at what they do without even scratching the surface, but it'll be easier if I just tell you to read them already. Get with the times grandpa!
That is extremely high praise from someone I respect, so perhaps I will need to try One Piece (and Berserk too). Cheers, Kalle!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy For someone else you might respect, Mike from Mike's Book Reviews was also wary of trying it due to the age thing but he's 13 volumes deep now and still going. Your mileage may vary, but the odds are that the most popular comic in the world is going to have some appeal. Seeing Luffy go from a dumb kid adrift in a barrel to a geopolitical power player with thousands of people swearing undying loyalty to him is a wild ride, seeing someone turn into a living legend is rarely so well done. The Two Rivers gang in Wheel of Time maybe? I'd say the Bridgeburners, but the "living" in that legend is a little questionable. But then again, so it is with my favorite One Piece character, Brook. Yohoho!
As someone that has One Piece and Berserk as 1 and 2 top series of all time respectively , beautifully said.
I have been waiting for the day Philip Chae picks up Berserk. I'm here for it, let's gooo.
I will definitely give it a try at some point!
Great discussion with two of my favorite booktubers! One reason why I don't really watch interviews with authors is that I often haven't read all of their bibliography yet, so I'm usually a bit hesitant as to not spoil myself.
I think you’re in good company with respect to avoiding spoilers. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
One of my favorite episodes
Thank you, Ves!
What an enjoyable conversation; I could've listened for another two hours. So, looking forward to your next chat, be it on CWN or DDF.
As for Jimmy not enjoying Pillars of the Earth, do not get discouraged, Philip: you two are Pillars of this Community. (I will let myself out...)
Ha ha! Thank you, Sy! I’m glad you enjoyed the discussion!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Just one thing I wanted to mention: I am currently watching the "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" anime, and it's great. A very laid back fantasy story about what happens after the heroes return from the quest, with lots of neat themes about memory, friendship and growth (and elves, and dwarves). It's based on an ongoing manga with the same title, which was very well received, but I haven't yet bought it. Maybe there is someone else who can vouch for and recommend it. If the first 8 episodes of the anime are any indication of its quality, I will most likely try to get my hands on the manga at some point.
Thanks, love this.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the discussion!
What a great chat!! Really personal & reflective on my own journey through life. Thank you guys, definitely two of the best!
Thank you, Ernst! Part of the beauty of BookTube is how we get glimpses of our own journeys in each other. I’m glad you enjoyed the chat!
Love the painting behind you Mr. Chase
Thank you! My younger daughter painted it. 😊
You two have absolutely mastered the game of the long-form content, so it's really no surprise that this episode was such a blast. Loved all the topics you covered, I was glued to the screen for every single second of this. From the light-hearted jesting to the deep introspection/reflection, this was just a great episode from start to finish! Thanks for the great entertainment, I hope you know how much these videos are valued 🥰
Thank you, Esmay! I appreciate your kind words more than I can say. It's easy to have a great conversation when Jimmy is your conversation partner!
Such a good talk. One of the better ones you guys have had. Very good topics! #prose snob all the way
Prose snobs unite! 😁Cheers!
Once again a great episode, thank you for taking my mind off things for a couple of hours! One of my favorites so far, you and Jimmy touch on some very interesting and profound topics.
Thank you, Kevin! I’m glad the discussion was enjoyable for you. I had a great time chatting with Jimmy.
Thanks for your honesty and putting yourselves out there. You are a real encouragement to me.
Thank you for watching and commenting, Elaine - I appreciate your kind words!
Two of my favorite book-tubers. What a pleasure this has been to listen in.
Thank you, Noah!
I was hoping there is some kind of manga circle collab in the future. I kinda imagine Jimmy defend Monster against Merphy's slander and Phillip just stand between them in the next Urasawa's manga discusstion . 😂
Thankyou for a great chatting, I enjoy listening this in the background.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the discussion! Cheers!
Jimmy! If you’re reading the Killer Angels and you’re planning on visiting Gettysburg then you have to watch the movie adaptation of it first. (It’s called “Gettysburg”) Not only is it very loyal and historically accurate but they filmed it on the actual Gettysburg battlefield. Watching that before visiting made it such a surreal almost spiritual experience. Because I’d seen all the people and literal places in the movie it felt like I was stepping back in history when I visited. I absolutely recommend this!!!
That sounds like an awesome experience!
Loving listening to this. Great as always gents.
Ed
Thank you, Ed! It’s awesome to hear from you! I know you’re a busy papa these days, so don’t worry about replying, but I sent you and Will a DM on Twitter with some good news. Cheers, my friend!
To the point of ambiguity in stories: I love it! But I understand how it can be difficult for people. I think of stories like Book of the New Sun, David Lynch movies, etc., as a strange and beautiful dream. You can't fathom it out with your logic brain and instead have to surrender to your intuition, feel the symbolism and let your subconscious mind work through it. That way some things will eventually bubble to the surface, others remain mysteriously out of reach. I love it!
The dream analogy is very apt. Cheers, Marc!
Loved this conversation! It was super interesting to hear your thoughts on different things and books. It was a lovely couple of hours!
Thank you for the kinds words and for watching and commenting -- much appreciated!
I agree with Jimmy in that Malazan made me love fantasy even more
Most definitely yes! Cheers, Jarrod!
What is this Monster slander? *Goes to find a book philip liked that has plot conveniences*
Ha ha ha! Happy hunting! 😁
Great Therapy session, I mean chat 😂. So many good points were brought up. I miss moral ambiguity in all facets of life. 15 years ago I became disillusioned with higher education when I realized the professors were more interested in clicker training students into parroting their own beliefs. And as for prose I have read Nicolas Evans novels, I hate the plots and the depressing outcomes, but I keep coming back because the prose just hit me right in the feels.
Prose is important! I haven't read Nicolas Evens' books, but the fact that you would read them because of the prose is a great endorsement.
Agreed! Erikson, Bakker, Martin, Wolfe and Janny Wurts have incredible prose! I love your discussion about prose. Looking back I realize that maybe all of my favorite fantasy writers have exceptionally good prose and unique prose styles and that that's something I value very much. Although I'm certainly no elitist when it comes to that ;)
And also, prose definitely matters. It would be the equivalent to direction in film. Imagine two films, same screenplay, different director. One gets directed by Michael Bay, the other by David Lynch. How wildly different could they be?
Prose matters -- probably more than most people even realize. I will die on that hill. Cheers, Marc!
Great conversation guys! You two have some of the best takes on booktube and this conversation made me want to pick up some of the books you mentioned.
Thanks so much, Maddy! I’m happy you enjoyed the conversation!
I recently reread ASOIAF for the fourth time and while I agree some scenes are in "umm...can I skip this?" territory for me, I found it so good. My hope for Winds and Dream remains because this is truly something special. Multi-POV at this scale and at this depth with such compelling storytelling - WOW!
[Hope Jimmy sees this comment too 😌]
George R R Martin is truly 👌. I love Kingkiller (and that's a preference thing, I love Temerant and Auri because it feels special) but if I assess with some measure of objectivity, what Martin accomplishes is just incredible. There is one active author whom I admire more for epic fantasy- that is Tad Williams. GRRM did it once with ASOIAF. Williams has done it thrice - MS&T, Shadowmarch and now The Last King of Osten Ard (final book needs a publication date but it is done). After Tolkien, Williams is the only one who has inspired that sense of melancholy in me.
And as I reread LOTR, MS&T and ASOIAF, it was such a beautiful journey. And now I am rereading The Last King of Osten Ard and LOTR next month (because one can never reread LOTR enough hehe), I am so grateful to be able to read these works.
I want to try Berserk but my friend banned me because I cannot handle it. 🤣 Might try Goodnight Punpun. And I am retrying Prince of Nothing slowwwly with the help of Steve Talks Books on Page Chewing forum but it is unlikely to be a favourite. When I reread ASOIAF I knew why - I think it's because PoN is based on archetypes whereas in ASOIAF, they are people with their psyches outlined in such powerful detail.
It was so wonderful to hear you both chatting, I thought I will join in with a slightly long form comment. Sorry if it got too rambly. Happy reading!
It's wonderful to hear from you, Paromita! Among Tad Williams' books, I have read only Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, but I agree with you about his talent and the sense of layers, beauty, and melancholy his story conveys. I would put Williams in between Tolkien and GRR Martin in some ways -- in other words, Williams combines the older (classic) fantasy with the more modern (grittier) fantasy. I'm so glad you enjoyed the chat!
Great comment!
When I used to walk in the woods near my childhood home, I used to be wary of quicksand. My father used to watch Tarzan films. Quicksand was the bane of evildoers. I didn't consider myself among that group, but I had no interest in vanishing beneath the ground.
I too was scared of quicksand as a wee lad! Somehow, I managed to avoid it all those years. 😁 Cheers, Curt!
Guys, I can assure you that I am not only a viewer but also your fan and in different ways I look up to both of you. This was a very nice conversation. I especially liked what you said about being in nature. Have you ever experienced that, walking alone through the forest at dusk in the early morning, and it feels so magical, as if you could see an elf creeping through the undergrowth at any moment? And than sometimes it's just a deer, but that's almost as magical... ☺
Thank you, Mirko! I have indeed experienced such moments of magic, and I hope to experience more even as I wish you many more as well. All the best!
Of course, I have the advantage of having the original German fairy tale forests on my doorstep. But I suppose a forest can become a magical place anywhere if you get into the right mood. @@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy 😉
This was lovely. Thanks Philip. ❤
I’m so glad you enjoyed the discussion, Chadia!
Finishing the video now. I know this is a few months old so you wont remember each little detail but I was happy to see Jimmy talking to you about Berserk. I know there's so many things to read and so little time but if you do start it one day that would hands down be my most anticipated youtube video. Be prepared for essays in your comments section!
Also, regarding the continuation, it's unfortunately a complicated situation that will provide some closure, but it's better to think of it as more of an outline than a manga proper. The story will forever be unfinished in a sense, but still worth every moment.
Someday I intend to give Berserk a try. At the moment, I’m enjoying One Piece far more than I thought I would. I was laughing out loud while reading it during my office hours today. Fortunately, no students saw me!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Ha that's awesome. Sounds like you may be in a similar boat as I was when I read it 4 years ago. I didn't expect to like it honestly, but it pleasantly surprised me in many ways. Still not my favorite or anything, but definitely worthwhile. Hope you continue to enjoy it.
Very nice episode. 👌
Cheers, Paromita!
two great dudes having a chat!? Let's gooooo
Cheers, Marco!
was a good episode, almost makes me want to start filming my own stuff!
Thank you, Jack! That’s a great compliment!
Yes! Two of our favourite toobers chatting. Exactly what the nightmare work week needed.
Totally agree about the booktube pub feel of CWN Philip!
Cheers, C.
Thank you, Carlos! I hope your week improves now that the weekend is nearing!
Dr Fantasy I loved seeing you on the Legendarium. Maybe you can have Craig on to talk about Tolkein, Prydain, the Belgariad and Narnia which he goes in- depth on his podcast!! A classic edition!!
Thank you, Heidi! I very much hope to have the opportunity to chat with Craig again. All the best!
Ahh, love me some Chatting With … wait a minute.
It's opposite day on BookTube with Jimmy in the hot seat!
Pubbing with Nutts. Maybe we can make Beer Nutts a thing... 😅
Great chat! Have you considered premiering your Dear Doctor Fantasy episodes? Then the live chat can react and you can interact.
Thank you, Erin! That’s a lovely suggestion!
Jimmy is the best ❤❤
Agreed!
This conversation is Nutts! :)
Totally Nutts!
😂 I love the thumbnail!
Thank you! It seemed so appropriate, and I think John Williams would have done a great job writing about Jimmy!
On my bingo card was "Lord of the Rings" (Someone mentioning it)
If you could have a bingo card consisting of nothing but squares with "Lord of the Rings" on them, you would probably still hit bingo around here!
I highly recomend the prequel and sequel to the killer angels, gods and generals, and the last full measure. Then if you enjoy those, the american revolution duology is great as well. Im looking to pick up the mexican war novel next, as sort of a prequel even to gods and generals.
I did not know about all those! Thank you!
Philip, are you saying you would’ve read Stoner if I hadn’t gifted you a copy as a hint that you should read it? 😅
Probably not! In my case, your thoughtful gift was the immediate catalyst. But none of us would have likely read Stoner without Jimmy picking it up first, I think.
make philip read one piece!
It will happen eventually!
Nah I'm pretty certain you would at least enjoy One Piece and like it. It wears its heart on its sleave, it is funny as hell, heavly thematic, characters are interesting, well done and you grow a deep emotional attachment to them, etc. It is just spectacular high epic fantasy set in a world of pirates. If the follwoing has any say: my favorite story is Malazan Book of the Fallen. It is CLOSELY followed by Berserk and One Piece. And if that isn't enough, I mostly align with yours and AP's taste with Malazan. In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't like some things in OP, but I am certain you would care about the general themes, characters and the overarching narrative.
Hell, Mike is enjoying it and he'd be the LAST person I'd predict enjoying One Piece.
Thanks! You’ve given me confidence that I’ll find plenty to enjoy in One Piece!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I'm glad! Though I do want to say that I don't want you to think I am pressuring you into reading it or anything like that. One Piece fanbase is HUGE and we LOVE, Malazan fans level love, this story, so a big part of the community can get very passionate(and yes, OP is absolutely massive. It is starting to reach Harry Potter levels of popularity atm. It has surpassed Batman more than half a decade ago). I personaly think that there is a certain charm and heart to this, despite how annoying or "toxic" it might seem to many other people. So, as a huge OP fan, I want to be careful. Please don't feel pressured to read it. I only wanted to say I disagree with this immediate jump that you probably wouldn't enjoy it. I just don't see why that would be the case, the story being aimed at a younger audience or no. After all, we can like or love some stories, but dislike certain aspects to them. I like Stormlight Archive and I will keep reading it, but I also dislike a whole lot of things in those books. Not everything has to be a 1 star or a 5 star.
@@berserker8884 Well said! I appreciate it!
41:32 *points forefinger to forehead
Johan!
❤
Thank you! 😊
If no one ever read fiction b/c it's escaping from all the serious trouble going on in the real world, then no one would ever read fiction. One could argue that not escaping the harsh ugliness in life is an irresponsible thing, b/c our minds aren't designed to live under constant stress. The healthy thing is to get out from under it for a spell - whether it's a vacation or a book that takes you away. And it's not just reading. I was going through an unprecedented extended period of personal distress when writing The World Queen Awakens and The Dark Lord Lurking, and being able to go into that world and live with my characters was a life saver! Re: criticism. Just offering a subjective opinion is one thing and that's okay. But if you want to make a meaningful and fair analysis, what G.K. Chesterton said is a good place to start. He said the critic's job was not to say what the artist should have done. The critic's job is to ask "what was the artist trying to do, and did he/she do it?"
Beautifully said about escape and about criticism, Micah! There’s something about the act of creating that is itself therapeutic, or so I too have found the hours (which feel like minutes) spent writing.
@1:20:48 - Editors are great in this case. You can have them edit the special videos you want to do that require more thorough editing/effects that way. I watch a lot of the Korean/Japanese part of YT and even small channels hire editors and feature on-screen captions and cool graphics. It's a completely different visual experience that makes it difficult for you to look away in case you miss important things. And then you have the English-speaking part of YT where content creators with a huge number of subs (100k+) still edit their own videos and only use simple cuts. XD Go wild! (Well, within budgeting constraints.)
One thing is for sure - I couldn’t justify hiring an editor from the paltry sums I make from videos. It would be awesome to have one, though!
R Scott Bakker is the greatest living author. Finish the series then talk about how he writes females.
One of the things I love about Bakker’s writing is how he warns his readers against the dangers of dogmatism and certainty.
Did he pass your class? 😁
A+
Interesting discussion - thus, thank you both. Just two observations:
Manga - I have never understood why it is so popular, as I dislike the art. Myself, I have nothing at all against graphic storytelling, but the Japanese style just doesn't appeal to me. If you want to know what I like, take a look e.g at the works of Hugo Pratt or Christin & Bilal. Of course, you can also read Watchmen - the only "superhero story" I have ever liked. That is a classic.
GRR Martin - Never found his prose to particularly noteworthy. It isn't bad in any way, but compared to the other ones you mentioned - Hobb, GGK, LeGuin, etcetera - I find him lacking. Also, he has a tendency of repeating some phrases all the time like "dark wings, dark words". On the other hand, I love his way of telling the story. How we go into battle at the end of a chapter, and only later get the outcome through a third, possibly wrong, perspective maybe two or three chapters later. Genius!
PS. The repetition of certain things was my main problem with the First Law trilogy of Abercrombie (and his Shattered Sea trilogy, too), as that always started to grate on me, but luckily he mostly shed that in his second trilogy Age of Madness.
"As useless as nipples on a breastplate" is a phrase that Martin uses several times too. I think most authors have their favorite words and phrases, but Martin's tend to stand out a bit, maybe because I've read his books so many times. As for manga, I actually didn't think I'd like it as much I am, so I suppose you never know! Cheers!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Thank you for the reminder of that phrase - I have to admit having read the books only once. Tried to read them a second time, but couldn't do it. It has something to do with the lack of progression in time, and thus that most main characters are just children or young adults during all the books. I don't know if it is true but I have heard tha GRRM's intention was to time hop between the books. Personally, I would have found that to be preferable to the current state.
About manga, it is only that I don't like the Japanese art style. Otherwise, I could probably like it a lot.
@@toinenosoite3173 Manga art can vary wildly, just as western comics do as well. Just take a look on google the differences between Berserk and One Piece, you'd feel they came out from a different country. Look up the manga mentionned in the chat (Berserk, Vagabond, Vinland Saga, Monster) they generally have a more similar style to Western art broadly speaking, the stories are also more mature in tone. You still might not like it and that's fine but if you haven't checked those out yet maybe they will change your mind if you give them a chance.
Two pillars of the booktube community playing lack-of-stature brinkmanship 😂😂😂
Stature? I’m only 5’10”. 😁
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy😂Not that kind of stature!
@@Paul_van_Doleweerd Oooohhh! Oh, dear . . . 😁
The Sansa plotline on the show is some of the most misogynistic stuff I've ever seen in fiction and I don't consider the books misogynistic.
One of several ways in which the show is not as good as the books!
Yes! The books leave Sansa in a much more hopeful place, where she's learned her lessons and finally decided to be proactive for once while her character arc regresses in the show. It still boils my blood how her story was handled for the sake of drama.