Kings Are Easier

I mean for storytelling purposes. I don't actually have any data about the promiscuity of royalty.

Anyway.

I wrote a list while working on my political post of why politics are structured the way they are in a lot of “traditional epic fantasy”.

1. Kings are easier.

Now, I know that this is very simplistic, but I think there is some merit to it. From a storytelling perspective it is a whole lot easier to deal with one dude in charge instead of a governing body of some sort. Kings are easier to make and topple, and there is a larger chance of extremes when your whole system of government relies upon the whims of one person with all the power. Big governments are unwieldy and need to be populated by a large cast of characters with their own motivations and needs. It is just easier to deal with one person.

2. Secret royalty is fun.

How many times have we seen the trope where some clueless farmboy finds out that he is, if not the “Chosen One”, at least a prince in disguise? It is a trope because it gets used so often and part of the reason it is is because it's fun. It's always fun to have a character turn out to be more than what they appear to be and royalty in disguise is a pretty tried and true method for doing that. It is also easier with a king to have a bastard born and raised in secret and if it's one of the king's by-blows it tends to have more weight than if it were just a random senator or member of a council. Which brings me to thought number three.

3. Kings are more epic than senators.

I have a lot of respect for the legislative branch in terms of its role in government. However, there's just something more “epic” about a king. Traditional fantasy in the vein of Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire is of a huge scale and royalty fits in with that.

4. “Epic Fantasy” is usually medieval.

This one is more purely pragmatic. It is pretty common that epic fantasy takes place in a medieval world of some sort. It lends itself well to sword and sorcery and that is a big part of the genre. It is also a world that is highly romanticized in our culture and one that is so vastly different from our own that it is fun to imagine. Granted, it ends up being heavily idealized in fantasy as well (unless you're a writer like G.R.R. Martin), but that's ok when it's done well. It gives writers a chance to write about castles, knights on their chargers, and sword fights, and then bring in fanciful things like dragons and magic. Anyway, the point is that medieval history conjures up images of kings and queens, not senators and congressmen. If you think of a medieval court, chances are you are imagining a king or queen and assorted princes and princesses. Castles and kings go together like Dean Winchester and pie.

Anyway, I'm not trying to say anything big and certainly nothing I am saying is “new”, I just wanted to put a few thoughts down as to why politics in fantasy are usually structured as they are and these were the things that I came up with. Feel free to weigh in in the comments and let me know anything I missed. Or argue with me, that's always fun too. :)

Until next time, Dear Reader, take care!