Give me a story; a challenge to storytellers

Give me a story. One set in another time; one set in another country; one set in a different cultural mindset with different notions of justice, politics, and love.

I’m tired of reading stories set in a kingdom, with an established monarchy, wherein the only way for a happily ever after requires the abolition of the monarchy, dethronement of the king, and institution of some anachronistic democracy.

I’m tired of reading stories set in a time of arranged marriages with an age-gap, wherein the romance reads passionate & lusty ‘falling in love’ emotions coupled with contemporary ideals of beauty, feminism, and self-choice.

I’m tired of reading stories set against a different cultural backdrop wherein the average public carries around 21^st century Western philosophical suppositions built on materialism, pragmatism, humanism, and Aristotelian logic.

I read fiction so that I can experience and understand different things. I’m familiar with my culture, my time period, my political system. But what does someone else think? Not every monarchy is evil; not every romance is lusty, not every culture ‘makes sense.’ So give me something new. Make me question today’s ideals. Make me want a just king. Make me appreciate a different kind of love. Make me familiar with differing perspectives.

Stop giving me today clothed in capes with funny names.

Give me a story. And I mean a real story. A good story.