Morning neighbors.

I haven't done a #breakfastthread in a while and I've got a few things rolling in my head so *rubs hands* let's go. This is going to deal with the impact that works have on us, and how we learn to recognize problems and move on.

Specifically, this is about my use of "neighbors"

I could easily make the argument that it's from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, which was a formative part of my childhood. But that wouldn't be accurate.

It comes from a knight.

Sir Sparhawk of the Pandion order from the Elenium series by David (and Leigh) Eddings.

I was a big fantasy reader in high school and these were among my favorite books. Honor and bands of brothers and quests to save the girl/world were my jam.

Sparhawk called people "neighbor" because (and I'm paraphrasing here):

"I don't know if they're my friend or not."

Adult me sees the numerous issues with the story now At the top the wholly inappropriate age gap between Sparhawk and Ehlana , the lack of women with any decent agency, etc.

Teenaged me wanted to be a knight.

I wanted the band of brothers (I'm using that phrase deliberately because my world at the time was very heavily on the "I'm not like other girls" side of things). The ride or die comrades who fight and joke and mourn together.

Funny how gender shit can be so clear in hindsight.

Now I don't write fantasy, but I can clearly see the influence of these stories in Hail and Co, in the crew of Zuma's Ghost.

I write stories about found family, comrades-in-arms, the ones who fight and joke and mourn together.

I finally let go of the books a few years ago, acknowledging that I'd not be able to read them again without cringing, choosing to let the idea of the story live in my memory instead.

But I still say "good morning, neighbors."

And that is how I've chosen to look at "old" books. To acknowledge the influence they had on me as a reader, as a writer and let them go. I don't keep them or read them again. I certainly don't recommend them as necessary reading for people who want to write fantasy.