Is mixing cultures for the setting of a fantasy story frowned upon?
I am writing a fantasy/steampunk/horror novel, and I'm wondering if mixing different cultures is frowned upon. Specifically, my novel's setting is a mix of Italy, Ancient Rome, and Transalvania/Romania. The setting itself is based off of 19th century Italy, but the names, goverment structure, and empire resemble Ancient Rome.
However, there are vampire-like creatures (who can also control the elements), and the other language occasionally spoken (mostly for nicknames and cursing) is Romanian. The creatures are also very diverse. There are for example:
- sirens
- bean nighe's
- headlsss horsemen (they're kind of like ringwraiths)
- gods
Is mixing cultures okay, and if so, do you have any tips?
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1 answer
What you are doing is called being original. It's not frowned upon; it's something most every writer strives for, especially with fantasy. The real challenge comes with making it believable. There a few questions on this very site, as well as other resources online, which can help you here. However, it all comes down to one very basic thing:
Details.
Details create credibility. If you know the in's and out's of a thing, and that knowledge comes across in your writing, the reader will feel that you know what you are talking about. That the thing being described is real, not just some hazy conjuration of your imagination.
Take a disease that magically turns everyone into zombies. That's hard to take at face value, but if you know that the disease attacks the brain in a manner similar to rabies, but keeps its victims alive in order to use the human carrier to further spread the disease... then you're getting somewhere (seriously, rabies is a zombie-disease except it kills you).
This doesn't mean you drown them in details and technical terms. Using the example above, I could say that the disease secrets a special toxin which masks it from the body's T-cells or something, but I don't need to. As long as I, the author, know how it works, and write like I know how it works, then that sense of knowledge will be in your writing, and the reader will pick up on it. A few terms maybe. Clarification here and there. Only what you need, nothing more. That's all it takes.
Let's take your example. You have Ancient Rome with vampires. The two generally don't mix in people's minds, so you'll have to clarify. Explain how this came to be. If it's always been this way, explain why. Did the vampires assimilate a culture similar to Ancient Rome and have now brought it here? Was the culture Ancient Rome, but the vampires have invaded and conquered? The answers will depend on your story, but the credibility will depend on the details.
I can help you further in the comments or edit if you need more help. Just let me know.
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