Look, I like the past tense for epic fantasy. It just sort of
fits. It gives the impression of having an old myth told by an elder over a
campfire.
But sometimes, present tense is a nice change.
I know some people find present tense distracting, almost to the
point of being unreadable. I've heard people say that about first person
narratives as well.
I think when done right, present tense can add a lot to the
reading experience. Two books I've read recently are great examples: The
Girl with All the Gifts by Mike Carey and City of Stairs by Robert Jackson
Bennett.
Girl with All the Gifts is a zombie story, but with an
interesting wrinkle. Some zombies are sentient, and actually smarter than the
average human. It's told in shifting limited third person and in the present tense. The
combination goes well with the non-stop action of the story, putting you right
in the story. If anything, it's almost too much - almost exhausting to read.
City of Stairs was hard to classify: fantasy, sci-fi, murder-mystery,
something else entirely? Present tense worked well in this book as it kept up
the suspense even during the less action-heavy sequences.
What do you guys think about present tense? Love it, hate it,
can't stand it, want to marry it? Leave a comment.
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