Can first person work in Sci Fi or Fantasy?

Writing toward a consensus is a tricky undertaking. You can do it, provided the consensus is narrow enough to set useful boundaries. Otherwise, it becomes waffling and psychological transference. Many new writers seem to have a fixation on getting permission for their writing. Trust me, forgiveness is easier than permission.

Don't be Flowered Shirt.

Many years ago when I attended more SFF conventions than I do now, I noticed one woman showing up to ALL of the local cons, and nigh-religiously attending as many of the writing and publishing panels as she could. She always wore a loud floral-print Hawaiian shirt, and she always carried a clipboard stuffed with a fresh college-ruled notebook.
She always asked the attending professionals the same series of good but basic questions.

Away from her presence, the local con volunteers and some of the pros started referring to her as 'Flowered Shirt', usually with some eye-rolling involved.

After a couple of years, I asked her about her questions. After ascertaining that I was a complete newbie, and not someone worthwhile or important, she confided that this was her system for figuring out the foolproof formula for writing a best-selling fantasy novel. She thought she was almost there, another couple of years and a few dozen more 'interviews' and she'd get it right. And no, I couldn't see any of her notebooks, or use her questions.

Yeah. I drifted away from the local con scene, so I have no idea whatever happened to her.

Samsonet said:

I'm guessing it has to do with the explanations -- a first-person narrator can only tell you what they saw/know about while a third-person narrator can fill in blanks, switch to other PoVs, etc.

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Many believe this, but it really isn't true. A good first person writer can do anything and everything in first person that another writer can do in third limited.

There was a time when finding first person in SF or fantasy was pretty darned difficult to do. On a percentage basis, first person is still pretty uncommon in both genres.

But there are enough examples around to show it can be done, and done very well.

emax100 said:

I guess I just have heard a series of complaints before in writing, often in discussions about things we're sick of, and it seemed to be like first person narrations is in the list of things that get boring and irritating quickly. Maybe that is because too many people use first person in a way such that it is too obvious they are trying to be clever in their execution.

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like Roxx, I suspect it's just because people are different and some people simply don't like first person as much as third. It doesn't mean first doesn't work. It means that writing in first will probably lose you some readers. But the same holds true for your cover design, your choice of main character, including dragons, NOT including dragons and a million other things.

Writing can be formulaic. But I think its way better to just write whatever you want to write and see what people think than to keep hoping to hit upon some objectively correct formula through forum questions.

It can work fine. It can also be an impediment to believable world-building. It depends on the setting, the character, the tone...

It works really well when the narrator is genre-savvy, such as in urban fantasy where they know what needs explanation, or where the first-person narrator is a naive participant, so they have reason to ask about or explain things.

It can be really hard to do in a situation where the character has always lived like they do and the fantastical things that go on are part of every day life.

That doesn't mean it can't be done, but it is harder.

emax100 said:

I was suddenly wondering if there is a consensus here on whether or not first person narration can work in this genre.

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Why on earth wouldn't it work?

And then there is Juliet McKenna's first five books starting "The Thief's Gamble" which alternates first and third person in the same book. One first person PoV character, then various other sections in third person. Who the first person PoV is varies along the five books (three are Livak the female thief, two are thingummy - a male character).
Can't think of another example of that kind of mix (but would be interested in it).

Bolero - The Bartimaeus books by Jonathan Stroud mix first and third, too; YA fantasy, highly recommended.

Bolero said:

And then there is Juliet McKenna's first five books starting "The Thief's Gamble" which alternates first and third person in the same book. One first person PoV character, then various other sections in third person. Who the first person PoV is varies along the five books (three are Livak the female thief, two are thingummy - a male character).
Can't think of another example of that kind of mix (but would be interested in it).

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Elizabeth Moon's Speed of Dark does also. Main protagonist in first person, present tense. The rest of the narrative in third person past.

I tried my hardest to write in third, but my writing shines in first. It's really important to stick to a POV that works with your story, how you write it.... You can find ways to stick to first person and still reveal other parts of your story but you will be limited...

zanzjan said:

Genre really only limits you on, well, genre. And we all know what a giant, wonderfully sloppy brush that is.

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Oh say it ain't so!

*Sloshes brush all over WIP*