What I was most struck by in Larry's recent thread on gritty fantasy was what I consider to really be a lack of understanding on what the term means. "Gritty" does not mean simply violent, and filled with rape (thought that can be a part). It means a different take on human nature and a different understanding on "good" and "evil".

Fantasy stories from Tolkien onward were usually simple. There was a bad guy, there was a good guy, they fought and the good guy won. Anything the good guy did was always good and done to further his war with the bad guy. Never did he make a mistake, never did he do anything that was evil. Star Wars, Tolkein, and Star Trek are in this mold.

The real world doesn't work this way though. Good is not always easy to see and people who are "bad" normally don't see themselves that way. All of us are good, all of us are bad. All of us are grey (as opposed to black or white). As well it is quite possible to do bad things in defense of good causes and sometimes necessary (dropping the atomic bomb to end world war 2?)

"Gritty" fantasies see this reality and reflect it. Main characters are not purely good or evil, antagonists are not purely good or evil. This is what it means to be a gritty fantasy.