TOUGH TRAVELING | Flying Rides

 

Tough Traveling is a fun meme that aims to tour all the tropes big and small, abhorred and loved that are littered across the fantasy landscape. It was conceived of and is hosted by Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn and here's how it's explained on the blog: 

Each Thursday, our copy of ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland’ in hand, we shall tour the mystical countryside looking for adventure and fun (and tropes) from all over fantasy.

This week's trope is Flying Mounts Rides:

 Because honestly?  Horses just got boring.  (Thanks to author Anne Leonard for the suggestion).

All week I've been thinking the topic was "Flying Mounts" which implies living creature and I've been wracking my brain to come up with flying critters you can ride that I haven't already gushed about.  Flying Rides though?  That's totally different right?  Inanimate objects become fair game! At least that's my read on things and I'm going with it.  

• The Flying Machines from The Abhorsen Series by Garth Nix

These are glider-like planes that can be flown by magic and they are sort of alive and sentient.  They can be made to go faster by whistling up a wind. They're great little rides for the Abhorsen and company to get around as long as they stay in The Old Kingdom but they don't really work if you cross over the wall into unmagical Ancelstierre.

Thar' She Blows!

• The Glass Elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This is the coolest elevator ever imagined.  It's zips around in every direction and can take you to any room in the chocolate factory.  But the best part is that when you press this one particular button it flies up out of the factory and glides out over the town.

• Howl's Moving Castle from ...well... Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

In Miyazaki's film the castle actually lumbers along on legs (a little like Baba Yaga's cottage) but Jones has said that when writing she envisioned it as gliding over the the ground, kind of flying.  So that's what I'm going with because the castle is just too cool not to include!

• Airships from Every Steampunk Fantasy Ever Written

I'll single out Changeless by Gail Carriger because I love this series and an airship plays a large role in this particular book.  Airships are awesome and part of the reason I read Steampunk quite frankly. There so...piratical. Too bad they have the tendency to explode in real life so they've never "taken off."  Hee.  See what I did there?:)  Some other books on my read list that feature airships:  Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton, The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook, The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith.

Riding a flying broom probably feels a little like this.

• Nimbus 2000 and the Firebolt in Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Can I just say that I really want a flying broom.  I mean, balancing on the thing sounds tricky and it can't be that comfy to sit on but it still sounds like a thrilling way to fly.

Well I think that's all the thrilling rides I can think of for the moment.  How about you?  Ever dreamt of flying through the air on a XXXX?  For more lists of flying rides check out the lists of the other tough travelers at Fantasy Review Barn.